September 15, 2021

"Cunhaporanga’s father was hesitant. Pinõ Tatuyo had been an early and enthusiastic advocate of bringing the Internet to the village."

"He felt the digital age had arrived and there was no going back. His people had to embrace technology to connect to the world — and teach it who they were. He himself had done a YouTube video in full headdress — 'A little presentation about who I am!' he named it — and created an Instagram account, where he eventually attracted 12,000 followers. But Cunhaporanga’s TikTok story was different. This wasn’t a few thousand people. This was millions."

From "Taking Indigenous culture viral" (WaPo) — about a 22-year-old woman, Cunhaporanga Tatuyo, who lives a traditional native life in the Amazon rainforest and has 6 million followers on TikTok. 

Lots of embedded video at the link, including one where she eats a fat, writhing larva. Here's her account at TikTok, where you can see all her videos, and you can follow her (as I too am doing now). I'll just embed one. 
@cunhaporangaoficial

Responder a @vivi__off O gosto é de 🥥. ##tiktokindígena ##indígenass ##ExpoNorteeNordeste @pabllovittar ##ApaixonadaPablloVittar ##jūgoanotiktok ##foryou

♬ Apaixonada - Pabllo Vittar

10 comments:

rhhardin said...

Look for academic articles in the introduction of video recordings to primitives

The First Tribal Cinema
Can Tribal Cinema Stabilize San Culture?
The Male Gaze in Tribal Cinema

gilbar said...

Serious question (actually, a snarky question)
Isn't She guilty of 'cultural appropriation'? It's not as if HER society built those cell phones... Quit STEALING Chinese Culture!!!

LordSomber said...

"traditional native life"

Introducing attention whoring and the worst aspects of the internet to an unspoiled culture.

I guess 22-year-old women are more alike around the world than I thought.

Patrick said...

So the digial age just "arrived"? What about first getting your feet wet with the iron age? Something isn't what it seems. I refuse to give the WaPo a pageview, so I'll just guess this family lives a "traditional native life" only on weekends.

WK said...

Ultimately and sadly, all the internet devices in the village were rendered useless when they were infected by a virus brought in from overseas.

Joe Smith said...

'What about first getting your feet wet with the iron age?'

Now that's funny...

gilbar said...

WK said...
Ultimately and sadly, all the internet devices in the village were rendered useless when they were infected by a virus brought in from overseas.

glad i wasn't drinking hot coffee when i read that, WK... The pepsi made a big enough mess

tim maguire said...

These videos remind me of a comic novel, Persepolis, about a little girl in Iran during the Islamic revolution in the late 70's. In the sense that it shows kids everywhere are basically the same.

mikee said...

Another YouTube phenom that predates this story is the Aussie lad who made "Primitive Life" videos. No music, no script, just a barefoot guy in shorts doing things like making stuff from wood, rocks, clay, leaves. From saddles to a house of fired clay bricks & shingles.

His work is relaxing and oddly compelling to watch.

His work was ripped off, copied endlessly (as seen here) by fake indigenous persons, and eventually he quit YouTube. He has a popular book out, and there are rumors of a paid show in the works.

Tina Trent said...

She seems pretty adept being on camera in a newscaster way. Perfect teeth. Ten to one she's a fraud. But good for her making money eating grubs. It worked out great for Joe Rogan.