PLEASE ROTATE YOUR DEVICE
2017
A hut is lit by solar powered lamps in Sarayaku’s central plaza.
2015
Jose Miguel Santi sits near the fire in his mother’s kitchen. Most families still cook with firewood.
2019
A man drinks caffeinated tea known as wayusa in the early morning hours. This Amazonian drink is often consumed before beginning work for the day. Community members generally take this time to discuss their dreams from the night before and what these mean for the coming day.
Eriberto Gualinga – Sarayaku
2016
Magdalena Santi prepares dinner in her kitchen. Most families still cook with firewood.
2019
The increasing pressure to exploit the natural resources located in ancestral territories, puts the indigenous peoples at the front line of the fight against climate change.
2017
Women wear different dresses that are not necessarily traditional.
2019
A man holds a giant yucca he harvested in his chacra (small piece of land). Yucca is the main ingredient in the preparation of the traditional drink chicha. When preparing chicha, the root is cooked for several hours and then pressed into a type of puré, after which it is chewed and spit out, and finally poured into clay jars covered in leaves for fermentation. Chicha is prepared exclusively by women.
2019
Young men take a short break while repairing the roof of a house. Traditional rooves are made from the leaves of local plants such as wayuri panka, uksha panka, chili panka and kuwan panka.
2017
Portrait of Otoniel Gualinga, his face painted with wituk and wearing a monkey fur beard. While designs vary, male face paint generally consists of geometric figures and thick lines. These designs had previously served to insight fear during battle. These days, face paint is used in festivals and social protests.
2015
A woman waits for the rain to stop next to the entry to the community’s satellite Internet access hut.
2016
The Santi family hangs out in their kitchen: Isidro (also known as El Tigre) is the eldest, he oversees the preparation of chicha, while his son Leopoldo (right) is a school teacher who uses his computer to prepare class. When preparing chicha, the root is cooked for several hours and then pressed into a type of puré, after which it is chewed and spit out, and finally poured into clay jars covered in leaves for fermentation. Chicha is prepared exclusively by women.
2017
Portrait of Ines Gualinga as she takes a small break on the fourth day of the Uyantza Raymi celebration. It is common for people to paint their face, hands and hair for these festivities with a substance known as wituk. This dark ink is made from an Amazonian fruit, also known as wituk, and can stay on the skin for up to two weeks. Women often create more elaborate and delicate designs than men, combining drawings of stars, geometric figures and western makeup techniques.
2019
A man holds a mokawa (a traditional clay recipient) full of chicha. When preparing chicha, yucca is cooked for several hours and then pressed into a type of puré, after which it is chewed and spit out, and finally poured into clay jars covered in leaves for fermentation. Chicha is prepared exclusively by women.
2016
Marcelo Santi rests at the center for visitors. Although the community does not have a hotel, people are used to receiving visitors from all over the world at their homes.
2019
Great Camari in honour to the Pachamama. This food is offered to everybody in the community during the annual Pachamama celebration. The clay dishes contain a soup made with the meat of the animals they hunt. It is accompanied by cooked plantain and yucca.
2019
Magdalena Santi cooks in her kitchen.
2017
A young man inspects the skin of a javelin, which is being dried to use as a tambourine. Before important celebrations, such as the Uyantza Raymi, the men spend several weeks deep in the jungle, hunting and fishing for the entire community. The community wastes nothing, using every part of the animal for either food, clothing or instruments.
2019
The Santi family talks in their kitchen after dinner. Fire is an essential part of daily life here: it is used for cooking and smoking food, and for warmth on rainy days.
2016
Magdalena Santi spreads wituk through her hair. Wituk is a dark pigment made from an Amazonian fruit, also known as Wituk, and can stay in an individual’s hair for up to two weeks. This pigment is a very important part of Sarayaku traditions.
2015
Adults and children wait for boats on the banks of the Bobonaza River. This river is the main "road" that communicates this indigenous community with the nearest city of Puyo, which is located at around 5 hours upriver by motor boat.
Eriberto Gualinga – Jayambi
2019
Portrait of Patricia Gualinga, one of the community leaders.
2015
The Supreme Beings guide and accompany our social, cultural and spiritual life. It is with their help that we construct our organizational and political systems, and design our future. With them we autonomously determine our destinies and ensure the continuance of our community.