PEOPLES AND NATIONALITIES OF ECUADOR

CONSTITUTION OF ECUADOR
The constitution presents a new form of citizen coexistence, in
diversity and harmony with nature, to achieve good living, the sumak
kawsay; A society that respects, in all its dimensions, the dignity of
people and communities.
A democratic country, committed to Latin American integration - the
dream of Bolívar and Alfaro -, peace and solidarity with all the peoples
of the earth.
Ethnic groups:
The Republic of Ecuador has an estimated indigenous population of
40% of the national population, grouped into 14 nationalities and 19
peoples, which before the Ecuadorian Constitution of 1998, these
peoples were ignored and were not given the necessary importance and
this Constitution was a significant step to focus on the indigenous issue
by enshrining ethnic pluralism.

ETHNIC GROUPS OF THE COAST • AWÁ NATIONALITY: m

LOCATION : It is located in the western part of the Andean Massif, beginning in the
upper basin of the Telembí River (Colombia) and extending to the northern part of
Ecuador. In Ecuador it is found in the provinces of Esmeraldas Carchi and Imbabura.

HOUSING : They are houses made of chonta and gualte palm leaves, which are crushed
to form a mat. The floor is made of wood and the roof has a wide slope to evacuate water
when it rains. Domestic animals are collected in the space under the house. Their
residence pattern is characterized by the dispersion of their settlements along the rivers.
They live in houses separated from each other, by several hours away. The settlements
have a nucleus of houses belonging to people with direct ties of blood, who in turn
exercise management functions of the settlement.
WORLDVIEW : Awa means "man" and is one of the most unknown and marginalized
indigenous peoples of Ecuador. Paradoxically, it is one of the most organized and clear
of its destiny: they are the last defenders of the Chocó tropical forest, in northwestern
Ecuador.
CLOTHING : Made from the bark of a tree called llanchama, by beating it becomes the
same as a cloth.
GASTRONOMY : The consumer products are corn, bananas, cassava and sugar cane,
corn is the fundamental basis of family sustenance, with this they make chicha, wrapped
and serves as food for small animals such as chicken. Among the drinks they consume
are guarapo and chicha.
HOLIDAYS : Within their worldview the world is populated by supernatural beings.
Magic plays an important role as does the practice of Catholic rituals. Their festivals are
related to the way of conceiving the world, nature and work, among them are: the
duende, the chutún and the end of the year, they dance marimba and drink guarapo.
TOURISM : They are of tourist interest: Their music, which has African and Andean
influence, uses instruments such as the flute, the rondador, the marimba and the bass
drum. The crafts made by the communities and the Awa Forest and Ethnic Reserve,
which is located in the Tobar Donoso town 145 km from Tulcán, is built by an area of
natural forest with a varied flora and fauna, in this sector they have managed to preserve
their identity. the Awa.

CHACHI NATIONALITY:
LOCATION: Province of Esmeraldas.

HOUSING: It is built of chonta and guadua poles, toquilla or lizán straw

leaves, and mountain vines; The house has no wall, they live with pure
ventilation. They have selected space for each family activity, the kitchen,
living room, and bedroom; The house has a height of 3 meters and the other
dimensions depend on the number of members of each family.

WORLDVIEW: They conceive that the universe is composed of three worlds:

an upper one, an intermediate one and a lower one. They have an animistic
conception of the universe: all beings and things have spirits. These spirits are
masculine and feminine, they can cause good or evil.
CLOTHING: The dress worn by the vast majority of men and women is
Western-style and does not differ significantly from that worn by Esmeralda
peasants. A few elderly men still wear the traditional nightgown (length to the
knees) combined with pants and rubber boots or shoes; Few women wear a
(bright) colored skirt, bare torso, and bead necklaces.
GASTRONOMY: Since their ancestor, the basis of the food and drinks that the
Chachi Ethnicity eats daily is hunting, fishing, collecting edible wild fruits,
bananas, rice, cassava, chontaduro, corn and citrus fruits.
PARTIES: One of the brides dances the San Juan. This is the only time the
bride and groom are allowed to dance together during their wedding party. It is
the afternoon of December 25. The wooden floor and zinc roof of the San
Miguel Ceremonial Center vibrate to the rhythm of the marimba and the bass
drum. The governor chooses, from among the guests, a young man and a girl for
the next dance. She wears a blanket – which covers herself from head to waist –
and a colorful skirt.
TOURISM: Protected natural areas and territories: In its territory the State has
declared the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve, where there are
communities settled in the northern area, Eloy Alfaro canton, in the interior and
in the area of influence.

Likewise, there are communities in the area of influence of the declared

Cayapas Mataje Ecological Reserve and inside the Mache Chindul Ecological
Reserve in which the protective forest that belongs to the Chachi nationality is
 located.

EPERA NATIONALITY:

LOCATION: Province of Esmeraldas, Eloy Alfaro Canton, Borbón and La Concepción

parishes.
HOUSING : The moon dyes the homes, covered in dry banana leaves, silver in this
community that lacks electricity and has the only means of communication in the
Cayapas River.
WORLDVIEW: Own justice.- The Epera are governed by a community justice system.
An assembly analyzes the cases and determines the punishments, which are applied from
the age of 12. They range from community service and whipping to expulsion. If the
crime is serious, the case goes to regular justice. Old-fashioned marriages.- Couples who
decide to unite inform their parents, who give their approval. Most join from the age of
14. Having more children guarantees more land to work
CLOTHING : the 'p'aru' for women, which is a skirt accompanied by necklaces and a
bare torso, the 'atee' for men, which consists of small white shorts. Previously it was
made from the bark of a tree.
GASTRONOMY: food based on fruits and vegetables that they grow, they manage the
MPD domestic production method, they hunt animals such as the guanta, agouti, monkey
and zainos and practice fishing with methods such as the three nets, poison, trap, etc.
FESTIVITIES: music and dance (karishipai) maintain all their expressiveness, mainly
among Epera women. They generally move from Ecuador to participate in the annual
festivities of Cauca, an aspect that reinforces their identity ties with their relatives in
Colombia.
TOURISM: Tourism can be focused on visiting the beaches and reserves located in the
province of Esmeraldas.
TSA'CHILA NATIONALITY:

LOCATION: In the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas.

HOUSING: From cement constructions, similar to the urban ones of the mestizos, to
precarious wooden rooms where up to seven or eight people live. Before it was a simple
rectangular house 7 to 15 meters long and 5 to 10 meters wide. The house was a single
room. Walls of cracked guadua or pambil. The pillars of plump pambil. The gabled roof
finished with straw called cade.

WORLDVIEW: God is known as “Diochi”. He is a benevolent old man who gives them
everything that they find difficult to produce, but the naturally ungrateful man does not
recognize his generosity and the Diochi retreats to heaven, leaving the earth dominated
by “Jukang”, a malevolent spirit.

CLOTHING: The women's attire is called tunán and consists of a multicolored skirt that
represents the colors of the flowers and plants that exist in their tropical environment.
They paint their faces with black lines, which have a ceremonial meaning. Men dye their
hair with annatto to express their gratitude to nature. For this reason, the Tsáchilas are
known as Colorados.
GASTRONOMY:
URU: It consists of fermented chicha based on yuca, they also use this drink in
ceremonies and parties.
LUCUPI: Green Plantain Soup.
ANÓ – ILA: It is prepared with ground green banana, previously cooked. The banana is
crushed on a rectangular board "runza" replaces the grinding stone, to crush the banana a
wooden roller is used, the "anó-ila" is also known as bala is never missing in the Tsáchila
home.
PIYU – BILÚ: It consists of grinding the banana with corn, once ground, they mix it and
cook it, finally serving it in the corn or banana leaves.

HOLIDAYS: Kasama is the only festival celebrated by members of the Tsáchila ethnic
group on the Saturday of glory of the Catholics. In the Tsafiqui language "Kasa" means
new and "ma" means day, so Kasama is the beginning of a new day or new year. A
verbatim translation into Spanish would say “new day,” although the meaning for the
ethnic group is “new year.” It constitutes a great party attended by all the members of the
other communes. The celebration is carried out with dances, theater and traditional
games such as: stone throwing, chicha drinking, green banana peeling and the election of
Queen Tsáchila.

