Priscilla Monge: Carajacaquijerrisuf

Toninstallation, 2014
1:30 min
Ethnische Gruppe: Maléku
Sprache: Maléku. Das Wort mal’eku bedeutet "Person" und sein Plural ist maleku marama "unsere Leute"
Sprecher: Liliam Elizondo, Carajacaquijerrisuf und Denia Blanco

Verbreitung: Die indigene Gruppe der Maléku siedelt außerhalb der Grenzen des Schutzgebiets Caño Negro im Maléku Stammesreservat, das eine Fläche von 2.743 Hektar hat. Darin befindet sich die Provinz Alajuela im Kanton Guatuso und San Carlos, Costa Rica
Bevölkerungszahl: über 600

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In the 19th century, the ancestral homeland of the Maléku was spread over 1100 km2 mainly surrounding the River Frio basin, an area rich in bio-diversity. This region, which makes up 6.6% of the national territory, contains 5% of the entire country’s biodiversity, and 45.6% of all mammals, reptiles, amphibians and bird life to be found in Costa Rica.

One of its most famous traditions is the Tortoise Celebration which, for a long time could not be held due to a ban on hunting in the shelter. This place is considered sacred by the community and for a long time religious rituals were practiced there.

For the Tortoise Celebration they travelled in launches to the nearby lagoons both within and outside Caño Negro, where tortoises were caught and then taken to the village for the Celebration. Recently, the Ministry of the Environment and other government bodies associated with environmental protection reached an agreement with the Malekus, by which they were allowed to enter the sanctuary to hunt.

Story
Translation by Lilliam Elizondo (the second speaker in the recording)

"It had been a long time since we last went hunting tortoises and we travelled by canoe and slept, made fires, dried recently caught iguana on the firewood, coloured monkey and tortoise, but at daybreak we walked onwards and slept on the sand where once again, we dried iguana and tortoise. We also hunted another type of tortoise, smaller in size which we roasted, and fish, from which we made another type of food by wrapping it in leaves and roasting it on hot coals before eating it.

When the sun rose we also made chocolate. We made a drink of roast banana in water, after which we went to Caño Negro and there we made a bonfire, cooked and then went fishing and caught all types of fish, some big and some medium-sized. We brought them back and cooked them over the fire."

Song
Translation by Denia Blanco, teacher at the Maléku school of Palenque Margarita (In the recording it is the first voice that is heard)

"In your house you left your poor little husband suffering.
In the river you left your poor little husband suffering"

A prayer to protect children less than twelve years of age from evil spirits
Translation by Carajacaquijjerrisuf, child of eight, who, together with a school companion also made a recording of the prayer in the Palenque Margarita

"It is, good heavens, A huge trunk of querosin [1]
To you do I direct the heat flowing forth from my face, I direct the heat continuously.
It is, good heavens, an enormous iguana; To you do I direct the heat flowing forth from my face, I direct the heat continuously.
It is good heavens, a big Toucan
To you do I direct the heat flowing forth from my face, I direct the heat continuously.
It is, good heavens, a pot which cooks;
To you do I direct the heat flowing forth from my face, I direct the heat continuously.
It is, good heavens, the bereaved of one who has died badly;
To you do I direct the heat flowing forth from my face, I direct the heat continuously.
It is, good heavens, he who grieves for the one who has died badly;
To you do I direct the heat flowing forth from my face, I direct the heat continuously.
It is, good heavens, a big father crocodile;
To you do I direct the heat flowing forth from my face, I direct the heat continuously.

1. Translator’s Note: A resinous type of tree

Priscilla Monge: * 1968 San José, Costa Rica; lebt dort.