Itaki, then chief of the village, found himself forced to make a rather radical decision that left everyone worried and shocked.
As a way to control the population size, the chief decided that all children born from a certain date onward were to be sacrificed. For him, this was a way to contain the population growth of his village.
One day, this drastic measure reached Itaki’s own family. His daughter Iaçã gave birth to a child who had to be sacrificed in accordance with her grandfather’s decree.
Iaçã suffered deeply from the death of her daughter. It is said that she spent days and days without leaving her hut, grieving and crying nonstop for many days and nights.
Thus, Iaçã raised her thoughts to Tupã, the Indigenous divinity, and asked him to help her father find another way to solve the food shortage, one that wouldn’t require the sacrifice of children.
Tupã was moved by the woman’s sorrow and decided to help Itaki find another solution for the village’s problem.
Then, one day, Iaçã heard the sound of a child crying outside her hut. When she stepped out, to her surprise and joy, she saw her daughter standing beside a palm tree.
Iaçã ran toward her and embraced the girl who, mysteriously, vanished in her mother’s arms.
Once again inconsolable, Iaçã cried so much through the night that she lost all strength and passed away.
The body of Itaki’s daughter was found the next morning, embraced around the palm tree. Iaçã had a serene expression and seemed to be smiling gently. Her eyes were open, gazing toward the top of the tree.
Upon observing the palm, Itaki noticed that where Iaçã’s eyes were directed, there grew an abundance of small, dark fruits. These were açaí berries.
The chief then ordered all the fruits to be gathered. With them, a thick, reddish juice was prepared, which nourished the villagers and ended the food shortage.