Music, traditional peoples and the environmental cause: for a critical musician-environmental education
Renan Santiago
Initial considerations
Since 1998, with the advent of the National Curriculum Parameters, the Environment is a cross-cutting theme, that is, a discussion that, due to its relevance, should be addressed by all disciplines. In this context, there is Music, which, although it is not legally recognized as a school subject, but as a content of the discipline of Arts, has obtained subject status in several cities in Brazil, after the enactment of Law 11.769/2008 (FIGUEREDO; MEUERER, 2016). In this context, it is perceived the need for the Music discipline to also alert and raise awareness about environmental issues.
It is very important to think about the issue, because human beings do not have a relationship with nature, they are part of nature. Tiriba (2010) criticizes the anthropocentric view, which places human beings above other species and that school practices corroborate this view of the world. It is, therefore, necessary an environmental education from early childhood education in order to reverse this worldview. Therefore, some practices are suggested and ratified with superior documents, such as the DCNIs, which are: 1) reconnecting children with nature; 2) reinvent the ways of knowing and 3) say no to consumerism and waste.
However, most of the time, this treatment occurs superficially and always through the construction of scrap musical instruments or through a repertoire whose lyrics talk about the planet, for example “Terra, planeta Água”, by Guilherme Arantes. It is said that this treatment is superficial because practices of this type do not have the potential to point to the real reasons for the environmental crisis, namely: “unsustainable population growth, sharp increase in poverty and social inequality, unsustainable food production methods, use of unsustainable energy and unsustainable industrial production” (MACEDO, 2000, p. 57) and give the impression that individual attitudes are enough to “save the world”. In other words, this environmental and musical education (which here will be called musical-environmental education) is not critical.
Critical environmental education is distinguished by being inserted in a political perspective, which considers power relations and escapes alienating assumptions that remove the subject from the environment (GUIMARÃES, 2016). In this sense, taking a class of the year to to make scrap metal instruments and sing about the planet, thus removing a few kilos of recyclable material from nature, without raising reflections on how there are still tons of materials being produced and wasted every day, and about how our laws and Constitution do little to help the environmental cause, and without even touching on issues such as food sovereignty, popular education and who profits from the devastation of the environment, not even remotely, contributes to the environmental cause and with the formation of environmentally conscious individuals.
In this sense, the present text, far from exhausting the subject, seeks to introduce music teachers – already active or in training – on the subject and indicate ways in which Music can critically contribute to the environmental cause. To this end, we will seek to defend the thesis that through learning about the culture and musicality of traditional peoples, it is possible to educate oneself to defend the environment in a critical way. Among the different traditional groups in which this endeavor could be possible, the present text will highlight the Guarani Mbya indigenous people and the candomblecists of the Ketu and Jeje nations.
The Guarani Mbya and the environment
There are some videos on this portal that deal with Guarani Mbya culture, history and musicality. Here in this text, some points will be reinforced, based on information obtained directly from the indigenous people of the Sapukai village of Bracuhy (SANTIAGO, 2021) or through the reading of monographs of indigenous people of this ethnic group (ARA'I, 2020; BENITES , 2015; BRIESUELA, 2020; GONÇALVES, 2020; KEREXU, 2015; MARTINS, 2015; MARTINS, 2020; MARIANO, 2020; SILVA, A. 2015; SILVA0 B., 2015; SILVA, 2020; SOUZA, 2015; SOUZA, 2020 ; VERÍSSIMO, 2020), defended at UFSC, an institution that has an Indigenous Intercultural Licentiate course.
The Guarani Mbya are the main indigenous ethnic group in the state of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, with a very relevant population also in Santa Catarina, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul, as well as villages in other states and countries, such as Argentina. , Bolivia and especially Paraguay, where Guarani is also an official language.
