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22 December 2011DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE INDIGENOUS KICHWA AND COLONISTS IN THE AMAZON REGION When visiting the Amazon region of Ecuador, it is easy to see the differences between the indigenous people and colonists in the way in which they cultivate the land and relate to nature. The indigenous cannot sell their lands because these belong to the community; they do not cut down the forest because they feel connected to it. The colonists view things differently. The harder a man works, the more prosperous and respected he is in the area. My parents' farm is next to an indigenous community. We cultivate coffee, cacao, plantains, and grass to feed the cattle. Grass is harmful to the soil because it is necessary to clear the forest. Next to our farm, the indigenous have small areas cultivated with plantains, yuca and corn. Guillermo Yumbo, an indigenous man, father of twelve children, says he does not cut down trees because he hunts in the forest to feed his family. When he needs to clear land to cultivate corn he lets things grow back so that the soil can regain its nutrients and animals can benefit from the left over from the harvest. Meanwhile he looks for another area to cultivate. They do not cut down the ceibo tree (ceibapentandra) because of its majesty, and the belief that the spirits of their ancestors inhabit the trees. Since the land belongs to the community, when a member of the family gets married, the community decides on the amount of land the new couple will have. The indigenous' awareness of the environment is related to their belief that the forest is inhabited by spirits. The colonists are more concerned with the production of the land they own. This different way of looking at things creates misunderstandings: the colonists think the indigenous are lazy; the indigenous think the colonists come to destroy everything in their path. |
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Credit –blog.espol.edu.ec |
3 December 2011CHANGING LIFE, CHANGING PACE Now that I have lived in a city for two years, I can reflect on the differences between the two worlds. Although rural life has been influenced by the city in recent years, and products brought from the outside can be found, their quantity is limited. I have lived in communities far away from towns for some periods of time. The use of land in these areas is delimited by rivers, tall trees, or knolls. Property in cities and towns, on the other hand, is established by topographical studies and blueprints that have to be registered with municipal governments. In the city, I go to the supermarket every week. I walk through rows of merchandise, picking up what I need, putting products in a bag and then going up to the cashier to pay for them. The quantity of groceries I buy depends on the money I have. In the jungle the provisions we get, depend on the climate. We fish catfish and smallmouth bass when the river is low. If there is a full moon and the wild mango trees have bloomed, one can hunt for guanta (a rodent) and deer at night. At mealtimes everybody contributes with whatever they have been able to get in the forest. While women prepare dinner, people gather to talk and tell stories. When the meal is ready, they reach into the pot with their hands and eat whatever they get hold of; sometimes it is a surprise! Everything depends on nature in the jungle, in the city on money or the status a person might have. My grandmother taught me that sparrows fly when it is about to rain, that insects chirp when summer is near. In the city we find out about the weather through the Internet or television. It has not been easy for me to get used to the rapid pace of life in the city. I know now what stress is. When I go back to the jungle, time seems to stop; everything is so much slower. I have had to adapt to a new life until I finish my education, then I will be able to return to my beloved land in the Amazon. |
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20 August 2011RELIGION UNDER A TREE I was interested in reading since I was a small boy, but it was difficult to find a book in the area where I live. I would read only when a book – perhaps left behind by someone – would fall into my hands. I would then go into the forest and would sit under a tree to read it. Many times I discovered ideas contradictory to those I had been taught, particularly on religion. My mother raised us with very strict religious principles that did not allow us to question the existence of God. Some of the books introduced me to new religions practiced in other parts of the world. I tended to reject them initially because I thought that the church I had always attended was the only one in the world. Other times, I found descriptions of the creation of the universe that had nothing to do with the teachings of my church. Unable to discuss these matters and my doubts with anyone I felt uncomfortable; I was afraid to be punished by God questioning his very existence. I decided then, to avoid reading books on religious topics because I thought they were harming me; I was becoming a bad person. My readings left me with many internal conflicts. Fortunately, when I entered the university, I took a course on evolution that helped me to clarify my ideas about creation and the origin of the universe. My ideas have changed since I was a child. Learning has enriched my knowledge. Now I know that there is not one truth. Each person has his/her own ideas and sees the world from his/her own cultural perspective. Now I understand that all of them have to be respected when they do not affect the rights of others. |
