História cultural e memória: os relatos de rezadeiras e benzedores no município de Carauari, rio Juruá

Abstract

This experience report focuses on the importance of documenting cultural practices and knowledge in the face of modernization. The research aims to understand, through the accounts of traditional healers and prayer leaders, how the traditional practices used in the municipality of Carauari, on the Juruá River, remain relevant in the context of current sociocultural changes. It also seeks to analyze the role of these healers and prayer leaders in the health and cultural identity of the municipality's traditional communities and to identify the challenges they face in maintaining these practices. The methodology is based on bibliographic research, empirical observation, and oral history—an important research tool for recording experiences and collecting data to identify existing beliefs, providing a multifaceted view on the subject. The text also suggests strategies for the preservation and strengthening of these traditional and religious practices and knowledge, integrating them into public policies, thus reinforcing the need to recognize and value cultural diversity and the importance of traditional knowledge. This article ultimately seeks to build an understanding of the use of traditional practices and knowledge in healthcare, and their role in preserving the cultural and historical identity of Carauari.