Indigenous tribe turns to tourism to keep traditions alive
743 views · Published 6 October 2018 · 6:08 · Indexed 29 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(1 Oct 2018) LEADIN: An indigenous Ecuadorian tribe is helping to preserve its culture and way of life by opening its doors to tourists from around the world. The Tsachila paint their hair and bodies with a bright, red dye and are proving a popular attraction in a remote, rural rainforest in Ecuador. STORYLINE: Shaman Abraham Calazacon of the Tsachila tribe makes his way to the shamanic hut. He is preparing to perform a cleansing ritual by fire, just as his ancestors have done for generations before... but there's one big difference. His ancestors did not have to compete with the flashes of smartphones as eager tourists snap selfies in the gloom of the hut. Like everything else in the community village of Mishili, the doors are open to tourists. Before the tourists arrived five years ago, the community farmed their lands by growing bananas, cocoa and sugar cane. Today the lands around Mishili still grow bananas and Abraham Calazacon, the community project leader, surveys his crop. This Tsachila community still relies on agriculture for 80 percent of its income, but 20 percent comes from tourism and this is growing rapidly. Calazacon says: "We're taking it (tourism) in, but respecting nature, the places that exist in our territory. Part of that was to strengthen things that we were losing, like our language, our customs, our tradition, because the population was growing." Tourism has brought new roads to the community and now buses arrive carrying large groups. The villagers' privacy might have been compromised by the new arrivals from all around the world, but according to Abraham Calazacon the tourists are bringing more than just money. He says: "This exchange, the visits of the tourists, has improved our economy and also the training in themes of health and education." Now the community is receiving English lessons and the local school has received funding. What's more, the rivers that run through the territory have been cleared of litter and pollution. The traditions of the Tsachila include their own language Tsafiki, music and dancing, and of course the distinctive costume and red hair dye. The dye comes from the local achiote plant which produces fruit with a rich crimson colour that stains the hair and skin. So what do the tourists who come to Mishili make of tribal village life? Irene Spezialetti has come from Mons in Belgium, she is most impressed by the warmth of the people - and the dancing. "In Belgium, I don't know if in the rest of Europe, the people are a lot colder. I'm not talking about everybody but there is a big difference, people in the restaurants don't talk to each other, people just look at each other. So yes I have frankly seen a new culture. People here dance between themselves, I have never seen this in Belgium, when we dance we are drunk so it's not the same thing," she says. In the last month alone Mishili has received tourists from Japan, the UK, the USA, Holland, Italy and Germany, but Ecuadorian locals make up the largest percentage of visitors. Maria Paula Parraga has come with her family to see a way of life that's unique even for an Ecuadorian national. "We want to know something about the culture of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, how impressive it is. And why not come and visit with all the family and enjoy it with them," she says. Tony Gunn from Melbourne in Australia is in Ecuador for a national meeting of the Kiwanis international service club. Edison Enriquez is the manager of Equinoccial tours based in the nearby city of Santo Domingo. The mayon worm is the larvae of the palm weevil. It is skewered and barbecued like a kebab. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/bc22596ad1da49ed8f475373e2a9ae22
