COMO DAVI KOPENAWA, SENDO UM CONTADOR DE HISTÓRIAS, DÁ CONSELHOS, OU SENÃO, ENSINA A ARTE DE NARRAR A WALTER BENJAMIN?

Abstract

Davi Kopenawa, a contemporary Yanomami shaman and spokesman, believes that if white people, who live in an ignorant world, could hear his words, perhaps they would help each other to avoid or even postpone the falling sky. Walter Benjamin argues that the art of storytelling is already extinct in his essay The Storyteller from 1936. For Benjamin, the art of storytelling collapsed as the modern period took place in a consolidating capitalism analogy. It is fair enough to evoke the proverb Advice when most needed is least heeded. However, Davi Kopenawa seems to go against such a capitalist order by proposing another worldview with their cosmogonic narratives. In this sense, this article aims to confront the indigenous storyteller with the modern storyteller, proposed by Benjamin considering not only the art of storytelling, but also the art of counselling. Furthermore, I propose a reflection on Davi Kopenawa's words by launching the following proposition: how does Davi Kopenawa, as a storyteller, give a piece of advice or teach the art of storytelling to Walter Benjamin? This article will also articulate Yanomami indigenous narrative and Benjaminian essay to build an Ameridian Literary Theory as an imaginative listening invitation to other possible worlds.