TOURISM: Cóngoma offers national and foreign tourists “Walla” or “Casa Grande”
which means ethnocultural dissemination center of the Tsáchilas of Cóngoma; a tourist
potential that is beginning to take shape. A museum where the imagination is transported
to past times when observing a bed of its natives; “Bangui” for guarapo, a place that was
used to deposit the chewed cassava and the guarapo; animal skeletons; instruments that
rest as an immortal tradition. In addition, ecological tourism is carried out in the
following Tsáchila communities, such as: Cerro Mirador Bombolí, La Carolina Botanical
Garden, La Perla Protective Forest and Zaracay Park.
MANTEÑO HUANCAVILCA NATIONALITY:

LOCATION: Province of Manabi and Guayas.

HOUSING: High wooden construction; The roof was made of chonta, the walls were
made of cane; Three families lived in it without any problem.

WORLDVIEW: They worshiped different animals that were considered sacred: the
snake, the jaguar or the puma, the deer, the lizard, and the opossum. A goddess called
Umiña, who took the form of an emerald, was also worshiped in a special way.

CLOTHING: Deer leather pants, wide to the ankles, without shoes, straw hat, for men;
a llama or frufru leather skirt, without shoes, for women.

GASTRONOMY: The Wankavilka people traditionally eat cassava, banana, fish, hard corn, they
drink corn chicha, green colada and local fruits. Currently, their daily diet also includes bread, chicken,
beef, and processed foods such as sausages and canned foods.

FESTIVALS: they are known as the happiest on the coast, among them we can mention: Festival of the
Virgen de las Nieves, Festival of San Roque, Virgen de las Mercedes, Montubio festival, Christmas
celebrations with nativity scenes and chigualos, Three Kings Festival, Cafetalea Fair, and finally the
Harvest Festival.
TOURISM: The settlers within the Machalilla National Park exploit the resources that
they keep such as Agua Blaca, Salango, and the friars.

GROUPS ETHNIC OF TH MOUNT

KARANKI VILLAGE: E AIN

LOCATION: The Karanqui are located in the Sierra Norte, province of Imbabura.

HOUSING: In the past, houses had adobe walls or mud walls with thatched roofs.
Currently they are built with bricks or adobe covered with tiles or concrete structures.

COSMOVISION: The highest authority of the Caranqui people was the cacique or
curaca, who enjoyed many privileges. A custom of the Caranqui people was to
artificially deform the skull. They worshiped the great elevations such as Cayambe,
Cotacachi, Saraurco, Pichincha and Imbabura. They offered them sacrifices by giving
them white corn, chicha and coca, which they buried and poured at the foot of the
mountain. These cultures formed merchant guilds known as mindalaes. They were in
charge of commerce in specific places, in the plazas. These commercial relations were
carried out especially with the Tolita culture, in the Coast region.

CLOTHING: On the woman with an embroidered blouse which printed embroidered

drawings of plants and birds. The skirt made of indulana fabric, The scarf made of
cotton or lamb wool, on their feet they wear rubber espadrilles and espadrilles of type
 Otavalo, have hats, sashes 3 meters long and 10 centimeters wide, woven on looms.
MEN: kutun, wara, ruwana, ushuta and muchiku; WOMAN: muchiku, palpa, anaku,
ushuta and pachallina.

FESTIVITIES: Inti Raymi, the San Juanés.

GASTRONOMY: The Caranqui people fed on products they grew, such as: potatoes, beans, corn,
vegetables and fruits from the area and as a drink chicha de jora. They obtained proteins from the meat of
animals they hunted such as birds, tapir and deer. In addition to domestic animals such as the llama, the
guinea pig, the duck.

TOURISM: Puruhanta Lagoon is a hidden mirror that, due to its beauty and location,
attracts many national and foreign tourists, who continually come to see this natural
wonder embedded between cliffs and mountains in the shape of a volcano crater and
surrounded by natural resources that They are its great attraction. This natural setting is
also located in the buffer zone of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve.

NATABUELA LOCATION: Province of Imbabura, in the canton

VILLAGE: Antonio Ante. Approximately 14,109 inhabitants.

HOUSING: It is made with the hand-made rammed earth

technique and the roof is made of wood or tile.

WORLDVIEW: The Natabuelas value the presence and

participation of women. There are senior groups, youth
groups and women's groups. The mingas constitute work
festivals where the community meets to help each other in
the construction of roads, houses, planting, harvesting and
preparing for weddings. The town has managed to
maintain a traditional form of government, where the
governor is the Chief chosen from among the members of
the community. They practice ancient medicine known as Jambi Yachak. Music
constitutes another cultural manifestation where musical and dance groups have been
formed.

CLOTHING : The women wear a large white shirt, a black anaco tied to a single sash, a
white fachalina for the head and another for the back, they wear golden necklaces and
hualcas in large quantities. Their hair is combed in two braids using light-colored
headbands, they decorate their ears with large silver earrings that reach to their
shoulders, they wear black espadrilles, and they wear red bracelets on their wrists.
The man wears a white sleeveless shirt, wide pants, at the waist he has thick woven wool
cords that fall down one of his sides, at the tips they have two tassels as part of their
clothing, they have a white hat adorned with a colored cord red. They use a red poncho
to which they add a list of different colors, green standing out, and they use cabuya
espadrilles.

GASTRONOMY: Fried guinea pig accompanied with potatoes, mote, avocado, cheese
and a refreshing glass of chicha de jora (the ripening of corn), fruit or rice. The tasty fry
is complemented with corn, toast, cheese, potatoes, beans, banana and a glass of chicha.

FESTIVALS: The Inti Raimy (Saint John) or harvest festival is celebrated from June 21
in all communities. For this celebration, groups of dancers are formed dressed in masks,
ayahuma masks, large hats, etc. The community that has won the right to the square
dances there and then heads to the church of San Juan. During the San Pedro festivities,
which are celebrated from June 29, men wear small curos on their lower backs with tied
bells that ring when they dance. Los Corazas is a festival that is celebrated in August in
homage to the gods and in gratitude for the crops.

TOURISM: It constitutes another cultural element that deserves special mention;

Currently they have music and dance groups that have assumed the role of
spokespersons for a historical culture, for a way of being and living together that must
be known, valued and disseminated.

OTAVALO PEOPLE:
 OTAYALO
LOCATION: Province of Imbabura, Otavalo canton. Being part of the Kichwa de la
Sierra nationality, this ethnic group comes from the ancient Caranqui people.

HOUSING: The construction of the house is an occasion to demonstrate the spirit of

collaboration. They organize a communal party with all their friends and acquaintances
who go to the minga where they are well cared for by the owners of the new house. For
the Otavaleños, the house is the center of life, where the prosperity of the home is born.
The house has a thatched or tile roof, rammed earth walls and a solid earth floor. In one
corner of the room there is a bed or a bit of straw that serves as a bed. At the other end is
the stove. On the walls there are small shelves where religious images that they venerate
or valuable objects are placed. At the height of the wall they place two or three boards
horizontally sewn as a sovereign where they keep other objects such as their Sunday
suits; At the entrance of the house they build the loom. There are other houses that are
divided into rooms, bedrooms, kitchen, grenadier and a corridor where there are pogyos
to sit on, water ponds and grinding stones.

WORLDVIEW: This people has a worldview that nuances and gives meaning to all
areas of life, one of whose expressions is the harmonious relationship between the
universe, the earth and man (Pachamama, allpamama, runa) and the binary division of
oppositions . As part of this Andean worldview, the Otavalo people maintain a mystical
relationship with hills, mountains and lakes. The taita Imbabura and Mama Cotacachi
represent their beliefs. In the same way, lagoons like Cuicocha or waterfalls like
Peguche house waters that are used for purifying baths.

CLOTHING: Their clothing is characterized, for men, by the use of white pants and a
white shirt, rope espadrilles and a blue and chalk double-sided poncho. The women wear
white blouses embroidered with light colors, two anacos, one white and the other black;
which are held with two straps, one wide and the other narrow; black, blue or white
fachalina and golden huallcas.

