"la familia mamallacta"
 Don Casimiro and abuela Magarita
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"For many years our love to nature and the interest in the protection of our invironment make it possible for the family Mamallacta Chongo to save endangered plants and to collect their seeds. At the finca it is the intention to preserve the variety of specimen, be it trees, fruitbearing-, decorative-, or healing plants. Such plants have been made use of by our ancestors, too, since time immemorial. Moreover, exotic plants are to be cultivated at the finca, as an alternative to the over-use of some native plants." |
"...people, who lost their
love and forgot the respect for our mother earth. People, who love
the money, they murder our mother earth. The Indigenous and our
family Mamallacta, we love our forest, like a chaste, virgin, pretty
woman is being loved. As such we treat her. We are one!"
| Words from the mouth of Don Casimiro, the medicine-man/shaman from the comunidad Mariposa (community of butterflies) Where our current voyage will lead us. We are invited to take a seat at Don Casimiro`s fireplace, to enjoy a hot cup of Guayusa-tea and to dive into the warm atmosphere as a part of his family. Don Casimiro comes from a lineage of 8 generations of the yachaj (Quichua for "one who knows", those who are deeply connected to the earth, healers, those who travel between the worlds) As every shaman is the guardian of a holy place, so does his family live on a holy mountain, covered by rainforest, called Napo Galeras, which they have protected until now successfully. The comunidad is formed of about 100 Indians, Don Casimiros wife "abuela" Magarita, and two of his 12 children, Nelson and Elias. Mariposa is about an hours` walking distance into the jungle from the nearest pueblo of Archidona. |
 Church and indigenous monument in Quito
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The intrusions of western culture have held a strong influence on especially the last two generations of Napo Runa. The broad issue of colonization since the 1500s, introduced diseases, governmental programs, privatisation of water, the sale of "Tierras Baldias" - "unused governmental" land to different branches of industry (1960), oil-companies and, road construction has radically altered the land and cultural realities of the Napo Runa People. The youngest generations are losing their culture and their traditional way of life and identity. Intergenerational transmission is being lost as modern schools, missionaries and other institutions dominate the time and attention of the young native people. The consistent message being broadcast by the Western Insititutions is teaching that indigenous culture is inferior, worthless and is nothing more that a popular "fairy tale". But those who still know the value of their culture, such as the Mamallacta Family, are making headway at giving their people and culture strength again. |
Don Casimiro said: "Us, too, we were offered checks by oil-companies, cars and houses, to leave our land.......!?! short minds. These things aren`t worth anything in the long term. A second, a spark and they are burned, disappeared. The holy mountain Napo Galeras will be there forever and it's our house."
In the cause of protection and judicial defense his sons left the Comunidad Mariposa, to make themselves familiar with the seemingly destructive world around, to understand it in order to become capable of protecting their land. Their venture has unfolded into an active engagement for the environment with many campaigns against governmental projects and the environmental destruction left behind by those in the Napo Galeras Region. 1989 the Mamallacta family published a declaration for the protection of the holy mountain and of the Napo Galeras region, and also against the intrusion of oil-companies.
Izu Mangallpa Urcu, the holy mountain
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In 1993 their work came to fruition in having the Napo Galeras region declared
a National Park. Thereby they prevented its deforestation and the consequences
of oil exploitation by protecting these grounds and thereby the community for
future times. This project was accomplished through the founding of the
charitable organisation "I.Z.U. Mangallpa-URCU". This National Park spans an area of 2052 km², from 3900m to 600m above sealevel, including different ecosystems, from high altitude mountains across misty cloud forest, down to the tropical rainforest. The Napo Galeras mountain-range bears several streams and rivers that run in deep ravines. The Sumaco vulcano (3900m) is surrounded by tropical rainforest and is situated just off the vast range of the Andes. This park is rich in animal species from the tropical rainforest and the wet mountainous cloud forest: spectacled bear, various bat-specimen, marten, armadillo, eagle, wood grouse(capercaillie), and many reptile and amphibian specimen. Next to many others the most common tree-specimen are Cedar, Laurel and India rubber. Natives of the Kichua Indian communities settle on the outskirts of this National Park and in its close proximity are to be found archeological excavation sites of the Cosanga culture. (Quelle:http://www.exploringecuador.com/deutsch/articulos/nuevos/ naturschutzgebiete_nationalparks_ekuador.htm) |
Don Casimiros Words:
"Cuando saldria el jaguar de la montañia,
esto es el fin del mundo"
"When the jaguar leaves this mountain, then that's the end of the world."
"When the jaguar leaves this mountain, then that's the end of the world."
They also compiled detailed film-documentations about the effects of pollution and destruction through oil-extraction in neighbouring areas. For the unification and strengthening of the indigenous presence they organized rallies, demonstrations and presentations on radio "luna" and on the Ecuadorian television, as well as lectures at universities to propagate the ancient natives'`rights as being their claim to a healthy, intact forest. Furthermore they started campaigns against the privatization of water. They have also participated actively in the build-up of a community of seed-exchange, the "Seed Guardians Network"
 lodge of the mamallactas
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For all the activities mentioned, the two sons still live with their
father Don Casimiro, on the edge of Napo Galeras National Park, in simple
wooden huts, without electricity or running water. "Asi como lo amamos" -
" Just as we like it" Nelson and Elias have carried their awareness and knowledge about the "other world" into the Communidad Mariposa, in such a way, that the community has decided to share the knowledge of their rainforest world with the "other world". Thus a family-centered volunteer program has developed in Don Casimiros' finca (Quichua for garden), with his sons Elias and Nelson, his wife Flora and their daughter. Contents of the program encompass healing and Ayahuasca ceremonies, ethnobotanics and traditional handicrafts. They have gained an international audience through their collaboration with universities, scientists and travellers alike. |
| The family remained politically active until 1999 when Nelson and
Flora`s two girls (3 and 6 years old) died in the flames of their wooden
hut from a fire set by an arsonist. This caused them to reduce their
political activities to some extent and, to date, they still haven’t
rebuilt a home of their own. In 2003 a little girl, Donna, was born into
this world and Nelson and Flora have a family once again.
Now, Nelson and Flora share the house with Don Casimiro helping him with his healing ceremonies and furthering other projects. As for generations, the Napo Runa Shamans connect closely with their sons on many levels. When a shaman dies, his power is passed on to his sons to maintain the lineage of knowledge about healing and the realms of spirit . |
 Dana Mamallacta Chongo
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