ABSTRACT
In this chapter we continue to examine the contributions of Indigenous groups to Brazilian culture, drawing specifically from the knowledge we gain from storytelling. Stories often reflect the values, moral principles, cultural traditions, and eating habits of a specific culture. By exploring multiple elements in folk traditions, we can glimpse how various groups experience their cultures, how they interact, what they eat, and what they like. Folk traditions also provide a lens through which we can examine race relations, slavery, colonialism, sustainable development, the environment, and the rich contributions of each ethnic group. Stories from Indigenous peoples in Brazil open windows to their cultures. To this end, we focus on stories of the Tupi people that explain the origin of elements embedded in the fabric of Brazilian culture such as the creation of the Amazon River, manioc (one of the most important ingredients in Brazilian cuisine), guaraná (an ingredient in several energy drinks), and Curupira (the guardian of the forests).