FESTIVITIES : Within its customs and traditions, and like all the Quichua towns of
the mountains, Otavalo celebrates the Inti Raimy (San Juan) or harvest festival,
starting on June 21 in all communities. For this celebration, groups of dancers are
formed dressed in masks, ayahuma masks, large hats, etc. The dancers from each
community head towards Otavalo where they "take over" the streets and squares.
The community that has won the right to the square dances there and then heads to
the church of San Juan. The festivities of San Pedro, which are celebrated from June
29, are also of great importance. The men wear small curos on their lower backs with
tied bells that ring when they dance.
GASTRONOMY : The months of October and September coincide with the corn harvest, so Yamor
is prepared, which is a fermented chicha with low alcoholic power that is obtained from the
fermentation of the seven grains of corn; This drink is accompanied with a succulent plate of fritada
con mote, tortillas and empanadas. On November 2, it is common to serve a plate of shampoos (corn
flour colada with mote and pineapple), accompanied by guaguas de bread. Also at this time it is
customary to prepare the so-called “mazamorra” with churos. In December it is customary to make
corn flour tamales filled with pig or chicken meat typical of this time. In Otavalo there has always
 been family cuisine with good flavor and patient peculiarities. It is enough to mention the humitas
(choclotandas), quimbolitos, and morocho empanadas. Preserving customs inherited from traditional
Andean foods rich in grains, morocho, quinoa, chuchuca, corn, peas, etc. A traditional dish that is
served at indigenous festivals is roast guinea pig.

TOURISM : Otavalo, Valley of the Dawn. In the heart of the province of Imbabura, it is culture, art,
crafts, customs and traditions. Famous for the world-wide indigenous market. Its beautiful landscapes,
mountains, lakes, lagoons, waterfalls, its majestic Lechero, shelter this industrious city.
In the city of Otavalo there are several historical places, in which our ancestors have lived for several
years and currently help to learn about their culture, traditions, etc.
San Pablo Lagoon is located four kilometers from Otavalo, beautiful, welcoming, surrounded by a
network of first-class hotels and restaurants. In September, the swimming voyage takes place where
expert swimmers compete for the glory of being champions. It is located at 2,681 meters above sea
level and has an approximate depth of 83 m. On the lake you can do all kinds of water sports,
horseback riding, mini cruise rides, etc.

KAYAMBI VILLAGE:

LOCATION: In the provinces of Pichincha, Imbabura and Napo.

HOUSING : Located in the high moors, in the past they were built with mud walls with a thatched
roof. Lately they are built with block or brick walls, with a zinc or tile roof.
WORLDVIEW : In summer times, this town usually goes up to the hills with their children to shout
"ya kujuta karangui achili taitico", asking for the water to arrive, for the rains to come, this custom is
called "la wuakchakaray". The mountains that surround them are also invoked to obtain a good
harvest, without forgetting that obtaining a good harvest consists of sowing according to the time of
the moon.

CLOTHING: They keep their own clothing, which is varied and diverse in the different areas in
which it exists. Among the main clothing of the Cayambis is the red hat, red poncho, white pants,
espadrilles, and a ribbon in the hair. The women use a very finely pleated anaco of different colors
that matches the embroidery on their blouses and a hat.

GASTRONOMY: Their food focuses on the agricultural products they produce; Their diet is
composed especially of grains such as corn, beans, and peas; the same ones that are complemented
with sambo, pumpkin, barley, wheat, goose potato, white carrot; materials used to prepare a variety
variety of dishes: barley rice, bean flour strains, peas, roasted corn, broad beans and cooked young
corn; In addition, their diet is completed with beef, pork, chicken, rice, canned goods and industrially
prepared drinks.

FESTIVITIES: Solstice Festivals and Saint Peter's Festivals: They have an ancestral ceremonial
ritual meaning, since in ancient times the sun god was worshiped there and thanked for the good
harvests of the year.

TOURISM: Some of the communities are located in the Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve, among
them is the community of Oyacachi.
 KITU-KARA VILLAGE:

LOCATION : They are located in the province of Pichincha, in the Quito canton, in the areas of
Nono, Pifo, Pintag, Tumbaco, among others. Additionally, in the Mejía and Rumiñahui cantons.

HOUSING : Due to the acculturation process, several of its characteristics have been lost, one of
these is housing, the houses we found are made of block and zinc.

CLOTHING : Due to their constant interaction with mestizo society, they do not preserve traditional
dress. It was used on women with embroidered blouses which printed embroidered drawings of plants
and birds. The skirt made of indulana fabric, The scarf made of cotton or sheep wool, on their feet
they wear espadrilles, they have hats, sashes 3 meters long and 10 centimeters wide, woven on looms.
Men wear short white pants, a shirt and a dark-colored poncho.

FESTIVALS : The festivities in indigenous communities are based on the agro-astronomical

connotation of sowing and harvesting, now defined as Pascua Chica and Pascua Grande, which are
accompanied by the Ancestral Yumbadas.
• Pascua Chica: It is the space time, which begins at the Coya Raymi (fertility festival), with the
straight sun on September 22 and lasts until the Capac Quilla Raimi (divine fertility festival) with the
inclined sun on the 21st. from December. It is time for pleasure and sowing on Mother Earth. Where
ritual ceremonies are held for the transcendental divinities and the ayas (deceased) who promote life
in the farm.
• Pascua Grande: It is the time and space of celebration that begins from the Paucar Raymi
(flowering festival), passing through the festival of Mushuc Muyucuna (new grains) and the Mushuc
Nina (new fire) of the straight sun on March 20, to end with the Jatun Punlla (big day) of the Inti
Raymi of the inclined sun on June 21. They are celebrated with ritual ceremonies, dances, jochas
(pleasures), food and abundant Asua (corn jora chicha) to the sacred deities. In this great festival it
was celebrated by the Jatun Danzante, accompanied by captains, loas, aruchicus, cachazos, blacks,
guides, transguiadores, taita and mama services. Now, all these dates are syncretized with Christian
celebrations.
• Yumbadas: The yumbadas, both in the big Easter and the small Easter, were essential, as a result of
ancestral rituality. The yumbos and aucas carrying chonta spears, to the music of the bombo and the
pijuano (small flute) of the mamacu, ritually dance with clothing composed of pilches (gourd
containers), mates (containers), and chagchas or chinchiles (rattles). ) attached to the legs. They
recreate the cuties, the pig hunt, the deer hunt, the slaughter of the yumbo or auca.
Their head is adorned with a crown of green and blue feathers, they carry a basket or shawl of shells
that represent fertility; and they dance in single file forming spirals, zigzagues, circles, triangles and
parallels, recreating ritual movements that symbolize the Mitacan upbringing of life.

GASTRONOMY : corn is consumed in large quantities, as is pork: fried food, skins, pork rinds.
Broth of 30, nickname.

TOURISM : The parishes and communes located around the Metropolitan District of Quito have
cultural resources that, when combined with their natural environment, play a valuable role in
strengthening national identity.
The thing is that currently the levels of modernity of society have essentially managed to affect the
ethnic identity that characterizes Ecuadorians. And it is in the rural communes and parishes where
autochthonous or indigenous cultural production tries to survive against the dominant logic of
capitalist consumerism.
As for factors related to tourism, the cultural manifestations of each Kitu Kara community can be
mentioned. These factors related to tourism are reflected in religious and traditional manifestations,
typical foods, religious infrastructure, archaeological sites, music, dance, beliefs, among others.

PANZALEO NATIONALITY:
LOCATION : They are located in the southern part of the province of Cotopaxi, in several parishes
of said province. The approximate number of its inhabitants varies from 45,000 to 76,000 inhabitants,
a population that is organized into 850 communities.

HOUSING : There are traditional homes that are made of chocoto and bareque with their waterproof
thatched roof, built inside the ground and only the roof is visible, this allows them to retain heat, for
populations that live in moorland areas. The other type of housing is block and zinc and is usually
seen in the vicinity of urban centers and the city.

WORLDVISION : They make baskets, in Tigua and part of Zumbagua they paint on sheep skin,
fabrics, masks of dancers and animals.

