An Amazonian tribe that has made the leap into the commercial world, not by damaging the forest, but by cultivating creative weavings that echo the deep spiritual traditions of old.
Highly sort after needle-work being offered to us in a remote village – 6 hrs up river from Pucalpa.
Facts
Location: The upper reaches of the Ucayali River in the Amazon rainforest, Eastern Peru.
Population: about 20,000.
Religion: Christianity mixed with traditional animistic faith.
Language: Spanish and Shipibo.
Matriarchal features
- Children belong to the mother’s family (matrilineal).
- Men traditionally move into their wife’s family after marriage (matrilocal residence).
- Women are the main breadwinners of families – they produce and sell textiles, jewellery and pottery decorated with geometric designs.
- Women are the main heroines of traditional myths and legends.
