Native Construction Honor

Arts & Crafts

Requirements

  1. Help plan a simple house, well squared and with precision.

    Answer: Use a measuring tape, a try square, and a plumb line to mark out the rectangular perimeter. Check that the diagonals are equal (squaring). Mark with stakes and string. Standard: 4x6m or 5x7m. — Equal diagonals (the Pythagorean squaring rule) guarantee perfect right angles without using a protractor. In a 4x6m house, the diagonal = √(4²+6²) = 7.21m. Bamboo/wooden stakes anchor a nylon line that serves as a guide. A standard indigenous house measures 4x6m (24m²) for 4 people, common in traditional Brazilian native communities.

  2. Help in choosing and cutting suitable woods in the forest for use in the floor, beams, wall boards, nails, steps and doors.

    Answer: Floor/beams: ipê/jatobá (hardwoods). Walls: cedar/embaúba (medium woods). Pegs: ipê. Always with IBAMA management approval. — Hardwoods (ipê, jatobá) are hard and resistant to termites and moisture — they last 50+ years. Soft woods (embaúba, cedar) are light for walls. IBAMA requires authorization to cut in native forest (Law 12.651/2012). Wooden pegs (dowels) replace metal ones in 100% native construction, an advantage in communities without iron.

  3. Do the following:
    • Weave materials for walls.
    • Make wall sections measuring 1 m x 1 m. Show 2 different weaving patterns.

    Answer: Weave bamboo cane/vine/bamboo into 2 panels of 1x1m. Patterns: 1) plain weave (1-over-1) and 2) herringbone (2-over-2 crossed). Present both finished. — Bamboo weaving is a Tupi-Guarani indigenous tradition going back centuries. Herringbone is stronger than plain weave but requires more material. Bamboo should be cut during the waning moon (less water, fewer termites). Timbó-poca vine lasts 3-5 years before drying out. When well made, a woven panel lasts 10+ years as a wall.

  4. Demonstrate the ability to roof a structure correctly, using thatch, palm leaves, coconut palm fronds, or other material.

    Answer: Cover the roof with thatch/straw/overlapping leaves from bottom to top (like scales, 30% overlap). Lash to the beams with vine. Pitch of 30-45° to shed rain. — A minimum 30% overlap prevents rain from getting in through gaps. Covering from bottom to top is like fish scales — water runs off the outside. A pitch of 30-45° is ideal: <30° water pools, >45° wastes material. Well-made thatch lasts 3-5 years before replacement. Coconut palm/palm leaves have a service life of 2-3 years in indigenous communities.

  5. When necessary, select, prepare, and use vines to lash the beams and structure.

    Answer: Timbó-poça vine is the most widely used in native construction because of its high flexibility and durability of 5+ years. Harvesting it green (not dried) makes the work easier. The fisherman's knot is the strongest for beams. Dried vines can be resoaked in water for 2-4h before use, becoming flexible again so they can be lashed firmly.

  6. Take part in building a house, no smaller than 4m x 2m, using native materials. In building the house, practice all the previous requirements (1 to 5). While building the house, show the care needed to keep the material free of termites.

    Answer: Build a 4x2m+ house with native materials, applying requirements 1-5. For termites: cut wood during the waning moon, let it cure 30+ days, and use resistant hardwood. — The waning moon reduces sap in trees (50-70% less water) — drier wood attracts fewer termites. Open-air curing for 30-60 days completes the process. Hardwoods (ipê, jatobá) have natural repellent oil. A 4x2m house (8m²) is minimal shelter for 1-2 people. Smoke vinegar and neem oil are natural repellents that can be applied.

  7. Demonstrate the ability to identify, use, and handle safely the following tools: axe, saw, hammer, chisel, knife, ruler, measuring tape, and shovel.

    Answer: Use PPE (gloves/goggles). Axe: cut away from the body. Saw: keep a firm grip on the handle. Sharp knife. Accurate ruler. — The axe is the most dangerous tool — a two-handed grip and cutting away from the body prevent serious accidents. A sharp knife is safer than a dull one (it needs less force = less slipping). A handsaw requires a well-secured handle and a rhythmic motion. An up-to-date tetanus vaccine is essential for any work with cutting or rusty tools.