Spirit Animal

My three best friends and I spent a week exploring the Mamirauá Preserve deep within the Brazilian Amazon. Our local guide was a 24-year-old named Alieudo who was born and raised in a village nestled between the creeping jungle and the banks of the river. In his village, Caburini, there lived 14 families who got almost everything they needed from the ecosystem that cradles them. Their homes and canoes were crafted from wood harvested from the trees. Their bellies were filled with fish from the river, manioc from the ground, and fruits from the forest.

He didn’t hold back from sharing about his life in the Amazon. One night, as we stepped off the canoe with Alieudo at the helm he said to us, “two of you are macaws.” Then he rowed away, leaving us to wonder who would be graced with this prestigious honor.

The next day, he explained to us that in his culture they believe that everyone has a spirit animal - an animal you share character traits with.

He said it’s usually something you discover for yourself as you discover who you are and learn the ways of the animals around you. Through his eyes, each animal isn’t just a name, but also behaviors and personalities like members of your friend group. The macaw is loyal, the hawk is an adventurous leader.

When I asked him about his spirit animal, he revealed his connection to the anteater because of the way it explores the forest with curiosity.

As for me, Alieudo says my great spirit animal is…a squirrel. Humbling. According to him, the squirrel collects information to share with others. I’ll take it.

If you pay attention to other animals the same way we pay attention to our friends or pets, their spirit comes into clear view. Alieudo has cared for injured monkeys and baby turtles, he’s watched over Jaguar cubs, learned the habits of pink river dolphin. They’re all members of his extended friend group.

This experience taught me to shift my perspective from separating the “human” and the “animal”, to seeing it all for what it truly is - spirit.