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As the main business for Icaros DNA are the medicinal/teaching plants from the
rainforest and andes of Peru we feel it is very important to support the indigenous
people from these areas , one way is by purchasing their
art crafts such as bead seeds, textiles, pottery and others. All these artworks are made mainly
by women.
We have developed an echo-touristic
project in the jungle that involves 2 ethnicities: Shipibo-Conibo &
Ashaninka : http://icarosdna.yage.net/journeys/info.htm
Another example is the inmigrants of the tribe
of the peruvian central jungle called Shipibo-Conibo that today live in very poor
conditions in the Cantagallo market area in Lima capital of Peru. The proximity
of the market to the economically driven culture of Lima, the largest city in
Peru has influenced a change which moves further away from the community
orientated traditions. However it is our hope that we can do something to change
this by
working with people of
good will.
To this date (September 17th 2005) there
is a comittee of 37 mothers that are in charge to prepare and serve free breakfasts to 80 children from monday to friday,
Icaro`s part is to provide
the food materials and their part is to organize the program and run it .
I can not find anything more satisfactory
than be part of this project.
They have left their native jungle for economical
reasons and have come to Lima in the hope of a better life. The district where
they live is called Barrios Altos, which is well known for its high rate of
poverty, crime and drug addiction. In Lima the Shipibo-Conibo culture
is at risk of disappearing as it becomes consumed by another jungle; the
concrete jungle. We believe that by buying and promoting their crafts we do
something to help them to keep their culture and roots as well giving them a chance
to live a better life and lifestyle.
Despite 300 years of sporadic contact with white
or mestizo civilization, and massive conversion to Christianity in the 1950's
and 60's the Shipibo-Conibos maintain a strong identity and retain their ancient
ways. They are known for their intricate designs on their pottery
and their bright clothing. There are 120 Shipibo Conibo communities along
Ucayali River from Atalaya village where the Urubamba & Tambo river join
together to form Ucayali river, up to Nauta Village where the Ucayali and
Huallaga rivers join the largest river in Peru :
The Amazon.
The Shipibo-Conibos are native
from the central rainforest of Peru they are primarily hunters and fishermen,
using some slash and burn farming. Even today not all the villages use
electricity; machetes and spears are the primary tools. The Shipibo-Conibo
consist of around 35,000 located north and south of the town of Pucallpa on the
Ucayali River, which connects Cuzco to the Brazilian Amazon. They speak a
language of the Panoan
family , though many of them also speak spanish.
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