CLOTHING : The man wears sheepskin pants, a shirt, long, thick ponchos on his head, a short-
brimmed hat and some wear rubber boots for work. The women wear brightly colored pleated skirts,
embroidered blouses, colorful fachalinas, golden hualcas and a short-brimmed hat.

FESTIVALS : Among its main manifestations are the Corpus Christi festivities, where dancers are
seen recreating traditional music and dance. In the celebration they use native musical instruments
such as the flute, rondador, horn, churo among others.

GASTRONOMY : Roasted guinea pig and delicious fried food.

TOURISM : Limpiopungo Lagoon, Cotopaxi Volcano, Bowling Recreation Area, Mama Negra
Festival, Cotopaxi National Park, Santo Domingo Church, Historic Center, Tulipero Monastery, The
Cathedral, Ciénaga, Yambo Lagoon.

CHIBULEO NATIONALITY:
LOCATION : They are located in the province of Tungurahua, Ambato canton in the Juan Benigno
Vela parish via Guaranda. Its population is approximately 12,000 inhabitants who are located
southeast of the province of Tungurahua. They have other subgroups called: Pilahuines and Patalos.

HOUSING : In the past, houses were characterized by being made of bahareque and straw, that is,
they were huts, currently they are changing these materials for more modern ones, it is common to
now see houses made of cement, block and zinc, very favorable due to the climatic conditions of the
place.

WORLDVIEW : In the community, festivals and traditions are maintained, such as the use of
musical instruments typical of the area such as the pingullo, rondador, Huanta and bocina. Crafts:-
They laboriously make ceramics, shikras, ponchos and makanas. Within their beliefs, the “yacchas”
or healers have great relevance. Based on medicinal herbs they cure illnesses. These characters are
chosen by the gods and receive training from an early age.

CLOTHING : Men wear a red poncho with stripes of colored stripes, white shirt, white wool pants
and a pressed hat with a short crown and short brim folded up, women wear black skirts fastened with
colored sashes, white blouse embroidered and the black fachalina on their shoulders and they wear a
hat with the same characteristics as the man.
 FESTIVALS: Among its most significant
festivals
It is the Inti Raymi (Quechua: 'Feast of
the Sun). It is still celebrated as a
syncretic rite in many communities such
as Chibuleo San Francisco. In addition,
their traditions are maintained, as well as
the use of instruments
typical musicals such as the pingullo, the
rondador, the huanca and the bocina.

GASTRONOMY : potatoes with guinea

pig and fried food.

TOURISM : There is no tourist activity.

LOCATION : They are located in the parish of the same name, 14 kilometers from Ambato, the area
is watered by the Pachalica River and the said community sits on either side. A part of the Sangay
National Park is located in spaces within the territoriality of this town and there are established
communities within it.

SALASACA NATIONALITY:

HOUSING : The house is a hut, made of straw or bareque, covered with reed and chaguarquero; The
traditional home was the chaquihuasi covered in sigse.
Inside the house there is a space for a bedroom, here are the manual tools, at the top is the sovereign,
which will serve as a bedroom for the children when they turn 12, outside the room is the large loom
and the pansig where it is kept. the eggs. The kitchen is adjacent to where there is a corral for guinea
pigs and rabbits and there may also be a bedroom, this will depend on the number of family
members.
The construction of the homes is a minga task between family members, neighbors who help in a
gesture of solidarity; Unfortunately, the block and zinc houses are displacing the huts.

WORLDVIEW : The most important festivals are those of Caporales, which coincide with the first
harvests, that of Corpus Christi, which takes place during the great harvest, and that of Pendoneros
and Capitán, which generally coincides with sowing. In the Salasaca community there are two
ceremonial centers, one in Chilcapamba or Capillapamba and another, which is the main one in the
Pelileo Parish Church. All the festive celebrations held by the community (currently ten) have
religious motivations and are organized and financed by the Mayors, Caporales and Captains.

CLOTHING : After removing the wool from the sheep, the women are in charge of spinning every
day except Sundays. They carry the wool wango and do this work. The men are in charge of
weaving, then they carry out the beating process and the vegetable dyeing. Nowadays women also
carry out this process. The man's clothing is a wide-brimmed hat made with pressed wool mixed with
flour, they use a cushma or shirt, white canvas pants and use espadrilles. The clothing is
 complemented with two ponchos, one white and over this the black poncho, the same ones that are
narrow and made of cloth and a scarf called media vara of lilac color. The woman wears a similar
hat, a dark-colored blouse, necklaces, on her back a garment that is held under the neck known as a
fachalina or white varimedia with black stripes held with a type of pin known as a tupo and anacos
made of dark cloth.

FESTIVALS : Its festivals are evidence of the syncretism resulting from the Spanish conquest of the
pre-Hispanic peoples. In them the mythical thanks to the Sun are remembered. The dancers constitute
one of their most important religious expressions. They are characters who dance in gratitude for the
grain that the sun gives. Along the same lines, one should mention his belief in the “Urcuyaya” or
kind spirit of the mountain. It has human qualities and with its help dreams can be realized.

GASTRONOMY : Chicken, guinea pig and rabbit.

TOURISM : A part of the Sangay National Park is located in spaces within the territoriality of the
Salasaca people and inside there are established communities, also the Central Plaza where the crafts
they make are sold, the best known is the tapestry that is originated in Inca time.

KISAPINCHA NATIONALITY:

KISADINCHÁ
m
LOCATION : Province of Tungurahua.

HOUSING: Made of mud, adobe wood and tile. Built in mingas.

WORLDVIEW: This town still preserves cultural experiences such as "prestamanos", a practice that
consists of the "loan" of labor force in case a family needs to carry out hard work such as planting,
harvesting, building homes, etc.; For this work, family members, neighbors or friends join in; they
"lend their hands" to carry out these jobs in the well-known community minga. This community
sense of problem solving also occurs at parties and weddings with the "jochas" (food products are
lent to help a relative, friend or neighbor who is having parties, in order to cover expenses). This is a
practice of reciprocity typical of indigenous peoples.

Among the ancestral characters that are still valid are the "mashas", who are the helpers responsible
for distributing food at weddings; the "cachunas", who prepare and distribute the chicha and
accommodate wedding visitors. The Catholic colonial heritage is present in this town, which is why
they celebrate religious holidays according to the Catholic and even evangelical calendar.

CLOTHING: They are distinguished from others by their small red ponchos with stripes towards the
edge, white pants and small hats with a round and low crown.

PARTIES: Inti Raymi.

GASTRONOMY: guinea pig with potatoes and oatmeal or jora chicha.

TOURISM: It has a high tourist potential, a variety of tourists come here, mainly from Pichincha.
Due to the tourist growth in the area, more leather warehouses have increased. On weekends, the
Quisapincha parish becomes the center of fashion and trade in leather products. The skillful hands of
its artisans transform the raw material leather into authentic textile jewels that are available to all
people who visit this beautiful place. Its leather industry has become a benchmark for local, national
and international trade.
Quisapincha was declared the leather tourist route and has great tourism potential due to its natural
settings suitable for ecotourism.

WARANKA VILLAGE:

©
WARANKA
Yo

LOCATION : The Waranka ethnic group is settled in the central part of the Bolívar Province Cantón
Guaranda, at an altitude of 2500 m above sea level. m. and at 3500 m above sea level m., in the
following cantons: Guaranda, Gabriel I parishes. Veintimilla, Facundo Vela, Guanujo, Salinas, San
Simón (Yacoto), Simiatug and San Luís de Pambil; Chillanes, Chillanes parish; Chambo, Asunción
parish (Ansacoto); Echandía, Echandía parish; San Miguel, San Pablo de Atenas parish; and Caluma,
Caluma parish.

HOUSING : built of rammed earth, adobe with thatched or zinc roof, few built of myth material,
generally each family has two houses, one for the kitchen and another for the bedroom and cellar.

WORLDVIEW : The organization has a moral, historical and social sense. It is inspired by the
principles of democracy, justice for all, peace and defense of human rights. All people have the right
to receive the same treatment as citizens, without racial, political, cultural, or religious distinction or
discrimination.
FESTIVALS: One of the most important tourist attractions is the Carnival festival where locals and
strangers come to participate and enjoy this popular festival.