Like any human community, the Guarani Mbya produce characteristic cultural forms that define and delimit their ethnicity . In this sense, the Guarani Mbya culture is defined by its native language, art (dance, music, crafts, sculpture, body engraving, cinema, etc.), gastronomy, cosmovision, habits, and religion. In general, in Western societies, these “spheres” of life are divided, but among the Guarani Mbya indigenous people, this division is not so clear. In fact, everything is very united, with spirituality as the central axis. In other words, language, dances, music, handicrafts and other cultural forms are expressions of the Guarani Mbya faith. In this context, there is no logic in only seeking to learn about the musicality of this ethnic group without also trying to understand the religious and spiritual aspects that the Guaranis believe. Also because, without the knowledge of these aspects, the songs would not be fully understood, as they always speak of aspects of the Guarani Mbya faith.
It is also relevant to explain that the jurua kuery , that is, the non-indigenous, will never fully understand the Guarani faith. It is something transcendental, it is not something that is studied and learned, it is something that is lived. What will be presented in the next paragraphs will be an inaccurate reading of the indigenous faith made by a non-indigenous person. It is always suggested that the reader seek knowledge about traditional peoples directly from the source whenever possible.
In the Guarani Mbya faith, there is an entity whose name is Nhanderu Tenonde. Now, a little lesson from Lígua Guarani: the word “u” means father and “nhande” means “our”, when it encompasses who is talking and with whom this (and) someone is talking; finally, tendonde means "first." Thus, Nhanderu Tenonde literally means "Our first father", however, Nhanderu is a general designation for god or deity, so the best meaning would be "supreme god" or "primordial god".
Nhanderu Tenonde is the first because he created himself when nothing else existed and, after that, he created Earth and the other Nhanderu. A more detailed explanation is given in the video that explains Guarani Mbya cosmogony and anthropogony . In this text, the most important thing is to talk about the four Nhanderu that Nhanderu Tenonde created after forming the Earth.
Each of these Nhanderu is responsible for a certain element(s) of nature and they have their amba (that is, a kind of spiritual village where the Nhanderu reside with their wives) in a certain geographical direction. They are: 1) Nhanderu Karai, god of fire, has his village in the north and is husband of Kerexu; 2) Nhanderu Jakaira, god of fog, has his village towards the south and is the husband of Ysapy; 3) Nhanderu Nhamandu, god of the sun, has his village towards the east and is the husband of Jaxuka and 4) Nhanderu Tupã, god of water, thunder and lightning, has his village towards the west and is the husband of Jaci. Together they form puru'ã e'ỹ va'e, that is: the Guarani Mbya pantheon.
These are the main Nhanderu that govern the mentioned elements of nature, but there are other Nhanderu that govern other elements of nature and even animals. In this sense, there is, for example, a god for the cavies, one for the anteaters, another for a certain river, another for the trees, etc. Some indigenous people, for example, when making a trap for armadillos, distance themselves and meditate (perhaps, in the sense of saying prayers) to the god who rules the armadillos in that region, in order to ask him to allow one of these animals get stuck in the trap.
In general, the rule is clear: everything in the forest has an owner, and they are the Nhanderu. In this sense, the indigenous people, in general, avoid unnecessarily touching the forest and only remove the necessary for consumption. Another important point to be explained here is the Mbya Reko, that is, the Guarani way of being, which will encompass, precisely, gastronomy, the arts, faith, habits, etc. It is relevant to discuss this because the Mbya Reko is totally dependent on the presence of nature.
Mbya villages are called tekoa, literally, seed of life, in the sense that it is tekoa that Guarani life takes place and where one can practice Mby Reko, that is, live as a genuine Mbya. In this context, the villages need a source of water, because in addition to the need for consumption, the waters are sacred to the Guarani, as is the sea.
It is also necessary to have enough forest, with animals available for hunting and fishing, and native fruits, with which the indigenous people can eat the typical dishes of their cuisine. Likewise, the forest provides seeds and feathers for handicrafts, natural paints for body graphics, wood for sculptures, bamboo for basketry, gourds for instruments, among other needs.
