| Evan's Ecuador,
Peru and Bolivia |
© Jeff Waugh
Evan, Walter and
peccary |
The
Achuar People
Walter
invited us into his home.
That was a very special honor!
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| When we got out of our canoe
I stepped in some muddy sand. It turned out to be sinking sand.
When you wiggled around, you sunk. I got stuck with my rubber
boots. My Dad had to pull me out!
The people in the village
thought this was funny. Some of the kids came down to play in the
mud, too. When we went up the hill we played soccer with them
before lunch.
|
© Jeff Waugh
Playing in the mud! |
| After lunch, we
went to visit Walter in his house. Walter is a shaman and has a
pet peccary, monkey and a wild parrot that visits his house often.
I pet the peccary and held the parrot. The women of the house
offered my Dad and other adults some "nijiamanch", or
manioc beer. It must have been good because our guide drank quite
a lot and teased the parrot. |
© Jeff Waugh
Visiting with Walter |
 
Evan and Walter
School Notes...
Unknown in origin, the Achuar ("people of the palm") are
spread over a vast area of Ecuador and Peru's Amazon Rainforest. They
practice slash-and-burn agriculture on small plots of land that
usually are close to a river. They produce manioc (or yucca), bananas,
sweet potatoes, hot chilies, sugar cane, chonta (the wild palm),
guava, balsa trees, and medicinal plants. They also depend on hunting
and fishing for additional protein.
The Achuar's most important food and
beverage is nijimanch. It is produced by the fermentation of
manioc that has been chewed by the women of the house. Women are in
charge of making and serving this drink to guests.
The Achuar believe in many spirits that
give them guide-lines for a harmonious relationship with the rain
forest and its creatures. Magic and healing powers are used by the
shaman (uwishin). The shaman develops his special powers through the
use of certain plants that help him to have visions and communicate
with the spirits of the forest.
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