Thursday, November 17, 2011

MASHCO CULTURE IN PERU

THE MASHCO ARE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN IN PERU. THEY LIVE IN THE TROPICAL ZONE OF PERUVIAN DEPARTMENTS. MADRE DE DIAS. THEY LIVE IN AN INLAND AREAWHICH DESCENDS FROM THE ANDEAN MOUNTAINS TO THE AMAZON BASIN THEY LIVE IN THE HIGH JUNGLE - MONTANA. THE ELEVATION RANGES FROM 200 METERS TO 700 METERS. THERE ARE ABOUT 6000 MASHCO LIVING IN 25,000 SQ. KM. THEIR LANGUAGE WAS CLASSIFIED AS PRE-ANDEAN ARAWAK. THEY HAVE VARIOUS HISTORIC PERIODS, PRE-HISPANIC, VICERAGAL, RUBBER TAPPER INCURSIONS AT THE END OF 1800'S, ESTABLISHMENT OF MISSIONS, COLONIALIZATIONS OF THE TERRITORY AND PRESENT DAY SITUATION.

A HISPANIC INDIAN CHRONICLER NARRATES HOW THE INCA AND HIS SON CONQUERED THE MASHCO. THERE WERE MANY WARRIORS AND BATTLES. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT MOTIVATED THE SPANIARDS TO PENETRATETHE AMAZONIAN AREA WAS THE LEGEND OF EL DORADO. THEY CAME HERE IN LATE 1500'S.

IN 1902 TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS TOOK PLACE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PACIFICATION OF THIS GROUP. ONE WAS PUTTING UP A MISSION ARMY POST BY THE DOMINICAN ORDER. THIS GAVE CONTACT TO THE WACHIPAERI AND LED TO THE EVANGELIZATION OF THE KOSMIPATA VALLEY. THE OTHER WAS FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF PUERTO MALDONADO ON THE LOWER COURSE OF THE MADRE DE DIOS.

THE MISSIONARIES BEGAN BEGAN AN INTENSIVE STUDY OF THE MACHCO LANGUAGE AND WROTE ETHNIGRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIPTIONS THAT TRANSFORMED THE WORLD OF THEIR LIFEWAYS. THEY PUBLISHED THIS WORK. THE TWO MASHCO GROUPS HAVE CONTINUAL CONFRONTATIONS.WITH EACH OTHER. RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEIGHBORING GROUPS WERE FAR FROM PEACEFUL.

EVERYCULTURE.COM

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