GASTRONOMY : Food grown in gardens, livestock.

TOURISM : Pericocha and Patococha Lagoons. Community tourism could be seen in Salinas where
the Tomabela salt mine stands out. Another attraction is the Carnival festival.
LOCATION : This town lives in the Central Mountains, in the province of Chimborazo.

HOUSING : They built houses with rectangular floor plans with stone foundations, adobe walls, and
thatched roofs with wide eaves.
Funeral customs: They buried their dead in funeral bundles, sitting on a wooden bench and in graves
approximately one meter deep, with side chambers. They performed special rituals when the owner of the
house died and then abandoned it.

WORLDVIEW : They buried their dead in funerary bundles, sitting on a wooden bench and in graves
approximately one meter deep, with side chambers. They performed special rituals when the owner of the
house died and then abandoned it.

CLOTHING : Men: White pants, rubber espadrille, white closed shirt, Coco poncho of different colors
depending on the rank, la jirga work poncho, siquipata poncho, chusma; wool hat, if it is a two-color
white-green ritual hat. Women: Dark blue wool Anaco, white embroidered nightgown, brightly colored
cloth fastened with silver or white steel Tupo, chumbi: mama chumbi, cahuiña, laborchumbi. Cusco hair
ribbon, quingo etc. White wool hat with embroidered edge and decorated with brightly colored ribbons
and embroidery, ushuta.

FESTIVALS : Jaguay, Pawkar Raymi, Inti Raymi Gastronomy: guinea pigs and rabbits.

GASTRONOMY : Barley rice soup, colada or mazamorra made of barley flour, wheat, broad bean or
pea, machka api guinea pig or colada de machica de sal with guinea pig intestines, tashmu which are beans
toasted and then cooked, Cariachu which is a Accompaniment for the potatoes, it has tashmu, seasoned
with white onion, oil, water and salt and the murunchi sauce that is prepared with tender grains, tomato
and onion.

TOURISM : A part of the Sangay National Park is located in the territorial areas of the Puruhá people.
Some communities are located inside the Park and others in its area of influence.
The largest raw material extraction and cement processing industry exists in its territory.
 KAÑARI NATIONALITY:

LOCATION : It lives mainly in the province of Cañar and to a lesser extent in Azuay.

HOUSING : Traditional indigenous housing, built based on old pre-Hispanic technologies and with
materials from the environment. Generally, the family home consists of two huts: bedroom and kitchen
built with the basic material, the earth, which mixed with straw is used for the adobes, compacted for the
floor, with reeds for the roof cladding or also to raise the supports. Rest. In addition, as construction
elements, wooden pingos or chaguarqueros are also used to assemble the cover and straw is placed on top
of them as protection. The kitchen plays a very important role in the life of the indigenous due to the series
of factors it brings together: The stove or Tullpa provides fire to prepare food, it provides vital heat to
counteract the cold of the moor, the smoke it produces is used to smoke certain foods. In the kitchen there
is also the cuyero and sometimes the nests or cushas of the few chickens they have. Furthermore, the
ashunga is installed there, a kind of flat basket where the cheeses and other sweets that are pinched from
time to time are ripened. In the corridor there are the backstrap looms with which the fabrics are worked.

WORLDVIEW : They let their hair grow and then knotted it in the pumpkin-shaped crown. The nobles
wore a ring on their heads that passed through a colored braid.
They worked with great skill in metals; As testimony, there are gold jewelry such as earrings, ear muffs,
nose rings, bracelets, bells, glasses and other objects made of chonta wood, decorated with pure gold, such
as command staffs. They learned about bimetallic techniques, alternating silver with gold in different
shades.

CLOTHING : The fabrics are made with sheep wool, it is of good textile quality and subtle, with it
ponchos, cuzhmas, sashes are made that design various colorful shapes with their fabrics. Currently our
indigenous people use a hat made of white lamb wool with a hemispherical shape skirted by a small visor
that is adorned with an elegant braid.
The woman wears skirts (skirts) of various colors and mainly black, she carries an embroidered white
blouse, and preferably a black rope with a tupo (barrette) that supports the piece, adorned with necklaces
of red, light blue, and blue pearls. Silver earrings with motifs typical of the Cañarí worldview and her hair
as a braid.

FESTIVITIES : Taita Carnival: Festivity celebrated in the month of February by indigenous communities
that expresses and contains a deep mythical substratum that recalls the struggle of their ancestors, the
concepts of exchange and reciprocity are based on social issues, which reproduce community
strengthening. Inti Raymi: Festival of the Sun and the Harvest: One of the traditions that is inherited from
the glorious past of the Cañari-Inca nation, constitutes the festival of the sun and the harvest of the June
solstice.

GASTRONOMY : The products used in the diet are: corn, potatoes, melloco, oca, mashua, beans and
pumpkins, in combination with beef, chancha, lamb and guinea pig, which is obtained through the
domestication of animals or the buy in the markets. The main drink is chicha de jora which is prepared in
large clay jars.

TOURISM : In recent times the Cañari people have sought new sources of income, and in tourism they
have found one of them. The communities are developing in what is archaeological tourism, in the ruins of
Ingapirca. And for community tourism, one of the most developed communities is Shayacrrumi, a
community that began its tourist activity in 1999, at the initiative of its own residents, to generate and give
value to its natural and cultural resources that present agricultural and livestock attractions. and forests,
such as the Carbonería forest. It was always a place closely linked to the residents of the city of Cañar and
its surroundings, and upon becoming aware of this, we thought about how to take advantage of these
strengths to generate and conserve the resources that are a legacy of nature and the Cañari culture.

SARAGURO NATIONALITY:

LOCATION : Province of Loja

HOUSING : Those in charge of the construction are the taita sulu, the master bricklayer, and the
Huasicuy, owner of the house. This is done with the help of the minga, they use yokes or oxen, generally
the place where the house is built is not purchased but inherited by the young man from his father. The
house is built with adobe, generally the floor is dirt and the roof is thatched. Nowadays, straw is replaced
by tiles or zinc.

WORLDVIEW : There is no defined etymology for the term Saraguro; On the contrary, various
interpretations are given. For some, the name comes from sara (corn) and guru (worm), therefore,
Saraguro would mean corn worm. For others, its name would refer to dry ears of corn, or would come
from sara and jura (germinated), that is, it would mean corn that germinates or grows. What is clear,
regardless of its meaning, is that its name is closely linked to corn and reaffirms the economic, social and
symbolic importance that it has in the life of the Saraguro people.
It is considered that before the Incas conquest the Saraguro were part of the Paltas that were conquered by
the Incas, but given the resistance they presented, they were punished by being moved to the lands of Peru
and replaced by populations of "mitmackunas."
Consequently, with this hypothesis, the Saraguros are attributed to being descendants of the mitmaccunas
or mitimaes who originally came from El Collao, department of Cuzco, Peru, and who were part of the
populations transplanted by the Inca empire for political-military purposes, for achieve a more effective
administration of the conquered territory.

OUTFIT :
The woman: Wears a wide skirt that reaches below the knee, this garment is black and wool, with vertical
folds and in some cases has an opening on the side. The skirt is secured at the waist with a brightly colored
sash. Her outfit is complemented by a blouse, embroidered on the cuffs and breasts. This can be white,
green, blue, pink, lilac or another bright color. He also uses a cloth that covers his back from the
shoulders, called reboso, secured with a silver pin called (tu po). Some indigenous people use silver or
mullo necklaces of different colors; They wear silver, aluminum, gold rings.
The man: He wears a type of shirt without sleeves or collar, consisting of the poncho folded over the
shoulders and tied at the waist by a brightly colored woolen garment (faja), which allows him to display
his muscular build, the result of agriculture, livestock or other activity that requires strength. A short
garment that reaches knee height, is made up of two parts, a white one that covers the inside of the legs,
and a black one that complements the sleeve and reaches the waist, on the outside, covering the thighs.
and buttocks constitute the pants that are secured at the waist by a thick leather belt, adorned with buttons
or rivets made of avocado or other metal; this according to your economic situation.