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30 July 2011SHAMANISM IN THE AMAZON REGION The Kichwa people relate to nature and to members of their society based on their understanding of the abstract world and their cosmic vision. The Shamans, who are their leaders, reach that position after they have attained a certain age, knowledge of medicinal plants and the energy they can receive from the forest. The Shaman inherits his supernatural powers from his ancestors and by preparation throughout his life in the jungle. He obtains these powers by taking a hallucinogenic drink called "ayahuasca" (Banisteriopsis caapi). If a person is sick, a Shaman is capable of understanding what has happened or devining what is about to happen and prescribe the proper medicine or medicinal plants to cure them. I have lived all of my life with Kichwas and all of them have a great respect for Shaman. One day, I participated in a cleansing ceremony and the Shaman blew tobacco smoke over me and passed special leaves around my body. This was to clean all of the evil spirits from my body. When the ceremony was over, I had a feeling of peace and the sensation of wellbeing. Mauricio, a classmate of mine from the Yachana High School, told me about his father who is a Shaman and the process they must go through to be selected. The process to become a Shaman starts early. There are many candidates within the family of a Shaman, but only the elder Shaman knows who will be the one to be his successor. He submits his child to cleansing sessions from early childhood. He blows tobacco smoke over him; rubs leaves from the forest on his body; sings mantras, that only he knows the meaning of, to free him from all evil. These rituals are carried out several times a year. When the young man is 17 or 18 years old, he is ready to become a Shaman. The ceremony for the transfer of power takes place at night. There is a period of the transfer of knowledge to his son about medicinal plants and how to prepare them. He tells him about his experiences, and the rules involving this position: who will be his allies or his enemies. Enemies are more numerous because of the constant competition for power. The father also gives his son a symbol of nature. He can choose between a snake (boa), a jaguar or a stone, keeping in mind that they are alive and need special attention and control. Although they have their respective powers and give energy to a Shaman, they can be dangerous. The Shamans never give out confidential information; if they did reveal secrets it would put their own lives in danger. |
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Credit – vicaltam/flickr.com |
9 May 2011YUCA CHICHA The most common drink among people in the Amazon region is a beverage made from the roots of the yuca (cassava) plant called chicha. It is an integral part of their daily lives and the main staple in their diet. Yuca is a short cycle crop and it can be harvested at any time during the year. Traditionally, women are responsible for cultivating it, preparing the drink and serving it. After pulling the yuca roots up, they have to be peeled and cooked for 30 to 40 minutes. They are then placed in a hollowed wooden tray to be mashed with a wooden mallet. At the same time, a woman takes small portions of mashed yuca and puts it in her mouth to chew it to mix it with her saliva and later spit it back into the wooden tray. The bacteria in the saliva promotes the rapid fermentation process of the yuca and gives chicha its distinct flavor. Once this is done, the mash is placed in a covered bucket where it remains for 24 hours; it is then ready to mix it with water to drink. Sometimes, we add a ripe banana in order to sweeten it. I prefer chicha that has not been fermented very long but others like it much stronger – with a higher alcohol content. Greater fermentation is achieved by allowing the process to last from 3 to 5 days, or even two weeks for festivals and weddings. When I visit indigenous families, they always offer me a bowel of chicha. The woman of the house will often actually serve me, holding the mocawa, or bowl made from fired clay, to my mouth to drink which results in some of the liquid running down the sides of my mouth. Afterwards, I am offered meat or fish. In indigenous communities, it is a sign of courtesy to offer a bowl of chicha to visitors. It is considered an insult if the person indicates displeasure – and he's not offered any other food. Because people in the Amazon region believe that chicha gives them a lot of strength, they drink a lot of it before they leave home in the mornings to do their work, and carry the mash with them to the fields to mix it with water. Drunk throughout the day, it is enough to satisfy hunger as well as thirst. |
