Los Achuar de la Amazonía Peruana
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The word ACHUAR comes from the conjunction of the words "SHUAR," which means person, and"ACHU," which refers to a sturdy palm better known as “aguaje,” which is abundant in the marshy Amazon lowlands and whose fruit is consumed throughout the Amazon region. The ACHU SHUAR, therefore, are "the people of the aguaje palm,” and are more commonly known by the contraction ACHUAR.
The Achuar indigenous people belong to the Jíbaro linguistic family, along with the Aguaruna, Huambisa and Shuar (of Ecuador).
The Achuar people in Peru consist of approximately 12,500 people living in 77 communities. The Achuar live along various rivers: the Pastaza (14 communities), Huitoyacu (18 communities), Huasaga (20 communities) and Corrientes (25 communities).
The Achuar people have kept their traditional organization alive. The elders have a great deal of political power because of their natural authority and leadership in their society. Learn more
The Achuar people, territory is sacred. It is the foundation of human life and the means of support of all beings that are part of nature, as well as the means for exploring the ecological system of the environment.
It is vital, because it contains countless natural resources that contribute to human development, including flora, fauna, rivers and other elements. Learn more
The first events in written history that reflect the relationship between Western culture and the Jibaro people date back to 1542, when the Bracamoro of the Jaén region were conquered. Some experts believe that these people, who are now extinct, may have belonged to the same linguistic family as the Jíbaro. The first record of the Jíbaro dates back to the arrival of Benavente in 1549. Learn more