EL TERRITORIO ACHUAR, ECUADOR
Between the núngka (Earth) and the nayáim (sky) lies the runa, human civilization brought into reality in the collision between immaterial spirits and material realities of the Achuar cosmovision. The Achuar community live in connection with nature, cared for by Nunkui, the deity of cultivation. With generational knowledge of over a thousand different plant species, the Achuar employ their reciprocity with the Earth at various scales of craftmaking; between pottery, canoes, dwellings, and urban city organization.
The community’s mission is to maintain Achuar stewardship of their sustainable worldview in their various development projects. They are proud advocates of indigenous innovation and the dissemination of local knowledge that promotes cultural competency of an otherwise solitary nation. Their technologies directly seek new ethical pathways for sourcing all-natural biodiverse products that simultaneously improve economic and environmental standards for the families of the Achuar. Through participatory practices, the Achuar teach us that a rainforest can be enriched by actions as simple as propagating seeds, solidarity in the sowing of orchids.