Shuar Indigenous People of Ecuador

The Shuar indigenous people of Ecuador were an eminently warlike people.

They were known as the feared Jíbaros, the wilds or ferals, and headhunters of the Amazon.

Formerly, after their wars, they performed a rite of reducing the head of his enemies.

This ritual is known as Tsantsa.

It was performed in order to preserve the enemy’s head as a trophy of war.

Today they claim the right to call themselves as Shuar, meaning, people, a person.

History of Shuar People

These dreaded “feral” people dominated the Amazon jungle to the late nineteenth century.

They lived mainly in the provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe of Ecuador.

Shuar nation was never submitted by the colonizers.

The arrival of the Salesian mission, which gained momentum after 1930, led to the nuclearization of settlements and new forms of organization.

This culminated in the establishment of the Shuar Federation in 1964.

The Salesian missionaries began the process of Christianizing the Shuar.

The first missionaries were seized by the feared warriors and found their end in the hands of the Shuar warriors.

Although Western history does not indicate how many missionaries were killed and legendary transformed into tsantsas.

Nowadays the Shuar have left their warrior side and submitted to the pacification imposed by missionaries.

In this process, several Shuar fled to the south, and this way expanded the communities to different areas of Amazonian Ecuador.

Such as the provinces of Pastaza, Morona Santiago, Zamora Chinchipe, and to the territory that now corresponds to Peru.

Culture of the Shuar Nation

The traditional language of Shuar people is Shuar-chicham.

 They are nomads and subsist mainly on the horticulture of tubers, tending the farms until the harvest and then moving on.

This is supplemented by hunting, fishing and gathering which are the work of the men.

The agriculture and harvesting are for women.

Women are also in charge of children and housework, particularly of the preparation of chicha and kitchen.

The Shuar people traditionally use the system of slash and burn cultivation.

Hunting is their main source of protein, and they supplement their diet with fishing and gathering fruits, insects and plants.

However, currently most of the traditional hunting ground is being replaced by cattle pastures, which has resulted in the progressive depletion of the soil and reduced availability of land.

This has led to the introduction of a sedentary settlement pattern, the same that is producing changes in the socioeconomic system.

Traditionally the settlement was sparse, usually zoned according to kinship.

Bolivia - A Country Of My Dreams

I cannot tell how excited I am to be able to share this with you.

I’m currently visiting Bolivia, translating for Finish Federations of Seeing Impaired and Ecuadorian and Bolivian Federations of Blind People.

It is an honor and a huge opportunity for me.

But also a dream come true.

Bolivia is one of the countries I’ve always dreamt of visiting.

And now I have the opportunity to do it!

I got a small taste of the wonderful and colorful culture during Napo province’s festivities here in Tena.

Embassy of Bolivia had prepared their presentation for the festivities.

And here are some pictures of what they did.

Hope you enjoy them!

And I will take more pictures while in Bolivia and be sure to tell you how my trip went!

Spondylus Route at the Ecuador's Pacific Coast

Spondylus Route at the Ecuador's Pacific Coast was formerly known as the Ruta del Sol or Route of the Sun.

It is the road that borders the Pacific Ocean from northern Peru to northern Ecuador.

The route has countless attractions and multiple beaches.

The name of the route comes from the spondylus seashell, or red spiny oyster, that was very important for pre-Columbian cultures of Ecuador and even used as currency.

What Spondylus Route has to offer

The small towns with hotels, restaurants, museums and other attractions, together with bigger towns and gorgeous beaches sprinkled throughout the route make it irresistible and a must for a traveler.

There are possibilities and facilities aquatic sports like surfing, snorkeling, fishing and scuba diving among others.

Other attractions included paragliding, horseback riding, local cuisine and culture, the wonderful sunny weather and friendly people.

Every town has its distinct way of life, culture, and culinary riches.

The beaches, food and opportunities for relax and partying varies from town to town.

History of Spondylus Route

The Spondylus Route on the coast of Ecuador displays the cultures that thrived from 8000 BC. 

Some of these cultures as Bahia and Manteña were among the most experienced sailors.

 

They were known as the "Phoenicians of the Americas" and aboard of their wooden boats of the Ecuadorian balsa traveled all the way from Mexico to the north and to the southern Chile.

One of the most important objects of the trade was the sacred "the Spondylus shell". 

It was also known as "Mullu" in Quechua (native language of the Incas).

The shell was one of the most sacred and sought out items in ancient times.

It was marketed and highly valued by the chiefdom of Ecuadorian and Peruvian Andes.

