Matis Tribe Chief

Txemã, the primary cacique (chief) of the Matis tribe, helping a Mariwin "spirit" prepare for the Ceremony of Mariwin, an indigenous ritual involving ancestral spirits which do not talk and carry whips. The Matis have three caciques that are chosen in elections by tribal members. All adult members of the tribe are eligible to vote, including women. The cacique is largely a ceremonial title, having little power over the actions of individual men and women. The Matis chief generally leads by example rather than by force. Before first contact with the outside world, there was no cacique, so this is more of a Western concept imposed on the Matis, rather than a traditional practice.

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