Sarayaku facts for kids
Sarayaku is a special territory and village in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. Its name means "The River of Corn" in the Quechuan language. It is located by the Bobonaza River in the Pastaza Province. This area is part of el Oriente, which is Ecuador's Amazon region.
About 1,000 to 2,000 people live in Sarayaku. They speak Kichwa and call themselves the Runa people of Sarayaku. Their leader in 2022 was Tupak Viteri.
For many years, the Sarayaku people have worked hard to protect their land. They have resisted companies wanting to drill for oil there. This has led to disagreements with the Ecuadorian government and large oil companies. The Sarayaku have used protests and legal actions to defend their home. They even won a big court case.
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Exploring the Sarayaku Region
The village of Sarayaku is deep inside a tropical rainforest. It takes about 25 minutes to fly there from the city of Puyo. Or, you can travel for a whole day by canoe. Puyo is about 50 kilometers east of Baños, another well-known city.
The Bobonaza River flows into the Amazon River. It connects through the Pastaza and Marañón rivers, eventually reaching Iquitos in Peru. This shows how connected Sarayaku is to the wider Amazon basin.
Protecting Nature: Ecotourism
Since the late 1900s, the Sarayaku people have focused on ecotourism. This is a way to earn a living that also helps protect their land and culture. They want to keep their unique rainforest healthy and safe.
In 2003, a special university program started in Sarayaku. It was a partnership between universities from Cuenca, Ecuador and Lleida, Spain. The program helps improve education for the local communities. It teaches about their cultural identity and traditions. It also explores other ways of thinking, including the Indian cosmo vision, which is their view of the world.
Sarayaku in Films
The Sarayaku community has shared their story through films.
"Children of the Jaguar" Documentary
In 2012, the Kichwa de Sarayaku community worked with Amnesty International to make a film. It was called Children of the Jaguar. Eriberto Benedicto Gualinga Montalvo directed it. The film tells how Sarayaku won a court case in Costa Rica in 2011. The court said Ecuador's government must talk to the Sarayaku before starting any projects on their land.
Children of the Jaguar was shown at film festivals. It won "Best Documentary" from the National Geographic Society. It also won a prize in Colombia for showing an indigenous people's struggle. In December 2012, Eriberto Gualinga received an award from Ecuador's Ministry of Culture for his film.
Other Film Appearances
In 2003, two friends from France made a documentary about oil in Ecuador. A part of this film shows Sarayaku, and you can even see Nina Gualinga when she was a child.
