CULINA INDIANS IN PERU

THESE INDIANS SPEAK ARAVAN LANGUAGE IN PERU. THERE ARE 2500 PEOPLE. THEY LIVE ALONG RIVERS OF THE PEOREES - JURUA IN BRAZIL AND SOME VILLAGES ARE IN PERU. PREHISTORY OF THE ARAWAKEN OR CULINA INDIANS IS HOTLY DEBATED. ONE THEORY SAYS THEY LIVED NEAR THE PRESENT CITY OF MANORIS ABOUT 3000 B.C. AND MOVED UP THE AMAZON RIVER. THERE IS NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH.

THE CULINA ARE MENTIONED BY THE EARLY 1800'S BY EXPLORER CASTELNAU AND BATES. THEY LIVED IN THE FOREST. THEY SAID THEY WERE FEARED BY THE LOCAL RIVERINE GROUPS THEY AVOIDED RUBBER TAPPERS WHO CAME HERE IN THE LATE 1800'S THEY WERE ATTRACTED TO THE MAJOR RIVERS AND ARRIVAL OF BRAZILIAN MANUFACTURING GOODS.

THESE CULINA WERE WORKERS FOR THE RUBBER TAPPERS AND FARMERS ALONG THE RIVERS. ALTHOUGH SEVERAL GROUPS HAVE RESISTED EXTENSIVE CONTACT WITH NONCULINA FOLKS, THEY HAVE CONTACTS WITH BRAZILIAN RESOURCES AND HAVE DEVELOPED RELIANCE ON SOME OF THEIR ECONOMY.

THE SUMMER INSTITUTE OF CULINA LINGUISTICS HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN "PERUVIAN VILLAGE THAT HAS A CATHOLIC MISSION. THEY STILL STRUGGLE TO TO HQVE THEIR INDIGENOUS AREAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED TO GUARENTEE THEIR EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO AND USE OF THEIR LANDS IN THE RIO PURUS THAT THEY HAD FOR CENTURIES. THEY LIVED IN THE FOREST AND BUILT VILLAGES OF A SINGLE LARGE STRUCTURE IN THE FORESTS AND BUILT VILLAGES.

THE SUMMER INSTITUE OF CULINA LINGUISTICS HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN A PERUVIAN VILLAGE THAT HAS A CATHOLIC MISSION. THEY STILL STRUGGLE WITH TO HAVE THEIR INDIGENOUS AREAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED TO GUARENTEE THEIR EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO AND USE OF LANDS. A LARGE AREA CALLED THE RIO PERUS HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED. THEY LIVED IN THE FORESTS AND BUILT VILLAGES OF A SINGLE LARGE STRUCTURE LIKE ANA FRAME WITH TWO SLOPING ROOFS THAT EXTENDED TO THE GROUND (MALOCA STYLE). OR LONGHOUSE. FAMILIES WERE IN SEPARATE AREAS. A CENTRAL SPACE WAS USED FOR RITUALS AND OTHER COMMUNAL ACTIVITIES. THIS HOUSE COULD ACCOMODATE 300 INDIVIDUALS.

ONCE THEY MOVED CLOSER TO RIVERS AND PRODUCED INDIVIDUAL EXTENDED FAMILIES, WHO BUILT SEPARATE HOUSES ABOUT A METER ABOVE THE GROUND. THEY HAD AN OPEN ROOFED PLATFORM FOR SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND A SMALL FOR SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND A SMALL ATTACHED AREA FOR COOKING.

THEY BELIEVE IN ANIMAL SPIRITS. A CULTURAL HERO KIRA, LIVES IN THE CSK , ANIMAL SPIRITS WHO LIVE UNDERGROUNDIN A WORLD CALLED NAMIBUDI. KIRA IS CONSIDERED TO BE REMOTE AQND CREATED THE CULINA. HE RETREATED TO THE SKY AND HAS NO MORE CONTACT WITH THIS WORLD.

THE MISSIONARIES IDENTIFY KIRA WITH GOD BUT CONSIDER THE TOKORIME SATANIC. A FEW PERUVIANS ARE CHRISTIANS, BUT MOST RETAIN THEIR TRADITIONS. SHAMANS ARE ACTIVE IN IN CURING RITUALS. WHEN DEATH OCCURS THEY CALL PECCARIES TO THE FOREST FOR HUNTING. MEN ARE THEIR SHAMANS. SHAMANS CONDUCT CURING RITUALS. CEREMONIES ARE HELD DURING DRY SEASONS ROUGHLY FOR 6 MONTHS. THEY DRINK A FERMENTED DRINK OF MANIOC AND VOMIT IT. IT IS QUITE WIERD. THIS CEREMONY RITUALIZES THEMES OF HUNTING VS. HORTICULTURE, AS WELL AS MALE VS. FEMALE. SHAMANS CONDUCT NIGHT CEREMONIES
BY SUCKING OUT AN ILLNESS FROM THE BODY.

THEY MAKE FEATHER ORNAMENTS, NECKLACES AND BRACELETS OF SMALL SEEDS OR BEADS AND WEAVE COTTON ARM BANDS. BOYS MAKE SMALL FLUTES. SINGING AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THEIR RITUALS.

THEY USED A VARIETY OF LEAVES FOR MINOR CUTS, SCRATCHES, ACHES OR PAINS. THEY USED LEAVES TO HEAL SCRATCHES, ACHES AND PAINS.WHEN FOLKS HAD MORE SERIOUS ILLNESSES IT WAS A RESULT OF A SUBSTANCE CALLED DORI INJECTED INTO THE BODY BY A WITCH. OR A SHAMAN CAN EXTRACT ILLNESS ONCE HE IS IN A TRANCE BY SMOKING TOBACCO. ONCE IN THE TRANCE HE CAN SUCK OUT HE CAN SUCK OUT AN ILLNESS. THE CULINA ALSO TURN TO BRAZILIAN MEDICATIONS.

ONCE SOMEONE DIES A SHAMAN LEADS THE SOLE TO AN UNDERWORLD WHERE IT ENTERS A VILLAGE MUCH LIKE IT'S EARTHLY HOME. BUT IT IS POPULATED BY WHITE LIPPED PECCARIES. THEY BELIEVE IN A TYPE OF REINCARNATION.

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