Groups from Peru and Brazil gather in Peru’s Central Jungle to celebrate Indigenous culture
This past January, UAC coordinated the fist ever “Spiritual Gathering and Exchange of Experiences” among indigenous groups from the Yurua, Alto Tamaya, and the Central Jungle regions of Peru and the Jurua region of Brazil. The goal was to promote cultural strengthening and social ties among tribes of the Arawak linguistic group through visits to key sacred cultural sites.
Among the important cultural sites visited by the group was the Yompor and Yumpiri Sanctuary.
The event began in the San Miguel Centro Marankiari community in Chanchamayo, Junin, and brought together leaders from the Asheninka, Ashaninka, Machiguenga, and Yanesha tribes, as well as representatives from Yaminahua and Amahuaca ethnic groups, which belong to the Pano linguistic family. The participants gathered at UAC headquarters in the city of Pucallpa, and traveled approximately one day by van to San Miguel.
During the week long gathering, the participants visited various sacred cultural sites, such as Tsiviarenipanko, the Yompor Yumpiri Sanctuary, Kipaynampi, the National Sanctuary of Pampa Hermosa, Omorona Cave, Metraro, and Sonkaripanko. These places represent the great cultural heritage of the region's indigenous peoples. Not only did these visits strengthen the connection the tribespeople have to their cultural heritage, but they also served to share age-old cultural traditions and pass along ancestral and spiritual knowledge among different generations.
Ashaninka tribespeople lead a ceremony chant in Sonkaripanko.
In addition to the visits to sacred sites, participants met to discuss the myriad of threats affecting indigenous territories and the rights of Amazonian tribes. Leaders discussed strategies to protect and preserve ancestral territories from degradation and exploitation. Threats like deforestation, illegal mining, and land trafficking and invasions were debated to find sustainable solutions that respect the rights and autonomy of indigenous communities throughout the Amazon region.
The event saw active participation from representatives of native communities such as El Dorado, Nueva Bella, Nueva Victoria, Santa Rosa, San Pablo, Dulce Gloria, Sawawo Hito 40, Saweto, and Pijuayal, as well as from the indigenous groups ACONADIYSH (Yurua, Peru) and APIWTXA (Jurua, Brazil). The collaboration between communities, indigenous organizations, and UAC was crucial for the success of this gathering, fostering a diversity of voices and perspectives that reflect the shared commitment to preserving culture and biodiversity in the Amazon.
