This week, I visited the Amazonia exhibit in the Museum of Anthropology in the University of British Colombia. The first thing that caught my attention at the Amazonia exhibit was the wording “Pachamama”. Since I was young, whenever we had a toast of celebration, everyone would poor a little of their drink on the floor, particularly the grass because they were giving some to Pachamama. My family is Bolivian and Pachamama is a goddess from the indigenous people of the Andes, the Quechua, who speak the Kwicha language. She represents mother nature (earth mother) as she embodies the mountains and is known as protecting the planting and harvesting. I remember that my relatives in Bolivia used to talk about how the reason that when problems arose from nature was because people were taking too much from Pachamama. I always thought she represented nature in a beautiful way because she was described as a protector and potent goddess. 

I used to live in Brazil from the age of 7 until 14, I went to an international school that required learning the language Portuguese and part of the Brazilian history and geographical location. From a young age I have been interested in environmental conservation and am now hoping to major in environment related field. For that sole reason, I was also greatly amazed by the Amazon forest, from the immensity of biodiversity it contains spreading through nine countries and also by the indigenous people who inhabit and live sustainability within its confines. From a first glance, I found that in the Amazonia exhibit, I recognized a couple of objects and parts of historical context that went with them. I immediately saw the wings of the birds such as the famous orange winged parrot and red and blue macaw, and it took me back to research I had done previously before about the wide range of extinct animals whose habitats are the Amazon.

An object that I recognized as well as that of the Kamensta Headdress. I had seen several like those before in photos of indigenous people wearing them. However before this exhibit, I hadn’t really thought much about them other than the fact that they resemble beautiful craftsmanship. Reading about where they come from and what they represent opened my eyes further to how my Bolivian heritance does in fact have a greater connection to the Amazonian culture.

Kamensta Headdress was made by the indigenous Kamensta people from the Sibundoy Valley of Colombia. The exhibit said that the Kamensta territory fell under the Inca empire when the population of the Ingas (or Kichwa) took over. Later on, they were conquered by the Spanish. It said that the headdress was made for a catholic ceremony called the “Carnaval del Perdon y Reconciliacion” (Carnival of Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Supposedly this carnival served as a time for the locals to “thank Mother Nature for her offerings and praise the family and their communities welfare and unity.” (Ramirez de Jara, Pinzon, s/d.) I’ve heard before about how many of indigenous groups are passionate about admiring and thanking Mother Nature for all that they consumed of her. However I didn’t ever really hear about indigenous people using a religion or different beliefs to embody with theirs, such as the Ingas did with Spanish Catholicism. I found this very touching and interesting because as an environmentalist, I’ve always found that people exploit nature too much and lack respect for its beauty and vitality.

The exhibit taught me more about the Amazonian people and their rich culture, and that I too have a stronger connection than I thought. Growing up in Brazil, I thought Bolivia did not have that much relation with the country, much less the immense forest inside of it. I have been fortunate enough to have been exposed to knowledge I know of the Amazon and yet I did not imagine that I would learn more about it in British Columbia. I think this further shows the importance of sharing different and many times, forgotten, culture to societies that are not directly exposed to them. It reminds me of how essential it is to learn about different cultures than your own because it encourages mindfulness and respect for the prospects of different world views than your own.

Citations:

The Amazonia Exhibit. March 10 2017 – February 18, 2018, Museum of                                     Anthropology, University of British Colombia, Vancouver.