FESTIVITIES : The religious festivities of the parish take place on November 22, the great festival of
Carapalí, December 8 and 25, August 15, in the parish the image of the Virgin Mary of Carmen is
venerated, this festival is celebrated on September 8.

GASTRONOMY : Cuchugo soup, quinoa soup, Creole chicken broth and stew, roast guinea pig with
potatoes, peeled mote, corn tortillas, tamales and humitas.

TOURISM : Currently, the Saraguro ethnic group works on sustainable tourism projects or also called
community tourism. It is possible to visit artisan workshops (looms, weaving in mullos, making hats, etc.),
natural sites such as: León Dormido, El Baño del Inca, Cerro de Arcos and lagoons in the surroundings.
There are native guides, typical restaurants and craft stores where their appreciated fabrics are sold. An
important Inca vestige is located not far from the area: Ingapirca.

ETHNIC GROUPS OF THE AMAZON:

A'I COFAN NATIONALITY:

 To COFAN
LOCATION : They are located in the Province of Sucumbíos, in the upper part of the Aguarico River,
Sinagüé River and on the border with Colombia.
CLOTHING : As clothing they wear high-sleeved nightgowns. They adorn them with bird feathers on
their shoulders. They wear necklaces, bracelets and a kind of diadem (hoop shape) on their heads.

WORLDVIEW : In their medicinal practices, they find the practice of shamanism, a practice that is being
lost, because it is only used when a sick person in the community is seriously ill, if an answer is not found
within its territory, it is sought in other communities, as in the Siona, Secoya or Kichwas. In their
ceremonies, shamans usually drink yage, a drink that allows them to understand what is happening in the
community or in the sick person. The celebration of the chonta duro time held in March; They preserve
their traditional dresses that are very important symbols of their identity, although many use Western
dress.

HOUSING : In the past they were similar to the traditional housing of the Shuar people. The walls were
built with wood and the roof with palm leaves and now it is a single-family house, with non-traditional
materials.

GASTROOMY : The food base is banana and cassava, they dedicate themselves to hunting, traditional
horticulture and fishing.

FESTIVALS : The chonta festival is celebrated in the month of April organized by the Na'su head of the
Community, which coincides with the production of chonta duro, at this time the monkeys are fat.

TOURISM : Protected natural areas and territories: The State has declared several protected areas in
territorial spaces of the A'I Cofán nationality: the territory of the Zábalo community is located in the area
of influence of the Cuyabeno Fauna Reserve and some communities have their spaces territorial limits
within the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, the Alto Bermejo Protective Forest and the Sumaco
National Park.
In January 2002, the Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve was created, which includes the territorial areas
of two A'I Cofán communities: Chandía Na'en and Tayo su Conqque. It is under the administration of
local communities and the Cofán People's Survival Foundation, in coordination with the National
Directorate of Biodiversity and Protected Natural Areas of the Ministry of the Environment of Ecuador.
There are some conservation agreements with the Ministry of the Environment: in the Cuyabeno Fauna
Production Reserve, 35,000 hectares of the Zábalo community; in the Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve,
55,000 hectares of the Chandía Naén, Tayo su Conqque and Alto Bermejo communities.
REDWOOD NATIONALITY:

LOCATION : They are located in the Amazon of Peru and Ecuador. In Ecuador they are in the province
of Sucumbíos, Shushufindi canton, San Roque parish and in the Cuyabeno canton, Tarapoa parish, on the
banks of the Aguarico river.

HOUSING : Elliptical-shaped construction, inhabited by an extended family, made of mahogany or cedar

with a palm roof and wooden pillars to counteract the danger of rodent animals.

WORLDVIEW : The Secoya ethnic group belongs to the Western Tukano linguistic family. They inhabit
the territories near Cuyabeno, on the banks and basin of the Aguarico River. Secoya is the name of a river
and a stream considered its place of origin. In Paicoca (Sequoia language) the ethnic name is Siekóya pai,
which means "people of the striped river." Due to their long hair, they were known as "los encabellados."
The Redwoods and Sionas have long remained related, however, they are currently referred to as two
separate ethnicities.
The desire of the Sequoia women for the times to come is: "...to have a large sports field, that can be used
for every game, the most beautiful boarding school, the community kitchen, that there be a large laundry
for not to go down to the river, which is very polluted, that the houses be made of cement and zinc sheets,
that the school has a garden and that there be community swimming pools, for the good of all our children.
For the future, the Secoya men "want a road to arrive so we can transport more easily, have electricity,
have an Emetel, drinking water, sports fields, a larger community, with everything we need..."

CLOTHING : Women continue to use the traditional dwarf dress consisting of a knee-length skirt,
complemented by nose necklaces, earrings and crowns made of seed, men use rabble, a nightgown that is
knee-length, they also use necklaces both in the neck and around the body, its arms adorned with plant
fibers.

GASTRONOMY : food and drink are always present in large quantities, wild meat and fish, chichas de
yuca, chicha de chonta and guarapo.
TOURISM :

Protected natural areas and territories

In its territory the State has declared the Cuyabeno Fauna Reserve; The three communities are located in
the area of influence and have agreements with the reserve to continue using their traditional spaces for
hunting and fishing, with some conservation regulations.
Oil blocks in its territory and Environmental Problems
In the Secoya territory is Block 15 of Occidental Exploration and Production (OECP), which has had a
service provision contract with Petroecuador since 1985, and a participation contract since 1995. After
several years of conflict, since 1999 the OISE and the communities have maintained an agreement with
Occidental, using a code of conduct for the dialogue process. In addition, seismic exploration and studies
are being carried out for the construction of the Cocaya Norte 1, Cocaya 1 and Cocaya Centro 1 wells in
the south of the Aguarico River.
Redwoods. As a community project
The Secoya case is an example. This indigenous nationality of the jungle has prepared in the last year to
change their economic activities to one that will ensure them a decent income for years and the
conservation of the jungle that surrounds them.
Immersed in a world of colors, the 500 redwoods that still live in Ecuador have strived to survive the West
with their customs and culture. The rescue of its values served to prepare a tourism initiative that began
just a few days ago. After a year of training and adaptation of its spaces, the community developed a
tourist program that includes a visit to an interpretation center, coexistence with the community and a visit
to the banks of the Aguarico River, just 45 minutes away by boat. the border with Colombia.
Getting to their territories, immersed in a natural reserve, is relatively easy; the best way is to buy a Quito-
Coca plane ticket (USD 110 round trip). The Coca offers transportation to Puerto Gregorio (3 hours of
travel), where you board a canoe, starting an incredible trip there.

The jungle welcomes the traveler with a variety of almost 450 species of birds. Parrots, parrots, toucans
and hundreds of other species tirelessly cross the banks of the river to the delight of tourists.
Once at the Aguarico River, the members of the communities of Remolino and San Pablo explain to the
visitor how their community is made up and then disembark at an interpretation center where the tour
basically takes place with walks of up to 3 hours on a marked trail. Observe birds and plants from a
strategically built tower surrounding a tree and you can bathe in the Aguarico River - one of the most
beautiful in the country.
The most important thing about this tour is the interaction with the members of the Secoya community,
who are the guides and who during the stay will show their customs, the way they make their cassava
bread, their foods, their needlework, and their crafts. Likewise, authentic dances and songs will close the
night giving way to the unique experience of sleeping in a tent in the middle of the jungle, but don't worry
- it is so well thought out that the tent is under the roof of an authentic Redwood hut, known as Tuikë Huë.
Getting to know an ethnic minority and at the same time helping to conserve this Amazonian region
threatened from outside, is something that will leave an indelible memory in the visitor who wishes to
participate in this cultural adventure that will fill them with indelible experiences.
ZIONIAN NATIONALITY:

LOCATION : They have a binational presence, in Colombia and Ecuador. In Ecuador they are found in
the Province of Sucumbíos, Putumayo canton, Puerto Bolívar parish; and in the Shushufindi canton, San
Roque Parish.

