Tuesday, November 22, 2011

CANDOSHO INDIANS IN PERU

THE CANDOSHI SLOWLY MIGRATED TO NORTHERN CAJAMARCAS. LINGUISTICALLY AND ARCHAEOLOGICALLY THEY ARE AN ANOMALY IN THEIR PRESENT LOCATION. THEIR ORAL TRADITION INCLUDES NO ACCOUNT OF SUCH A MIGRATION. THEY HAD EARLY CONTACT WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.. THE CANDOSHI SAY THE ASHUER TAUGHT THEM HOW TO OBTAIN SPIRITUAL POWERS AND TO SHRINK HEADS. THEY HAD INTERFAMILY BLOOD FEUDS IN WAREFARE.

IN THE EARLY 1900'S PEOPLE STILL USED STONE AXES TO CLEAR GARDENS AND MAKE FOOD PRODUCTION. ONCE STEEL AXES AND MACHETES WERE INTRODUCED LARGE GARDENS WERE QUICKLY CLEARED AND MEN HAD TIME FOR WAREFARE?

BY THE 1930'S THE AMAZON RUBBER COMPANIES MADE THE CANDOSHI FIGHT AMONG EACH OTHER AND THEIR NEIGHBORS. IN THE EARLY 1930'S MANY OF THE CHAPARA YOUTH OF THE RIO STICHIN WERE ABDUCTED AND THEY REVOLTED AGAINST THE RUBBER COMPANIES. THIS PROVOKED A TWO YEAR WAR BETWEEN THE CHAPARA AND THE ARMY.

DURING THE 1940S A MEASLES EPIDEMIC REDUCED THEIR POPULATION TO 100 FOLKS. THE SURVIVORS SETTLED ON RIO PUSHAGA. AS TIME WENT BY MORE PEOPLE SOUGHT PEACE AND THEY DECIDED TO OBEY CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS, THE WAR RAIDS STOPPED. BILINGUAL SCHOOLS OPENED IN THE LATE 1500'S AND THEY BEGAN TO HAVE LITERACY AMONG PEOPLE.THEY BROUGHT IN TEACHERS FROM ENEMY GROUPS.

TODAY THEY LIVE IN EXTENDED FAMILY SETTLEMENTS OF ABOUT 150 PEOPLE. IDEALLY THE HOUSES SHOULD BE AT LEAST A 5 MINUTE WALK APART. EACH COMMUNITY WAS ABOUT ALONG STRUCTURE WITH A PALM LEAFED ROOF WITHOUT WALLS. THE AVERAGE HOME IS ABOUT 30 SQUARE METERS. THEIR MODERN HOMES HAVE A BARK WALL AROUND THE SLEEPING AREA.

EVERYCULTURE.COM

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