YAKUM – A Race Against Time

Yakum recently reached a critical moment in its Story of Place work to co-design and develop programs benefiting and supporting the Siekopai people.  Programs designed by the Siekopai themselves, could mean the difference between their cultural extinction and dramatic loss of forest, as opposed to protecting and enjoying their forest and culture, which benefits people around the world.

During the last six months Yakum have worked to interview Siekopai individuals, family and focus groups, and co-organized a 9 day canoe trip to Lagartococha, a vibrant forest-wetlands area, and spiritual safe-haven for the Siekopai. It was heard repeatedly in and during interviews about the importance of the annual Siekopai cultural renovation event on the 28th of August, and the team at YAKUM were deeply honored to be invited.

 Siekopai families and clans value each other’s company, and organize to refresh and recharge, where they immerse into their own language, food, customs and culture. Families travel together to go fishing, and hunting along their meandering streams, deep into the rainforest. Traveling to Largato Cocha, where Siekopai people can easily obtain fruits, nuts, fish, they prize, and where they can feel close to deceased relatives and forest spirits is refreshing.  Recharging is vital to maintaining their moral, forest skills, and culture as a living entity, provides resilience to stand strong in the face of the dozens of threating and demoralizing “points of contact” with western civilization.

 Afterwards, the Siekopai spoke of the cultural renovation fiesta on the 28th of August as an immensely enjoyable event where they remember, exhibit, and engage many aspects of their “living” Siekopai culture.  The event is in the middle of the Siekopai dry season, when beneficial spirits travel down to the tree tops, in surrounding rainforest to help the Siekopai. 

Siekopai universe

Differing from our 12 month calendar, the Siekopai divide their year into three time blocks, which include: a dry season; a wet season; and one other.

Their concept of the universe is one which include many layers including the sky, the world we live in and many levels underneath this world and beings which impact our daily life, some of which are to be feared.

For example the large Tapir holds the world on its shoulders, and when it moves earthquakes occur.

Living Culture: The event itself was organized, colorful, and lively, warm hearted and fun. The Siekopai highlighted their culture through presenting games and contests, music, dance, traditional meals eaten together, historical readings, ancient songs to communicate with Ayawaska spirits, short movies, antique photographs, and finished with a community dance. All participants wore traditional and colorful Siekopai tunics and painted their faces with expressive symbols which represent various aspects of their life paths, the forest, and invisible spirits in the forest. Face symbols were complex, numerous, and were changed by individuals from one day to the next. Traditional, lightly fermented (in most cases) Chicha was provided by many familes, for all participants, throughout the event, to further recharge.

The Siekopai are in a race against time to survive as a people as they face extinction due to the immediate threats from violent invaders wishing to rob their lands and cut their forest and decades of toxic Petroleum discharge, mining-mercury, and deadly African Oil Palm agro-chemicals, all of which make their river toxic to fish, wildlife and to the Siekopai themselves.

Remolino is the only Siekopai community remaining in Ecuador, which has denied access to Oil Palm companies who would like to cut their life giving forests to plant African Oil Palms-a death sentence for the Siekopai. Furthermore, pressure is growing from palm growing companies and neighboring Siekopai communities to begin planting oil palm. Siekopai leaders from the Siekopai nation capitol city, actually told Remolino event organizers, that they live in the “Stone Age” because they wish to protect their forest and refuse to plant oil palm

A couple of days after the event, one of our Siekopai staff went with a group of community leaders to expel a group of new armed invaders from their forests.  This is a constant and dangerous problem which the Siekopai manage very well.

Historically, most of the Siekopai clans were lost due to the diseases brought by the Europeans, with only two remaining. Because of their small numbers, they are overtly emotional and happy to spend time together.  The Siekopai tell us that without their forest, they cannot be Siekopai. The Siekopai people are in clear danger of extinction. .

Next Steps

The Story of Place work, between Yakum & the Siekopai, included co-designing a comprehensive program of projects, initiatives, and infrastructure, and a week-long collaboration in September 2022.  Yakum will return to the community to feedback interview results to the community and begin co-writing a program proposal for, projects, initiatives, and infrastructure, to provide for their daily well-being, protect their culture and their rainforest.