The Surui village of Lapetanha comprises several acres of concrete huts and thatched
longhouses scattered across a shallow slope at the forest's edge. Two dozen Surui,
painted and dressed in ceremonial garb, greet us as we arrive. Beneath a small shelter
in the village center we enjoy a round of celebratory speeches, the most resonant of
which comes from Chief Itabira, the Surui cultural leader. Itabira is a man of the old
ways; his grandfather is said to have enjoyed 40 wives and "died of happiness." 14 at
first contact, he witnessed the near-extinction of the tribe; when he ponders what has
happened to his people, he says, he wants to cry. Years ago he famously brought a bow
and arrow to Brasilia to lead the battle for formal acceptance of the Surui's land
claims. The agreement he negotiated became the
model for 24 other demarcations for
indigenous tribes.
Our visit represents the next stage in the Surui struggle to survive in the modern
world, and the upcoming ceremonies are a crucial first step in this new relationship.
We came here with a "Google agenda" of trainings and laptops and curricula, but Chief
Almir had a different priority-launching our partnership in the proper, formal manner.
The Surui have been anticipating our arrival for months: preparing the right foods,
putting in running water and a shower, spending weeks building a maloca (a
traditional longhouse), rehearsing the welcome ceremony. This last serves a crucial
dual purpose: it gives the Surui a chance to express their gratitude for our visit, and
it gives us a chance to experience Surui culture and adjust our internal clocks to
indigenous time (see Rebecca's text box, below).
The Day My Watch Stopped
At Google, we have unwritten rules about "how to run an effective meeting." Project
managers pride themselves on running effective meetings which start and finish on
time, follow a strict agenda (five minutes for the intro, get to the point, 5 minutes
for wrap-up), and on to the next meeting. It's very efficient and perhaps productive,
but at a cost. Sometimes not all voices are heard, people are encouraged to make
their points quickly. There are no long moments of silent group reflection to digest
ideas.
In Lapetanha, priorities are very different. A meeting is successful if everyone has
the full opportunity to express his or her views, and take all the time that they
need to do so. You may have to go around the circle of people two or three or four
times. It made me think of a drum resonating, diminishing until it becomes still.
Then everyone understands that some kind of consensus has been achieved, or at least
all thoughts fully conveyed. Only then does the meeting conclude.
We also came to understand that time operates differently. Vasco calls it "indigenous
time." When we arrived at the village, and I was told that there would be a welcoming
ceremony, I naturally inquired, "Great, what time will that start?" I checked my
watch and waited for the answer. Instead I was given a quizzical look in response:
"It will be when Chief Itabira decides that everything is ready. That is up to him."
So I decided to go with the flow. A short while later, I noticed that my watch had
stopped.
I have been back in the U.S. for a few weeks now, and for some reason have not yet
replaced my watch battery.
-Rebecca Moore, Manager, Google Earth Outreach
