Wakuénai means Wakú-speaking people.
In the past, only men did basket weaving but now women also participate.
The women come up with new forms and techniques, and sell the baskets at the market.
Like other people of the Orinoco, the Wakuénai grow crops using slash-and-burn farming.
Crops are sown during the short dry season between September and October, when the river levels are low.
This period is called Makwapidania.
That is when the areas to be farmed are cleared, according to the mythological calendar of Káali, the creator of yucca.
In the myth, yucca was planted when Káali’s son, the little toad Molitú, began to sing.
His croaking signalled that new land should be cleared and planting should begin.
It is important to the Wakuénai to farm as nature decides, otherwise the harvest will not be good.
Fishing is still important to the Wakuénai and is done entirely by men.
Some men still use a woven fishing trap near the banks of rivers and canals.
If the fishing goes really well, they salt or smoke the extra fish and sell them at the market. Hunting is also an activity for men that requires speed, silence and complete control of one’s body.
The hunter hides in the foliage and tries to imitate the sound of his prey.
He must wait patiently without moving, ignoring bad weather or annoying insect bites.
The women’s work is centred round the preparation of food.
They must carry, peel, grate and press the bitter yucca.
They collect firewood and toast the yucca pancakes, cassava, on large cooking slabs.
In the past, the Wakuénai ritual calendar began with the return of the rain.
This period is called Pudáli.
During this time, it was also important to settle any of the past year’s problems with family or neighbours.
So at the beginning of Pudáli people usually visited each other, bringing gifts.
The most common gift was smoked fish.
When someone visited another village, it was common to bring along singers, dancers and musicians.
Long speeches were held and as the day ended, the host would accept the gift.
The next morning, the food was shared by the host family and the visitors.
At the evening ceremony, people would drink padzáoru – a strong drink made from yucca.
There were also special dances to the Kulírrima trumpets at these celebrations.
The dance would usually last for four days and nights.
At the end of the Pudáli season several weeks later, great amounts of food prepared from yucca were given to the visitors who came to the village.
The ceremony ended like it began, with singing, dancing and music.
One important difference was that women always gave the speeches and accepted the gifts during the closing ceremony.
Today it is mostly the older people who remember and miss Pudáli.
Even though many traditions have disappeared, the Wakuénai have begun to bring back their traditions through music and dance.