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30 March 2011Edible WORMS The regional variations in altitude and climate make the Amazonian diet different from that of other parts in Ecuador. Chontacuros, which in Kichwa language means palm worms, are part of the diet of the indigenous people. The beetles usually lay their eggs in the chontaduro tree, a palm found in the tropical forest, after it has been cut to harvest its heart or fallen. The palm matures in about two years at a height of three to four meters. When felled, people make incisions in stump to facilitate the beetles laying their eggs. Two months after the eggs are laid, the worms grow to around 5 cm. long and 2 cm in diameter. Then they are ready to be eaten. Chontaduro trees are cultivated to produce hearts of palm – sold all over the country and abroad - and as a result of high demand, a byproduct is the large quantities of worms, which are sold in the villages of the surrounding area. Chontacuro worms are much valued because of their taste and medicinal properties. They are sold for up to 30 cents each in the market. The worms are prepared in different ways. Some people prefer to eat them raw, but generally they are grilled on a skewer, or prepared in mito, a traditional method of cooking where they are wrapped in a banana type leaf and then grilled. To western palate, when grilled, they taste, and smell, like the very best bacon. The worms contain a lot of fat to which people attribute medicinal properties. When extracted from the worms, it is used to treat colds, coughs, and bronchitis by rubbing it on the chest and back at night so that penetrates the skin. |
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01 March 2011Traditional weddings in the Amazon One of the most interesting traditions of the Amazonian Kichwa people is how they celebrate their weddings. Girls are ready to marry when they turn 14 and boys when they are 18. Traditionally, parents used to choose a husband for their daughter, who was then obliged to marry him. But things have changed. Now, the parents of the young man simply visit the home of the girl to ask for her hand. If her parents agree to the wedding, the visit lasts all night. The wedding arrangements are made: they pick a date for the ceremony and decide on the place for the event itself, as well as for the “pactachina” – a celebration that lasts about two days and takes place around a month before the wedding. Afterwards, the groom’s family goes into the forest to hunt. People in this region are very fond of meat from the forest. Meanwhile, the bride and her family make chicha (an alcoholic beverage made of yuca that is chewed up and spit back into the bowl as part of the fermentation process), and take care of the other preparations for the ceremony. The wedding ceremony is attended by a greater number of guests than the “pactachina”, and it lasts four days. During the first day, the couple listens to advice given to them by their parents. On the second day, it is the turn of the godparents to give advice. On the third day the guests offer presents, and on the fourth day a party is held with more gifts for the couple. The most important thing is the quantity of food and drink. The wedding usually takes place in the house of the bride. If the bridegroom lives in another village, he and the members of his community stay in the home of the bride. The bride and bridegroom choose their own godparents, who are their wedding counselors and act as ministers of the traditional wedding ceremony. The entire wedding process gives people the opportunity to get together and have fun. |
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01 February 2011COUNTRY FAIR Small communities of indigenous and mestizo peoples live along the banks of the Napo River, making a subsistence living from agriculture and livestock. Once a week, on Saturdays, they take their products to the fair at Agua Santa, a small river port where farmers and traders meet. Many of the farmers have to travel long distances, with motorized or poling canoes their only means of getting their products to market. Others arrive by horse a day in advance and spend the night on the banks of the river, rising early the following morning to go to the fair. On the day itself, taxi-canoes operate to carry people from the riverbanks to the market, where they sell their produce and purchase essential goods to take home again. The merchants, who come from near-by cities, set up their tents by the river to await the arrival of the farmers. They offer them many goods: machetes, fishing nets, shotgun shells for hunting, clothing, and alcohol – which is the origin of serious problems in the community. The farmers bring bananas, corn, coffee, cacao, and animals such as chickens and pigs. The traders compete for the products brought in by the farmers, with the price – which is set by the merchants – depending on the demand. A stalk of bananas may cost $2-3; a 100-pound sack of corn $10; one of coffee $15, and 100 pounds of cacao $80. Coffee and cacao are in greatest demand and the economy of the farmer depends on them. Once the fair is over, many farmers go to buy “cachigua” – an alcoholic beverage made of sugar cane. If women are in control of the money from the sale of crops they don’t waste it on alcohol. Men, on the other hand, seem incapable of resisting the temptation. At the end of the day, the farmers return home, the merchants pack up their products and make their way to the next fair, and Agua Santa remains empty – with the exception of a few drunks. |
