Five native Awajún communities of the Alto Mayo inaugurated communal libraries to recover, preserve, and disseminate the traditional knowledge and wisdom of their people. This is part of a process of strengthening indigenous self-governance between the local communities, Conservation International and the Andean Project of Peasant Technologies - PRATEC.
"Our ancestors acquired knowledge in different ways, and now, with the library we have the opportunity to generate new knowledge. Today, the library is a window of wisdom for us," said Lorena Jiukam, cultural promoter of the indigenous community of Huascayacu. She, along with four other promoters from Morroyacu, Alto Naranjillo, Shampuyacu and Alto Mayo indigenous communities, led the construction of these libraries with local materials such as caña brava, tamashi and yarina.
The implementation of communal libraries as living spaces for the dissemination of traditional knowledge contributes to strengthening the decision-making of the Awajún people. "At Conservation International we understand the link between culture and territory. The recovery and preservation of the Awajún people's ancestral knowledge is a necessary task for the conservation and recovery of their forests," stated Milagros Oblitas, the organization's Indigenous Peoples Coordinator.
The new facilities will be used for workshops on ceramics, handicrafts, language and reciting Awajun stories and tales. Denisse Farfán, PRATEC's coordinator in the area, describes the libraries as spaces for intergenerational transmission: "Here the wise men and women will share their ancestral wisdom with community members, young people and children". The specialist added that there are plans to build three more libraries in the coming months.
"Now we have another way of learning about new worlds", concludes Lorena, the local culture promoter while she observes from afar the new library in Huascayacu.
The value of trees
One of the books that rests on the shelves of these libraries is “The value of trees: The history of my community Shampuyacu”. This story is based on the transition this community undergoes as they recognize the value of their forests and their Awajún cosmovision, after many years of intense forest loss within their territory. It narrates how they reduced deforestation and recovered traditional knowledge and wisdom, whilst thriving with sustainable income-generating activities provided by their forests; agroforestry, eco-tourism, and handicrafts, among others.