ASHANINKA INDIANS IN PERU

THESE FOLKS ARE AN ETHNIC GROUP OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON RAIN FOREST. THEY ARE ALL KNOWN AS CAMPA ASHANINKA MEANS OUR FELLOWS. ANGLOS ATTEMPTED TO COLONIZE THE AREA IN 1600. BY 1742 THE AMERINDIAN REBELLION LED BY THE LEGENDARY JUAN SANTOS ATAHUALPA FORCED BY MISSIONARIES AND COLONISTS FROM THE AREA. THE ASHANINKA HAD CONTROL OVER THEIR LAND FOR OVER A CENTURY. BY THE MID 19TH CENTURY AGRICULTURAL FROM THE ANDES AND THE TAPPING INDUSTRY FROM THE AMAZON BROUGHT EUROPEANS BACK IN. BY THE MID 19TH CENTURY AGRICULTURE FROM THE ANDES AND THE RUBBER TAPPING INDUSTRY FROM THE AMAZON BROUGHT EUROPEANS BACK. IN 1847 RECOLONIZATION BY FRANCISCANS AND EUROPEANS, CHINESE AND JAPANESE SETTLERS BEGAN. SOME 5 MILLION ACRES OF ASHANINKA TERRITORY ALONG WITH THE MAIN RIVERS WERE GRANTED TO THE BRITISH OWNED PERUVIAN CORPORATION 44 YEARS LATER. THE ASHANINKA WERE USED AS LABORERS. THEY HAD WORKING CONDITIONS WITH VIRUS EPIDEMICS THAT REDUCED THEIR POPULATION.

DURING THE LAST DECADES OF THE 1900'S THIS TERRITORY HAS BEEN THE SITE OF THE CONFLICTS BETWEEN PERU'S ARMY AND REBEL GROUPS. SINCE 1980'S THE SHINING PATH - A COMMUNIST REBEL GROUP HAS ENTERED THEIR TERRITORY. SINCE THEN REBEL AND ARMY ACTIONS REDUCED THE ASHAMINKA.

THIS ETHNIC GROUP IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ETHIC GROUPS OF THE AMERICAS. THEY LIVE IN THE CENTRAL FOREST OF THE AMAZON OF EASTERN ANDEAN FOOTHILLS. THEIR COMMUNITIES STRETCHED ACROSS PERU TO BRAZIL. THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF CLEARING AND BURNING. THEY WERE ISOLATED OUTSIDE INFLUENCES BECAUSE OF DIFFICULT ACCESS. THEIR LANGUAGES ARE PRE-ANDEAN ARAWAK AND IS THE LARGEST LANGUAGE FAMILY IN SOUTH AMERICA. THEIR CHILDREN ARE GIVEN THEIR OFFICIAL NAME WHEN THEY ARE SEVEN YEARS OLD.

HISTORY AND MYTH ARE EXPLAINED THROUGH MYTHS AND HEROS. A GREAT CLIFF IN THE TAMBO RIVER LOOKED LIKE A SPANISH SHIP SYMBOL IN A POWERFUL HERO. THE SAILORS BECAME ANTS.

THEIR RELIGION IS A VISION OF THE COSMOS AND IS MAINLY MYTHICAL. THEY HAVE NO FIGURE OR A CREATOR. THEY HAVE A HERO, AVIRERI, WHO TRANSFORMS HUMANS INTO ANIMALS, PLANTS, MOUNTAINS, AND RIVERS. THEIR UNIVERSE IS INHABIOTED BY THE LIVING FORMS THAT CAN BE SEEN BY INVISIBLE BEINGS. THE SUN AND MOON ARE GOOD SPIRITS. EVIL SPIRITS ARE CALLED RAMARI. SHAMANS ARE INTERMEDIARIES BETWEEN HEROS AND PEOPLE.

THEY HAVE A VISION THAT THE WORLD IS PLAGUED BY EVIL FORCES AND PEOPLE WILL BE DESTROYED. AFTER THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WILL BE A NEW WORLD WITH NEW PEOPLE FREE OF SICKNESS OR DEATH.

EACH COMMUNITY HAD 300 -400 PEOPLE . NUCLEAR FAMILIES LIVED IN PRIVATE DWELLINGS. THEY GROW MANY CROPS FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. HEY HAVE CHICKENS AND EGGS,HUNT TAPIR, BOARS, AND MONKEYS, AND FISH. THERE IS MUCH TRADE BETWEEN FAMILIES.

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