Meeting this man, in London of all places, prompted me to finally break my social media and blogging detox to share with you about a profound experience I had early this year, deep inside the Amazonian rainforest in Ecuador.
Sharamentsa – a village of about 100 indigenous men, women and children of the Achuar tribe is as remote as it gets. It’s on the banks of the awe-inspiring Pastaza River, one of the major tributaries of the Amazon River in Ecuador, not far from the Peruvian border. The nearest town is about 10-day walk away.
That’s the place where I left a piece of my heart in January 2024, and that’s the place where Uyunkar Domingo Peas is from.
The chance encounter with him in London this week was a sign for me that it was time to come out of my contemplative cocoon and start sharing nuggets of stories from this journey. Stories of the Achuar’s incredibly rich culture and language, their way of life inside the jungle, and why they seek connection and foster collaboration with the outside world. Stories on how our actions on this side of the world directly impact their lives and their environment, and how everything is interconnected in this world.
Uyunkar is an Achuar leader and the president of the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, a coalition of 30 indigenous nations in Ecuador and Peru, with the aim to protect 35 million hectares of tropical rainforest, the land and cultures of indigenous communities inhabiting it.
When I learnt that he was in London for London Climate Action Week I put on my Sharamentsa regalia (necklace and earrings I bought from the local ladies) and headed to Extreme Hangout in the hope that I could still find him there.
I missed the entire 2-day event but managed to get to the soirée and meet him. I was so touched – an Achuar man, here in the concrete jungle!!! from the very village that I visited – that I went almost speechless. I tried to tell him of all the wonderful people I met in Sharamentsa, Sukut and Tee, our hosts, Marco, Santa and the little Carmen who welcomed us in their house (a thatched hut with no external walls) and gave us a tour of their chakra (garden) and offered us chicha (fermented drink) and I could go on and on. In my excitement I forgot to thank him for the wonderful work he does for his community, or ask questions about when he’s going back and how we can support their work. Luckily, the latter is easy to figure out as the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance’s website has all the information we need.
So, over the coming weeks, expect some stories from me from Sharamentsa and the jungle, about Ecuador’s incredible biodiversity, indigenous communities, their deep respect for nature and spiritual practices.
Turns out – we have a lot to learn from the Achuar, a lot to learn from indigenous tribes, and a lot of impact we can make on their lives from right where we are in the world.
Maketé (Achuar for ‘thank you’) to Uyunkar for the work he does for his community and beyond. Maketé for the mini tobacco ceremony in London – it took me right back to the Menté (Achuar for ‘Kapok’) tree. And Maketé to Sophia from Eco.Viewfinder for capturing this special moment for me.
More to follow.
Love,
Gabriella
Gabriella Ferenczi 