BORA INDIANS IN COLUMBIA

THESE FOLKS LIVE DEEPLY IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON ALONG A MAIN RIVER. HISTORICALLY THEY WERE ENEMIESBUT IN RECENT TIMES THEY ARE ALLIES. THEY AREGREAT ARTISTS AND MAKE MASKS, DOLLS, RATTLES AND BLOWGUNS. THEY MAKE CLOTH OF BARK FROM A FIG TREE. THEY MAKE THEIR CLOTHING FROM BEATEN BARK CLOTH. THE HUI TOTO WOMEN AND MEN WEAR SHORT SKIRTS.

THERE IS A PALM TREE TO MAKE TWINE AND HAMMOCKS. THE BORA INDIANS WEAR DRESSES. THEY ALSO PAINT THEIR BODIES WITH WHITE AND RED PAINT.

THE BORA INDIANS ARE ONE OF THE PRIMARY INDIAN ATTRACTIONS IN IQUITOS. THEY HAVE 2000 FOLKS IN PERU AND 1000 IN COLUMBIA. SOME BRAZIL BORAS NO LONGER SPEAK THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE.

THEY HAVE CLANS BASED ON ANIMALS AQND PAINT THEIR FACES WITH DIFFERENT DESIGNS. THEY DANCE FOR TOURISTS USING 6 BATONS THAT THEY POUND IN THE GROUND. THE BATONS HAVE SHELLS SOMETIMES THEY SPEND THE WHOLE NIGHT. THERE MANGUARE DRUMS HAVE DIFFERENT FORMS, DEPENDING UPON IF THEY HAVE MALE OR FEMALE A VISITOR CAN WATCH BARK CLOTH BEING MADE BY POUNDING BARK OF PALM TREE. THEIR FIBERS ARE DYED USING NATIVE PLANTS.

THEIR COMMUNITY IN IQUITOS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE DETERIORATING. THEY ARE PASSING THEIR LANGUAGE TO THEIR CHILDREN. ANOTHER TEST OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IS THAT THE BORA BORA TRIBE HAS MANAGE TO RETAIN MUCH OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS.

THE COCA PLANT IS IMPORTANT TO THEIR DIET. IT ALLOWS THEM TO WORK MANY HOURS WITHOUT EXHAUSTION. (!) DO NOT CHEW THE RAW LEAVED! THE POWDERED PLANT IS MIXED WITH TOBACCO AND BLOWN INTO THEIR NOSE! SCIENTISTS ARE INCORPORATING SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY PROJECTSBEING CONDUCTED IN BRILLO NUEVA. BEFORE THE 1900'S THE BORA WERE SEMI NOMADIC. THEYT PRACTICED SHIFTING AGRICULTURE AND SUBSIDIZED GATHERING, HUNTING, AND FISHING.

IN 1900 THE RUBBER BOOM CHANGED THEIR LIVES FOREVER. THE COMPNIES ENSLAVED THE BORAS! MANY WERE WIPED OUT . BY 1940 'S THEY HAD ONLY 450 PEOPLE..

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