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22 December 2010CELEBRATIONS Now that I live in Quito, I am surprised at the number of festival-days people have here. They have all types of celebrations, including birthdays, anniversaries, and civic and religious holidays. The most famous of them, Christmas, is about to take place. Everybody goes around in a hurry, buying presents. There are many fireworks, games, and a lot of fanfare. All of this is new to me. We do not have these traditions in our family. No one remembers anyone’s birthday. Consequently, there are no presents. There are holidays in our town, but they are not as frequent as those in the city. The most important of them, for the Amazonian region, is that of New Year’s. Families gather to celebrate it with games, meals and sports’ competitions. Families like ours, take the opportunity to welcome relatives who live in other parts of the country. We all gather at my grandmother’s house where we share happy moments and catch up with the events that have taken place throughout the year. On New Year’s Eve we wait until midnight to greet each other and express our wishes for a Happy New Year. Afterwards, we go out on the streets to greet anyone we meet, even people we do not know. It seems that everybody becomes reflective that day. Some express regret for the things they did not accomplish during the year; others worry about the fact that time passes and there is little time left in their lives. Many people spend the night drinking in big groups; even women, who do not generally leave their homes, join their husbands. Most families celebrate New Year’s Day with a picnic at the banks of a river. It is an important day for me because I have the opportunity to be with the family and share happy moments with them. |
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28 November 2010CHILDHOOD Eleven years ago, when I started to become aware of things, my village was very insignificant. It had two stores where you could buy your basic needs such as salt, sugar, canned products and a lot of alcohol. Prices were high because transportation was not easy. It could take a vehicle a couple of hours, on a cobblestone road, to reach the nearest town. We had no electricity, running water, or telephone. The town has seen dramatic changes in the last few years. When my parents came to live in the jungle, there were no roads. Horses were the only means of transportation; they often sunk a meter deep into the mud while walking, particularly during the rainy season. Nevertheless, products had to be taken to the fair and shopping had to be done every week. Today, we have a paved road and there are lights on the streets, but it is not easy any more to contemplate the mountains, covered with trees, as I used to do when I was a child. Forests have been cut down to create pastures for cattle; the rivers where I used to go swimming are drying up; you can no longer hear the frogs; and the rainy season is shorter. However, nobody seems to be aware of the changes that are taking place. People go on cutting down trees. Hunting of animals is done indiscriminately. A few years ago, I just had to step outside the house to see them; today you have to go deep into the jungle to do so. The population has grown because of migration, although the birth rate has decreased significantly. Children have better access to education; they are better informed; they have greater freedom to express themselves. This is very positive, but I am afraid they are losing touch with nature; theirs is a more plastic world, influenced by television. |
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28 October 2010MAGDALENA KUNCHIKUY Magdalena Kunchikuy, who studies at Yachana High School, belongs to the Shiviar tribe that lives in a remote area of the Amazon region. To get to her village, one must fly 45 minutes in a small single engine plane. She believes she is 28 years old; the date of birth is not important in her culture. She wanted to study, and dreamed about visiting other places since she was a child. She was sixteen when she finished elementary school overcoming many difficulties. The school was far away, she had to move in with an uncle and could only return home on weekends. Her father did not allow her to continue with her studies after middle school. According to Shiviar traditions, women should stay home; they do not need to study. Their job is to learn to make mokahuas (beautiful hand-painted earthen jars for chicha – a fermented drink made of chewed yucca that women spit back into the jars), and to prepare themselves for marriage when they turn twenty. When her father died, Magdalena’s situation worsened due to responsibilities. Yet, soon she had the opportunity to study when her older brother visited the family and convinced their mother to let her realize her dreams. Magdalena setout to discover a new world. First, she was terrified of flying in the small plane, and once in the city, everything was strange to her. "When I walked around the city - she said - I was afraid of the people I saw on the streets; I was in awe of the tall buildings; and the sound of cars made me shiver. I was petrified when I heard voices coming from a telephone." She felt in a more familiar environment when she arrived at Yachana, but she had difficulty communicating in Spanish. Besides, she had forgotten much of what she had learned at her former school. It takes time to adapt to a new culture, but Magdalena has received the support of Yachana. It knows how to integrate peoples of different cultures. She now enjoys her new life, continues to work on her traditional handcrafts, and has finished third in her class on her first year of high school. |
