Los Achuar de la Amazonía Peruana
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The Achuar people have their own styles of dress; ways of hunting, fishing and building houses; and their own beliefs, such as belief in the “Arutam” (the spirit that gives people power) when they take ayahuasca, toé and tobacco.
Wayús is a plant. The Achuar custom is to take it in the early morning. The Achuar people get up at 3 or 4 a.m. every day to take Wayús. Sometimes, while taking Wayús, a young man will ask a young woman’s parents for permission to form a family with their daughter. During this ritual, adults counsel their children and there are visits among households, as people take advantage of the time to talk about family difficulties or other problems.
Interview with the visitor. This conversation is a way of communicating about situations or personal problems that may have arisen, as well as about good or bad events that may happen. During the conversation, the person is invited to share masato. This is done in public.
Interview while taking wayús. This is an opportunity to talk more seriously about problems that have arisen. In the case of a father’s death, for example, the visitor may explain that a shaman has bewitched his father and ask for help in taking revenge on the shaman.
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In bygone days, this type of dance was done when the Achuar people were going to war, to give them courage. It is now done to preserve our customs and traditions, as well as to give us strength and courage when facing problems that come from outside our society, such as those related to petroleum, logging and mining companies in our territories.
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Masato is a natural, everyday drink of the Achuar people. Women prepare it in large quantities when a communal work session is being held to help a family.
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| See video of drinking masato at a meeting of the community of Pankintsa |