HOUSING : Elliptical-shaped house, inhabited by an extensive family, currently there are small houses
that only accommodate the nuclear family, they are made of mahogany or cedar with a palm roof and
wooden pillars due to the danger of animals.

WORLDVIEW : Siona shamans: The "curaca" (shaman) has an important role in the life of the
community and through the ritual consumption of yajé he establishes contact with the five levels of the
universe and its colors. Health, hunting, fishing, the human life cycle, marriage, and community security
depend on relationships with the different beings that inhabit these levels.
Traditional Culture: They give importance to personal grooming, traditional hairstyle and body painting
and they make and wear earrings and about 80 necklaces, including one with 32 jaguar fangs. They wear
the aromatic Mayan herb on each arm or wrist, like a bracelet, which has earned them the name siona
(scented, in the Huitoto language).

CLOTHING : Women wear a knee-length skirt, complemented by nose necklaces, earrings and crowns
made of seeds. The men wear the rabble, knee-length nightgowns and also wear necklaces both on the
neck and around the body, their arms adorned with plant fibers.

FESTIVALS : The "curaca" (shaman) has an important role in the life of the community and through the
ritual consumption of yajé he establishes contact with the five levels of the universe and its colors. Health,
hunting, fishing, the human life cycle, marriage, and community security depend on relationships with the
different beings that inhabit these levels.
GASTRONOMY : the cassava deserves attention. It is made with the bitter variety of cassava (Manihot
esculenta) that contains a venous principle of hydrocyanic acid, which the woman has to remove before
cooking. With the pulp obtained, the cookies are cooked on "the clay pan." The cassava has the advantage
of being well preserved and easy to transport during travel.

TOURISM : In 1972 the community of San Pablo was formed, with the first Founding families, Piaguaje
Cecilio and Payaguaje Fernando. With these two families of the Secoya nationality united with families
that later arrived in our community and forms the settlement of the Secoya nationality, other arriving
families are later integrated. Later it was agreed to delimit the territories and possess the Secoya and Siona
nationalities.

HUAORANI NATIONALITY:
 HUAORANI
LOCATION : Provinces of Pastaza, Napo and Orellana.

HOUSING : The houses where they live (onko) have a wooden frame and a roof covered with palm
leaves. Between 10 and 15 people from the same family live there; Inside this house there are no rooms,
but there are spaces assigned to each family member. These houses last a long time because the smoke
from the kitchen fires waterproofs the roof sheets and increases their useful life. It also prevents insects
from eating the leaves and other animals from settling there.

CLOTHING : They maintain their isolation and live naked, the women wear a garment on their waist that
is made from the bark of a tree similar to a leather called llanchama, the man uses a cord with which the
sexual organ is tied and with this it facilitates their movement in the jungle. But this has been changing
with the arrival of some missionaries, so they now use clothes.

WORLDVIEW : Use of Annatto: The Wao use annatto (kaka) as a facial and cosmetic dye; In addition to
adorning the bodies, they also decorate the hunting instruments; spears and blowguns to have a good hunt.
When tourists come to the communities, the women paint the visitors' faces with this seed as a symbol of
welcome. For the Wao, the color red is good luck and keeps bad spirits away, that is why they paint the
feet of newborns, it is also an insecticide and prevents fungi.
War: The warrior character of the Huaorani is expressed in the sets of blowguns, a long tube made from
the chonta plant, with accessories (darts and cotton) that are placed in a mate container. In addition, they
store the poison with which they kill their prey and enemies.
Marriage: A boy may marry a cross-cousin, the daughter of his father's sister or his mother's brother. Men
can have multiple wives.

FESTIVALS : The festival is the occasion to drink happily, sing and dance. These festivals are held
whenever there is an abundance of food production. All participants bring gifts such as cassava, young
palm leaves, bird feathers, ornaments with drawings, spears, necklaces and bracelets. During these
festivals, women and men remain separated singing. The parties last two days or until the drink is gone,
during which time no participant can sleep.
SHIWIAR NATIONALITY:

SHIWIAR

LOCATION : This nationality has its population settlements in both Ecuador and Peru, a situation that
was created with the border war between these two countries in 1941. In the case of our country, the
Shiwiar are located southeast of the province of Pastaza, Pastaza canton, Corrientes river parish.

HOUSING : Use materials from the environment. It has been replaced by block housing.

WORLDVIEW : According to Shiwiar beliefs, spirits are found everywhere, in the forest, in the farms, in
the rivers and lagoons, etc. Every aspect of Shiwiar life has its own spirit and they sing to each one. With
these songs the Shiwiar strengthen their relationship with the spirits and guarantee a good life for their
families.
Arutam is the supreme god of the Shiwiar. He lives in the jungle and can grant certain powers or favors to
people.
Amasáng is the god of animals. You can ask him through songs for better luck in hunting.

Tsungui lives in the water, who is the god of all the animals that live in the rivers and the lagoon. The
Shiwiar ask for abundant fishing through their traditional songs.
Wishin shamans are men who maintain great contact with the spiritual world. They
achieve this contact through a series of rituals in which they take some hallucinogenic
plants, such as ayahuasca and floripondio. They have the ability to interpret the signs
that appear in their dreams. After performing their rituals, shamans must fast for a few
days and maintain sexual abstinence.

CLOTHING : Influenced by Western culture.

HOLIDAYS : Festive, ritual and ceremonial events continue to be special moments in which men,
women, boys and girls display facial drawings, necklaces, crowns, seed bracelets and spears that
remember their long warrior tradition.

TOURISM :
In relation to tourist activity, this is projected to promote the production activities of ceramic objects,
especially basketry, necklaces, musical instruments, etc.; with the purpose of using skills and practices
already existing within the nationality, so that through their commercialization, the family and community
economy is reinforced.

ZAPARA NATIONALITY:

988888883

ZAPARA/ Í
LOCATION : Province of Pastaza.

HOUSING : The Zapara tradition is evident in the inverted V shape of the roof. In these spaces three
different uses are distinguished: firstly the social spaces, secondly, the bedrooms and finally those that are
used as workshops or warehouses for tools and other objects. The kitchens are built in separate spaces.

The dimensions vary according to certain prestige guidelines. The smallest ones measure 5m x 4m, 5m x
8m, 8m x 6m, 7m x 6m, 10m x 5m, 12m x 5m; and the most spacious 12m x 6m and 15m x 7m. The
prestige consists of having large social spaces in these spacious houses in which the cassava beer libation
ceremony takes place.

WORLDVIEW : For this nationality the waterfalls (Kiramu tuana), the large trees (Kira nakuna), the boa
(sawiraw), the spear (Akachinia) and others; They are part of the symbolic structure of your thought and
daily community life, dreaming about them represents luck. Their cries announcing a good hunt are part of
their customs and one of their very significant beliefs is the sacred stone, found in the intestines of a bird,
better if it is a hummingbird, it is a stone with the ability to heal.

CLOTHING : The daily presence of men dressed in the cushma or llanchama blouse evokes these
ceremonial cycles. This is the bark of a tree from which the textile takes its name. The bark was cut to the
appropriate size and carefully removed from the plant to be softened with blows from a wooden
instrument and water for use as a textile. Once made, it is colored and decorated with designs in red, black
and blue.
Some men have the habit of wearing hard natural fiber rings called toachi in their ears. Completely
ornamented were a variety of seed necklaces or animal teeth that were used on different occasions,
according to the nature of the celebration.
GASTRONOMY : This nationality still lives medicinal practices linked to nature, its entire environment
is full of medicinal plants, healthy spaces for its people, the waterfalls, the jungle, the tiger, are part of this
vision of health that this nationality has.
They frequently use tobacco for certain physical and spiritual treatments. There are still midwives,
shamans, and healers, who are knowledgeable about the healing power of the jungle and its applications in
the Zápara nationality.

ACHUAR NATIONALITY:
LOCATION : Provinces of Pastaza and Morona Santiago, on the banks of the Tigre, Bobonaza, Pastaza
and Santiago rivers.