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28 September 2010CONFERENCE IN YASUNI A short while ago, I attended a media conference at the Biosphere Reserve of Yasuni. This is one of the most important biodiversity reserves in the world. At the same time, it is one of the most disputed because of the presence of oil reserves. The Huaorani tribe, which until recently lived in isolation in this area, finds itself going through a difficult cultural transition due to petroleum activities. To reach Timboca where the Huaorani live, it is necessary to travel, by boat and on difficult roads, for six hours. Then one must continue down river by boat to arrive to the Biodiversity Station of Tiputini run by the University of San Francisco de Quito. Journalists from Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador were there. This conference gave me a unique opportunity to learn from people who came from different environments and cultures, and from journalists with experience. They talked about environmental topics and the difficulties journalists meet in order to transmit information related to these topics. They discussed a plethora of problems the environment faces today which affect life as we know it. Many people are aware of these problems, but nobody seems to be doing what it takes to change the course of events. The media has been dealing with the environment and the dangers that surround it, but few clear alternatives have come forth to deal with them. Contamination continues to be a problem; people continue cutting trees, and they put more emphasis on financial gains than on our own survival and that of future generations. The topic that attracted my attention the most was the proposed oil drilling in the Ishipingo - Tambococha Tiputini (ITT) zone of the Yasuni Park. Drilling has had a detrimental social and environmental impact in the area. It would be worse if drilling begins in the ITT zone. When talking about the environment I was struck by the fact that we separate nature from its inhabitants. It does not seem that we are part of it. Whatever we do or do not do to preserve nature will dictate our own future on the planet. |
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24 August 2010IN SEARCH OF GOLD When I discovered how priceless gold was, I wanted to know how to obtain it. I had already seen people panning for gold when traveling down the Napo River. One day, while talking to Carlos - a schoolmate at Yachana High School of the Kichwa tribe - I told him that I would like to look for gold and spend time with a Kichwa family. Although the Kichwa share our environment, our way of life is different and I wanted to learn about their culture. Carlos was enthusiastic about the idea and invited me to visit his farm. Two hours by bus from a town, we came to a small river where we met his parents who offered us a soup made of plantains and fresh fish. Shortly after, we took a small dugout canoe and started to row and pole up stream, while water seeped into the canoe. After four hours, we rested and Carlos's mother took water from the river, mixed it with chicha (a fermented drink) in a bowel made from a gourd, and we had lunch under a blistering sun. I was surprised to see big schools of fish. This is not common in my area because of over fishing. I kept asking Carlos when we would arrive, but the answers were vague. Three hours later we landed and started an hour walk, but I was feeling ill. I threw up everything I had eaten. Carlos told me it was the bad spirits from the river, and treated me with a leaf called malaire panga. I did not feel better. The following day we walked three hours more to another river; I continued to vomit. When we finally arrived, I was in awe and humbled by the immensity of the forest that surrounded us. I thought about how civilization destroys our beautiful Earth. We started to pan for gold the following day. It is a very complicated task. In the afternoon, while drinking chicha, Carlos's mother asked many questions which he translated. Meanwhile, I thought how different our way of life was. We are never satisfied with what we have; we always want more. They only take from nature what they need. They live from fishing and hunting, and they are happy. On this trip, I learned something of a greater value than gold.. |