The argument here is simple: without the right environment, it is impossible for an indigenous person to maintain a traditional lifestyle. Benites (2015), for example, analyzed childhood in two Guarani Mbya villages: one in Aracruz - ES, which is in the context of a pulp producer, where there is no sea or fresh water sources and _cc781905-5cde-3194- bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ most of the trees are eucalyptus (remembering that eucalyptus productions are called “green deserts”, because this monoculture prevents the development of an ecosystem with different animals and plants), and another in Angra dos Reis, which has a considerable forest area and water sources. Indeed, how can one learn that there is a god of rivers if there are no rivers where one lives?
The author came to the conclusion that indigenous children who grew up in the village where nature is more abundant developed better and learned more about their culture, indicating that living with nature is essential for the development of this ethnic identity.
In this sense, a lot can be learned from the indigenous people about the preservation of nature: nature, more than a place from which we take resources, is sacred, it is created and maintained by the gods. In fact, it is not necessary for the reader to truly believe in Mbya cosmology, but it is believed that if, at the very least, we learn to respect nature and that it is sacred yes, maybe not in a religious sense, but in the sense of recognizing that without it human life is impossible, a positive step will be taken.
In this context, in music classes, it would not be enough, therefore, to teach about indigenous musicality without also presenting the culture, spirituality and relationship with nature that this people maintains. Therefore, when presenting a repertoire of Guarani Mbya songs , the teacher will also be able to show how the culture of this people is presented in the songs, as well as elements that praise nature and its preservation.
An example is the song Ka' aguy nhanderu ojapo va'ekue [1] :
Ka'aguy Nhanderu ojapo va'ekue
Mamõ jaikoa'i nderery rupi meme
Ejo ejo
Apy'ma xee there
Ejo ejo
Apy'ma xee there
Nhanderu made the forests
wherever we are
We will always be with your name
I am here
Come come
I am here
The music reinforces the Guarani concept that it was Nhanderu who created the forests, from which the life of the Mbya springs. There is also an air of loyalty to Nhuanderu: “wherever we are, we will always be with his name”. Nhanderu seems to reply: “I am here, come, come”.
By teaching this song, the teacher can enjoy and teach about Nhanderu, about the importance of forests for Mbya Reko and about how human beings have harmed indigenous existence by devastating forests and polluting rivers and the atmosphere. Finally, it can suggest that children develop “legal suggestions” for the protection of forests, rivers and seas, with the justification that the preservation of these environments is also the guarantee of indigenous identity, theoretically guaranteed by the Law. Although they are just suggestions for laws, nothing prevents them from being sent to councilors and deputies.
Candomblé Ketu and the environment
Similarly, candomblecists also, through their spirituality, can teach us about nature. As was written in the section on indigenous people, this text should also be read knowing that it was not written by a candomblecist. What will be exposed here was obtained in works such as Cardoso (2006), Fonseca (2002) and Caputo (2012), and in interviews with candomblecistas (SANTIAGO, 2021). While the information here is helpful at an early stage, it is suggested that authentic knowledge be obtained directly from the source.
Such a group is not exactly a traditional people, as what unites them are their religious beliefs and not purely ethnic issues, but Candomblé preserves various cultural forms of traditional African peoples. It is known that the enslaved black woman, being cowardly and violently brought to Brazil, not only brought their bodies, but also their culture, their language and their faith. . In this sense, although Candomblé has undergone different changes since it was brought to Brazil, many traditionally African customs have been maintained.
The Candomblecist religiosity is extremely complex, therefore, it is not intended to present it exhaustively, because that would be impossible. For the purposes of this text, it is enough to point out that, like the indigenous people, the Candomblecistas also believe in a creative being, which in this case is Olorumarê. He would have created Orum, which is the parallel universe where he lives, and Aiê, our world. In addition, he also created human beings and the Orixás.
The Orixás are deities that help humans in their spiritual development. They present themselves as masculine (aboró) or feminine (aiabas). Some of them existed in the Orum and incarnated with human beings, in the form of kings, queens or other great personalities. Other orixás were human beings who, thanks to Olorumarê, were deified due to extremely important acts performed in life.
