Iwariwë Exhibit Comes to the Healey Library

Iwariwë: The Origin of Fire Amongst Men, an exhibit recounting the arrival of fire among the Yanomami people, is on display on the fifth floor of the Healey Library through Friday, September 28.

Iwariwë recounts this seminal event through community art, showcasing a book designed to both preserve and educate others about customary Yanomami life ways. The Yanomami are a group of indigenous people who live in the Amazon rainforest along the border between Venezuela and Brazil.

This exhibit represents far more than just a display of ethnographic items produced by indigenous peoples from another hemisphere. It is a combination of traditional knowledge and modern methodologies for education, as well as a collaboration between the first peoples of a place and contemporary scholars from IDEA University who appreciate a deep connection to their shared home. Most of the objects presented in this exhibit have been rarely seen outside Yanomami territory, like the spirit’s house, a ceramic vase, and women and men's attires.

The Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS) and the Native American and Indigenous Studies program, the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, and Office of International and Transnational Affairs have all sponsored the exhibit.

For more information, please contact Dr. Cedric Woods, director for INENAS, or Dr. Josh Reid, director for NAIS.