Chapter 8:   Yagua Indians

A group of Yagua Indians have settled on Yanamomo stream, a tributary of the Amazon River in Peru.  Theirs is a village of 30 to 40 small houses where a population of 150-200 people dwell, several hours from any city.  Fish, which they get from the river, and yuca, plantains, corn, beans and rice, which they cultivate, are their staple foods.

Their settlement is very close to Explorama Lodge, a hotel for tourists who go to the Amazon to see the rainforest.  Frequently the tourists visit the Yagua.  As the visitor's small boat glides up to the muddy banks of the village, the Yagua pour out of their houses and instantly set up market.  Blowguns, necklaces made of seeds and other hand-made crafts decorate their yards, and the bargaining begins.  The seeds they use are those found in the vicinity of their homes or within a one or two-day walk. 

Couratari guianensis  Aubl. Ð Barkcoth  - Lecythidaceae

 

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