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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures

@nowaykgn.bsky.social

11K followers 7.8K following 2.7K posts

With each indigenous group that becomes assimilated, another unique culture vanishes. It is easy to dismiss what we do not understand. We are all different; we are all the same. www.vanishingculturesphotography.com

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · Jan 1

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to repost my images, I appreciate it🙏🙏🙏

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 3d

You are welcome, Dwight🙏

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 3d

The composition is excellent, with the bird positioned off-center in a way that draws the eye along its graceful curved beak. The sharp focus on the subject highlights intricate details. Well done on framing such a captivating and intimate portrait!👍

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you, Manuela🙏

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 3d

The composition pulls you into the fungus's wavy textures and zoned patterns, showcasing its natural art. The dark background adds dramatic contrast for an ethereal glow, while the lighting emphasizes velvety pores and gradients. Well done on this enchanting woodland capture!👍

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 3d

The composition is engaging, with the flowers filling the frame in a natural, cascading arrangement. The natural lighting highlights the delicate veining on the petals, giving them a textured, almost painterly quality👍

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 3d

This young lady has not taken the ritual to the extreme as the other girl has. Note the scratches on the calves, which I will explain in a future post.

Girls in seclusion tightly tie cords around their legs to increase the size and weight of the calf. They also partake in the skin scraping ritual.

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

I want to approach every cultural practice with curiosity, not criticism. By understanding the deeper meaning for the people who live it, we can truly appreciate and help preserve that culture. Thank you for recognizing that effort!🙏

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you, I appreciate it🙏

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

There is no readily available evidence that this specific cultural practice has led to such a severe outcome and has been medically documented.

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you, Bernard, very kind of you🙏

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

The physical change to the calves is generally considered to be a permanent or near-permanent aesthetic feature that women carry into adulthood.

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

While the long period of tight binding is specifically part of the puberty seclusion ritual (marking the transition to womanhood), the women often continue to wear woven cotton ligatures (or other types of decorative bands) on their calves even after the seclusion ends.

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you, Shantha🙏

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

The body art is a dynamic visual language that communicates the girl's new status, her identity, and her cultural connection to the spiritual and natural world.

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

While the exact age will vary from person to person, as menarche (first menstruation) can vary, the practice generally occurs at the age of puberty.

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

While the practice is a culturally significant part of a traditional rite of passage, the severity of the constriction suggests a high probability of causing chronic discomfort and carrying physiological risks related to blood flow and nerve health over the long term.

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you, I appreciate it🙏

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

Direct accounts of the level of pain experienced are not widely detailed in the available anthropological summaries or from participants. However, the practice is clearly intended to cause a physical change, and the effect is often described using terms that imply significant tightness and pressure.

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 4d

Viewer Discretion is advised
A pubescent girl has removed the very tight cotton wrappings around her knees and ankles, which make her calves bulge enormously, a highly valued sign of beauty and strength in Xinguano culture. Kuarup is the principal funeral ritual of the Indians of the Xingu.

The ritual of seclusion is a traditional rite of passage practiced among various indigenous tribes in Brazil's Upper Xingu region, such as the Kalapalo, Kamaiurá, Kuikuro, and others within the Xingu Indigenous Park. It marks the transition from girlhood to womanhood, beginning at the onset of a girl's first menstruation (typically around puberty), and serves to prepare her physically, culturally, and socially for adult responsibilities, including marriage and community roles.

A distinctive practice in some Xingu groups (noted among the Kalapalo and similar tribes) involves tightly wrapping soft woven cotton cords or bands around the knees, ankles, and calves. These wrappings are wound repeatedly to compress and shape the legs, causing the calves to bulge enormously over time—a highly valued sign of beauty and strength in Xinguano culture.

These wrappings are wound repeatedly to compress and shape the legs, causing the calves to bulge enormously over time—a highly valued sign of beauty and strength in Xinguano culture. The girl wears these during seclusion, and their removal at the end signifies her readiness to emerge. Additionally, body scarification may occur: using a sharp tool (like a "scarifier" made from catfish teeth on dried pumpkin skin), the skin (especially on the legs) is scratched to draw blood, which is then wiped away and treated with crushed leaves to strengthen muscles, revitalize the body, and enhance beauty. This is believed to break laziness, heal ailments, and build resilience.

Upon completing the ritual, the girl is considered an adult and receives a new name, symbolizing her rebirth into womanhood and eligibility for marriage. Her emergence is often publicly celebrated during inter-village festivals like the Kuarup (or Quarup), a major mortuary rite held in the dry season (around August or September) that honors the dead but also integrates rites of passage.

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 5d

Thank you for your kind comments. I appreciate them🙏

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 5d

Thank you for your support Linda. I appreciate it🙏

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 5d

Thank you🙏

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 5d

merci beaucoup🙏

Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 6d

Thank you, I appreciate your interest🙏

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Vanishing and Endangered Cultures @nowaykgn.bsky.social · 6d

Some older women, speaking retrospectively, acknowledged the pain of the process but expressed happiness that younger girls no longer have to endure it.