ANUESHUA INDIANS IN PERU

THE AMESHIA INDIANS SPEAK AN ARAWKEN LANGUAGE OF SOUTH AMERICA SPOKEN BY 5000 FOLKS IN PERU.. THERE NAME IS DERIVED BY AAMO OR BARA. TODAY THEY PREFER ANESHA. THEIR TERRITORY IS IN THE HIGH CENTRAL JUNGLE IN PERU BETWEEN THE PERENE AND POZUZO. RIVERS. THERE ARE 1000'S OF COLONISTS HERE TOO. IN THE EARLY 1900'S AND LATE
1800'S THEY HAD EPIDEMICS.

THERE IS LINGUISTIC EVIDENCE THAT AMEUSHA MIGRATED TO THE EASTERN HILLS OF THE ANDES 2000 YEARS AGO. PRIOR SPANISH ARRIVAL THEY CONTACTED OTHER GROUPS FOR SALT AND BARTERED WITH DISTANT GROUPS. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THEY WERE LATER DOMINATED BY THE INCAS AND WERE FORCED TO WORK FOR THEM. THE FRANCISCANS ESTABLISHED A MISSION IN 1635. A FEW YEARS LATER THE MISSION WAS DESTROYED. IN 1671 IT WAS REESTABLISHED. IN 1742 THE AMESHA DROVE OUT ALL OUTSIDERS. IN 1860 COLONISTS ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES ALONG THE POZUZO RIVER.

THE AMESHUA HAVE BENN IN CONTINUAL CONTACT WITH COLONISTS SINCE 1880'S. EXCEPT FOR LARGE GROUPS THEY GATHERED INTO THE EARLY MISSIONARIES.

THEIR SETTLEMENTS WERE TRADITIONALLY SMALL AND THEY HAVE EXTENDED FAMILIES. THEY HAVE 47 SMALL COMMUNITIES WITH UP TO FAMILIES. THE LARGEST POPULATION OF ABOUT 25 COMMUNITIES ARE WITH LAND TITLES. MOST DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH LAND FOR AGRICULTURE. THE COMMUNITIES TEND TO BE MORE STABLE AT PRESENT SINCE THE COMMUNITY SHARES THE LAND. THE SCHOOL AND SOCCER FIELD ARE THE CENTER OF MOST COMMUNITIES. THEY ARE DEVELOPED ALONG THE BANKS OF THE CALLAIZU RIVER. EACH HOUSEHOLD IS NEAR A SPRING. THEY HAVE A PALM THATCHED ROOF WITH HARDWOOD POLES WITH WALLS OF SPLIT PALM BARK. TODAY MANY AMESHUA LIVE IN HEWN WOOD FRAME HOUSES WITH ALUMINUM ROOFS.

THEIR RELIGION WAS THAT THEY WORSHIPPED THE SUN AS THE INCAS DID. OUR FATHER THE SUN GAVE LIFE AND BREATH AND STRENGTH TO HUMANITY. THE PRIESTLY LEADER LED HIS PEOPLE IN CEREMONIAL DANCES MAKING MERRY WHEN A BEAUTIFULL BIRD FLEW INTO THE CLEARER TO DELIVER A MESSAGE FROM FROM OUR FATHER.

OUR MOTHER THE MOON IS LESS IMPORTANT. THERE ARE DEMONS AND EVIL SPIRITS AS WELL AS VARIOUS ANIMATED AND INANIMATED SPECIES. MOST HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED BY THE CATHOLICS. IN 12960 SMALL CONGREGATIONSWERE FARMED UNDER INDIGENOUS LEADERS.

THE PREISTS LED PEOPLE IN MAKING COOPERATIVE GARDENS AND IN WORSHIP. SHAMANS ALSO ENJOYED GOOD STATEMENTS BECAUSE THEY HAD CONTACT WITH THE JAGUAR SPIRITS AND OTHER SUPERNATURAL BEINGS. THEY HAVE A CEREMONY FOR A GIRL AFTER PUBERTY. SINGING AND PLAYING PAN PIPES WERE IMPORTANT PARTS OF AMESHUA CEREMONIES. THESE CONTINUE ON A SMALL SCALE IN SEVERAL COMMUNITIES. THE AMESHUA DESIGNS ARE WOVEN WRISTBANDS. THEY USED HERBS TO HEAL AND SHAMANS ALSO HEALED. WESTERN MEDICINE HELPED AS WELL. THEY HAD LITTLE CEREMONY CONNECTED WITH A BURIAL.


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