Obviously, what was expressed above does not present the totality of what the orixás are, but, for the purposes of this text, it is sufficient to indicate that each Orixá is related to the elements of nature that symbolize and that they would control. In a simplistic way, the orixás can be defined as the elements of nature. Oxossi and Legunedé are related to hunting and wild animals. Oxum is the aiabá of rivers and waterfalls while Iemanjá would be the aiabá of the seas. Iasã would be the lady of the winds, thunder and storms. Xangô would belong to lightning and fire.
Last but not least, there is an Orixá whose cult is interesting for the reflection brought by this text: Onilé, who would be Mother Earth herself and would have authority over her. This Orisha is seen as the environment itself, in this sense, to disrespect nature and the planet would be to directly disrespect this Orisha, as well as the others, whose riches and possessions also spring from the Earth.
Therefore, for Candomblé, nature is also sacred and divinized. When the rivers, forests, seas and other biomes are destroyed, the possibility of Candomblecists exercising their faith is also removed, as it is in these places that their offerings and libations are made. In other words, defending nature is also preserving Afro-Brazilian ancestral cosmology and the right to worship Candomblecista, something defended in the Constitution.
In this context, the Music teacher could do something similar to what was proposed in the indigenous theme, but starting from a Candomblé song, which could be Oro Mimá .
I pray bad
I pray my swimsuit
I pray my swimsuit
Yabado oyeyeo
I pray bad
I pray my swimsuit
I pray my swimsuit
Yabado oyeyeo
And God is the sea
God is the greatest
God is the greatest
helped me win
And God is the sea
God is the greatest
God is the greatest
helped me win
This is a song that, in Yoruba tradition, Oxum would have made for his daughter. This song refers to the sea, to nature. After working on the musical aspects of Music, the teacher could explain the context of Music and tell the story of Oxum, taking the opportunity to break the stereotype that the orixás are the demons of the Judeo-Christian tradition. After that, I could reflect on how the cult of Oxum and Iemanjá depend on the waters and, based on that, reflect on what could be done so that such biomes cease to be polluted.
Among the various answers, depending on the age of the class, the idea that it is necessary to improve basic sanitation could emerge, since, for example, only 35% of the sewage in the city of Rio de Janeiro is treated. Once that was done, the class could write, with the help of the teacher, a letter to be sent to a city ruler, requesting infrastructure and basic sanitation works in the city, justifying, among other aspects, the importance of rivers and seas for the preservation of the Candomblecist cult.
Final considerations
It is hoped that this text has been powerful enough to not only introduce the reader to the question of the possibilities of Music in contributing to Environmental Education, but also to bring new knowledge about the Guarani Mbya and the candomblecists of the Ketu nation. Once again, it is suggested that the reader, if interested, seek more information about these groups in other places, right here on this portal, or, preferably, with these people.
It is noteworthy that, despite Critical Environmental Education solemnly indicating that individual attitudes are not enough to change the climate crisis, it does not seek to say that they are not necessary or that they should be despised. If you want to recycle your garbage, take a day to clean the beaches, put a filter in your car exhaust, pee in the shower (yes, there was a campaign in the 90's that said that peeing in the shower saved flush water and would help the water problem), sweeping the sidewalk instead of washing it, among other actions, know that you are not wrong, your attitudes are correct, but these attitudes are useless if the big polluters keep pushing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere with the consent of governments. Therefore, environmental education is a matter that is included in politics.
Finally, it is also useless to sing and talk about traditional peoples in an environment surrounded by concrete. To learn to love the environment, one must have contact with it. Therefore, it is suggested that classes on the subject are held outdoors, in an environment surrounded by nature, without worrying about children getting dirty, but, on the contrary, in a moment of total harmony with nature.
References
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[1] Audio available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTuQOWy1lmM&ab_channel=Mem%C3%B3riaVivaGuarani-Topic , accessed on 02/07/2022