MURI’S KAUMAI: A FAREWELL. A CELEBRATION. A RETURN.
A Ritual Tapestry...
Kaumai marks the end of a months-long mourning period. A carefully selected ritual trunk embodies the spirit of the deceased and remains as the centerpiece of this ten-day ceremony. A multi-day fishing party offers food to both spirits and guests. Wrestling competitions consolidate intertribal relationships. On the penultimate night, the entire community mourns collectively. On the final day, girl emerge from isolation, re-entering the community as marriageable women.
...for a Storied Shaman
Honored in this ritual, Awapataku "Muri" Waurá was a central figure in his community: a storyteller, a wrestling champion in his youth, and later a respected shaman, herbalist, midwife, and spiritual healer. A quiet critic of injustice and a bearer of hope, he engaged deeply with both his own culture and the wider world. The film includes reflections from Muri's daughter, Yapuwiku Waurá, on her later father's life and legacy, recorded in the village of Pyulewene where Muri lived for many decades.