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3 August 2010THE BEGINNINGS OF YACHANA When I meet former students from Yachana High School, the conversation frequently turns to the beginnings of our school. They tell me that we have had it easy compared to them. However, those of us who came after, have our own stories to tell. When I arrived, many of the installations were built. They were made of wood, bamboo floors, and thatch roofs. We attended classes sitting on the floor. Before our dorm was built, we slept in a large room we called the “chicken-coop”. At night we would gather to tell anecdotes and talk about our different cultures. We used to sing and tell stories in each other's language. On weekends we worked together to build trails, carry wood to construct classrooms, and to dig fishponds. Because we were so remote and did not have the most basic services, we had to look for alternative ways to build them, keeping conservation of the environment in mind. We had to dig a 900-meter ditch for a pipeline to bring water for drinking, filling a pond for swimming that also ran a mini-hydroelectric plant and finally ended up in the fish pond. It was hard work, but it made us feel important. Classes at Yachana were different thanks to the philosophy of the school: "learn by doing". The teachers would assign topics related to different areas of production. We were sent to investigate; at the end of the week we would have to present our findings. On one occasion, we had to find out how to feed chickens with protein found in the area. Our teacher loved the idea of using larvae that grows in chicken manure. Soon after, we built a chamber to cultivate larvae in the chicken manure. We then had to harvest the larva, wash them, feed them corn flour for a day, then dry them under the sun and grind them into the chicken feed for protein. The project was a success during the first week, but three weeks later, flies invaded the school and were uncontrollable. We were forced to eliminate the larvae-producing project. |
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7 July 2010When I applied to attend Yachana High School, I was afraid I was not going to be accepted. But, I had to take a risk because I did not like my former school. The welcome the students received when we got to Yachana impressed me greatly. They encouraged us to speak in public freely. This was difficult for us because we lived somewhat isolated, and were not used to communicating with outsiders. Right away, I became aware that Yachana’s methods of education were different. The students could express their ideas without hesitation. It surprised me also to see the number of activities the students had in different areas, and how they worked together. I had to adapt to the customs of the other students; and had to learn to communicate with others. We came from different places; we had different habits; we came from different races; we spoke different languages. Each one of us had a different educational background. As time went on, all of us came to understand and admire each other. The most extraordinary thing was the sense of tolerance and respect for each other. We became a big family. The impact of this experience will remain with me forever. The education I received in Yachana has changed my life. I now realize that the dreams of one person can influence the dreams of another. My dreams will have never become a reality without the dreams of the man who founded Yachana. Who would have believed that in this remote part of the Amazon region, far from the so-called civilized world, a foreigner would commit himself to undertake a task that is changing the lives of many people! He is making it possible for them not only to dream, but to make their dreams a reality. |
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22 June 2010My name is Fabio Legarda. I was born in a rural area in the Amazon region of Ecuador. I have two sisters and one brother. My parents are subsistence farmers. Since I was a child, I have had to work with my father on the farm. We cultivate coffee, cacao and different types of fruit. We also have some cattle. When I was in elementary school. I would have to leave classes early to help my father in the fields. I did my homework at night, but it was not easy; we did not have electricity or the most basic services. I was not interested in schoolwork. Many students were afraid to go to classes because the teachers were authoritarian, and would physically punish them for even the smallest infractions. The school system left much to be desired. One day I heard someone speak about a school in the jungle called Yachana. I don’t know why this information stuck with me but I remembered it. On another occasion, I went with my family to fish in the river with dynamite. At that time, I was not aware of concepts such as conservation or the harm that human beings could cause to the environment. On our way home, in the bus, I saw a foreigner with a long beard and glasses, reading a book. People do not read books in my part of the world. I had never seen anyone reading such a big book. From that moment on, my interest in studying in Yachana – the jungle high school - became my goal. My parents did not agree. They wanted me to continue to work in the farm. It was difficult for me to convince them and the admission process was not easy because my grades were not good. However, I persisted and took the first step to go to Yachana. |
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