HOUSING : The house is located in the center of the theft and at the top of a terrace, near it there is a
stream.
The house has a division that takes into account the sex of the family members. The men are located at the
end called Tankamash and the women at the Ekent end. The Tankamash is a masculine space that
excludes women, where men meet to talk about important things. The Ekent is the feminine space, it is
sub. It is divided into the spaces occupied by each of the co-wives whose center is the bed or Penkak, that
is where each wife receives the husband, since this is rotated equally by all the Penkak of their wives.
Each wife shares her Penkak with her children, at the foot of each one there is a stove that remains lit
during the night and is used during the day to prepare food for each family group. Each man has his stool,
a symbol of authority; The man is not only a reference of the house but of the family, when the head of the
house is absent, people consider that the house is empty, his stool is turned and this means that no one can
visit the house. If someone enters the house without noticing the boss's absence, the visitors act as if the
others were transparent.
When the head of the family dies, all the members disperse; The Achuar practice levirate.

CLOTHING : Men's clothing is called “itip”, it is a skirt made of cotton and usually men of high social
rank wear a “tawashap” on their head, which is a crown made of toucan feathers. The women wear a
rabble made of cotton and adorn themselves with countless necklaces and bracelets made from feathers,
seeds, bird beaks, and bones of small mammals. The headdress is a men's ornament, they wear the
Tsukanka Tentem or toucan crown, hanging from ribbons behind the crown. The Tawasap is another type
of crown but this is only used by warriors, they use Etsemat, it is a strap like a ribbon that is tied around
the head, feather earrings that fall below the shoulders, just like the Shuar use the Itip that is They hold it
with the edge folded under the stomach, without using a belt.
Women wear a small stake on the lower lip as facial decoration, they wear a tunic tied on one shoulder
and cinched at the waist by a cord.

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS : Many traditions and customs are observed, in case of the death of a
man, his woven cotton wristband and a piece of hair are placed on a small leaf and thrown into the river,
then all the family and friends bathe in the river.
If a child dies, he is buried under his mother's bed.
In their native custom there is no wedding, there is the custom that a man takes care of his brother's widow
even if he is married.
Agriculture is a sacred activity, rituality, abstinence and the observation of numerous taboos are part of
agricultural knowledge and practice.
The people who take care of the garden must remain in permanent harmony with the supernatural beings
that govern the natural world.
For both the Shuar and the Achuar, the curse of Nunkui constitutes a threat to crops. Nunkui is a single
deity but can take on the forms of nature.

GASTRONOMY : cassava, sweet potato, or chonta

RITUALS: in the ceremonies they drink yuca chicha and wayusa made by the women, they also maintain
face paint and official presentations.
 TOURISM : Kapawi Eco Lodge & Reserve: Kapawi is one of the most remote ecologically responsible
and culturally sensitive eco lodge in the world. It is located in one of the most remote and protected places
in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The only way to access Kapawi, located more than two million hectares deep
in Achuar territory, is by air - flying in small planes over an extensive, intact tropical rainforest. It offers
the following activities: Bird watching, self-guided trails, night canoeing, expedition to the clay banks,
guided night walks, swimming & tubbing, kayaking & canoeing, fishing, visits to the Achuar
Communities.

SHUAR NATIONALITY:

LOCATION : The Shuar are located in the provinces of: Napo, Pastaza Morona Santiago, Zamora
Chinchipe, Sucumbíos, Orellana and on the Coast: provinces of Esmeraldas in the canton Quinindé and
Guayas (Ecuador). In Peru, Amazonas department, Cóndor Canqui province, Río Santiago district, Loreto
department, Alto Amazonas province, Barranca and Morona districts.

HOUSING : The house is elliptical in shape, with a very large interior space, in which there are two
restrictive areas; the “ekent”, family area for women and small children and the “Tankamash”. Social area,
for male children and visits; The Shuar house has a dirt floor, walls with chonta slats and a palm leaf roof.

WORLDVIEW : Shuar mythology is closely linked to nature and the laws of the Universe, and is
manifested in a wide range of superior beings related to phenomena such as the creation of the world, life,
death, and diseases. The main ones are Etsa who personifies good fighting against evil Iwia, who are
always in continuous struggle to win over each other; Shakaim of male strength and ability to work;
Tsunki, primordial being of water, brings health; Nunkui causes the fertility of the chakra and the woman.
In the cultivation of the garden, they gave the power of plant growth to Nunkui, who was also in charge of
teaching the Shuar woman how to plant. But it is necessary to concretize the power of Nunkui through
rituals, bringing the creative forces to the present, so that the chakra bears its fruits. They believe that the
jungle is full of spirits that live in waterfalls or the banks of rivers.
 The process to make the Tzantza begins by cutting off the head and separating the skin from the club. It is
placed in boiling water for several minutes. When it cools, two small holes are made, where a vine is tied;
Then the lips were cauterized with a hot machete and sutured with a splinter of chonta, the skin was filled
with hot sand and stones and the opening was closed with a resistant vine.
The warriors took the ends of the vine and swung it in circles over a boiling potion of herbs and roots; He
rubbed charcoal on his face, neck and ears. Every day the sand and charcoal treatment was repeated while
the head became smaller and smaller. Once the Tzantza was reduced, it was secured on a stick, which was
located in the area of the house that corresponds to the men.
It is believed that this trophy would guarantee future victories and defeats of evil spirits. This rite
prevented the spirit of the dead warrior from taking revenge. Natural death for the Shuar does not exist but
is caused by witches.
CLOTHING : Traditionally the clothing of the Shuar woman is the “karachi” and the man wore a skirt
called “itip” a kind of canvas of vertical lines of purple, red, black and white, dyed with vegetables, which
are wrapped around the waist to the ankle and is supported with a sash. Before, they wore the Kamush,
made from crushed tree bark. Their body arrangement is complemented with a wide variety of crowns of
feathers from toucans and other birds and facial paintings with animal designs, as they believe that these
transmit their strength and power. For the Tzantza and the snake festivals, they paint their bodies with
designs that represent their sacred animals. Nowadays, the use of Western-style garments by both men and
women is very common; only on some festive occasions do they wear their traditional clothing.

NATIONALITY OF AMAZON KICWAS:

KICHWAI I
AMAZON
LOCATION : They are located in the province of Pastaza, between the Pastaza River and Curaray. The
main settlements are located near the city of El Puyo. However, the areas with the highest population are
Canelos, Sarayacu, Teresa Mama and other hamlets along the Bobonaza River.

CLOTHING : They usually paint their faces with huito and annatto, which is the ethnic trait that has most
easily changed in recent centuries due to acculturation. Indeed, men have mostly adopted mestizo-style
garments, while women, who also wear Western dresses, maintain the adornment and custom of painting
their faces on festive occasions. For both men and women, the ornament is made with raw materials from
the forest, such as bird feathers, plant bark, seeds, teeth and animal bones. The most used pigments are
wuituc (black) and annatto.

WORLDVIEW : The ideological conception combines real experiences and visions, which are accessed
after drinking the hallucinogen of the Datura herb or Ayahuasca. Transcendent concepts are expressed in
the world of spirits, the main ones being: Amasanga (spirit of the jungle, controls resources and maintains
ecological balance); Nunghui (spirit of soil and clay for pottery); Sungui (spirit of water). However, the
Amazonian Quichua population is the most acculturated and at the same time the one that has accepted the
Christian religion as its own for decades, after the visit of Catholic missionaries.

HOUSING : Round and oval houses with dirt floors, the roof is made of palm. They have changed this
tradition by replacing the materials with a zinc and cement roof, built around the school, field and health
center, leaving aside the custom of building them along the river.

FESTIVALS : Among the festivals, which are still preserved in several of the Kichwa communities, we
can highlight the hunting festival, “ista” where men go into the jungle for several days to hunt native birds
and quadrupeds, in a challenge to demonstrate their virtues and skills in jungle tasks; while the young
women go to the farms to harvest the cassava and prepare chicha with it, which will serve as a drink for
the guests. To process the chicha, the women chew the cooked yuca and spit it into containers called
bateas and then deposit the dough in the jars (deep clay containers) and cover with banana leaves, where it
will remain for several days to allow its fermentation, which will serve on the day of the festival in the
typical mocahuas (wooden vases) while the hunters return from the jungle with the meat.