The shells or their remains have been found in almost all major archeological discoveries of the west coast of South America, such as the tomb of the Lord of Sipan in northern Peru.

In the small town of Valdivia is a museum that is dedicated to the different cultures that habited the Ecuadorian Pacific Coast.

Where to go

The beaches and towns stretch from Huaquillas at the El Oro Province in the Peruvian border till San Lorenzo in Esmeraldas Province right next to Colombia.

The Spondylus Route runs through a total of five provinces, all with different kinds of culture, traditions, nature, cuisine, animals, attractions, and beaches.

Montañita is the party central and the capital of surf, popular with both national and international tourists.

Los Frailes beach located in the Machalilla Natural Park is famous for its beauty and a quiet place to enjoy the sun, sand and water together with the nature.

Salinas, la Ciudad Blanca, or the white city has five-star accommodations and all the luxuries a demanding tourist might want, including shopping opportunities.

Puerto Lopez is famous for the opportunity to go whale watching and also for the fun loving lifestyle that has attracted many international tourists.

Playas has the charm of an old time balneary and there are opportunities to go dolphin and bird watching in the mangroves from the nearby town of El Morro.

There are numerous small towns with quiet and slow rhythm of life.

And other bigger ones bustling with tourists, music, and fun.

If you are planning a vacation keep Ecuador's Spondylus Route in your mind.

Spondylus Route is sure to offer something special for everyone!

Jumandi Yuyay - Intercultural Fair in Archidona

The city of Archidona in Napo, Ecuador organized an Intercultural Fair, Jumandi Yuyay in this November.

The fair lasted from November 21st till November 29th.

The fair was organized to honor the national hero Jumandi, a kihos-nawki kasike who fought against the Spanish conquistadors.

The program for the fair included a cultural walk up to the Vocano Sumako.

The walk lasted three days and during it there was held different cultural activities and ceremonies.

Besides the walk the municipality organized contests for students and a book about Jumandi’s life was released.

An exposition of Amazonic agricultural and hunting techniques and architecture was held.

There was also a contest for the best traditional dish.

The festivities culminated on Saturday 29^th into a Cultural Festival with an ancestral ceremony and representations of traditional music, dancing and verses.

The ceremony was held in honor of hero Jumandi and was a collaboration of many local kurakas or shamans.

The fair will be held every year at the same time.

If you are planning to visit Ecuador and especially Ecuadorian Amazon, this would be a perfect opportunity to enjoy the traditional culture.

Who is Jumandi?

Jumandi is a national hero of Ecuador and he has been officially recognized by the National Assembly as such.

Dozens of Amazonian Indians lobbied his recognition as one of the leaders of the Ecuadorian indigenous resistance.

He is one of the initiators and leaders of the struggles against, first the Spanish conquistadores and then their descendants, who has not been widely recognized in the national historiography.

Jumandi is an historical figure in Ecuadorian Amazon and indigenous people of the Amazon basin recognizes his importance in the resistance movement.

But he was not a national figure among with Atahualpa, Rumiñahui and such.

Finally on November 29^th 2011 the National Assembly recognized the importance of Jumandi’s leadership in the struggle of indigenous people.

And he was declared a national hero of Ecuador.

History of Jumandi

When the Spaniards arrived to Ecuador, in the Amazon basin they found a warlike people, the Kihos-Nawkis, who were also great ceramists and farmers.

The Spanish military imposed by force their religion and government to the people of the land.

The great warrior Jumandi, tired of the terrible treatment his people received in the hands of Spaniards.

And conscious of their strength, organizes his best men and invites the people of the forest to expel the invaders from their territory.

They burned the cities of Archidona and Avila that were founded by the Spaniards.

After the success of this first battle the forest people began to sing their chants against the invading enemies everywhere.

This is when the legend of the terrible savage forest people was born.

But the brutality of the invaders had no limits, thousands of Spaniards arrived from Quito with their fire weapons.

Finally there were more invaders than local warriors.

Spanish conquest of the Ecuadorian Amazon

With their numbers and new weapons the Spanish win the battle and capture Jumandi and his best men.

They took them to Quito to humiliate them and torture them publicly with hot irons.

And eventually killed them.

On the execution day the authorities of the Real Audiencia de Quito ordered that all indigenous people living near Quito must attend, in their best clothes.

 This brutal spectacle was to be observed by all indigenous people so they would understand what would happen to all who would take up arms against the Europeans.

Although it was not victorious, this was the first indigenous revolution of America.

And it has defined the indigenous resistance’s objectives and ideals.

This revolution also prevented for many years the Spanish insertion in Amazonian territories.