The feminine force that revitalizes Yanesha culture: Valbina Miguel
Valbina Olinda Miguel Toribio, also known as Vabi Miguel Toribio, is a Yanesha leader from the native community of Santo Domingo and Loma Linda, in the district of Palcazú, in Oxapampa. In addition to being a grantee of the Amazonia Indigenous Women's Fellowship, she belongs to the Oñeker Artisans Association and Amazonarte Peru, and identifies herself as a hard-working entrepreneur, a grandmother, and a rebel, activist, artist and muralist.
In 2024, after giving it a lot of thought, waiting for the right moment to apply for the Program, she won the scholarship. Her project focused on working with children, youth and the elders of the Yanesha communities to enhance the value of their people's practices and ensure that their traditions are recorded and never lost.
“Many funds limited the possibility of working with children and involving elders in the projects, and I was very excited about the opportunity to integrate them in a space where the wise elders are recognized and valued, and the children demonstrate a real commitment to learning about their culture,” says an excited Valbina.
Revitalization of Ancestral Knowledge Project
Valbina brought together more than 35 Yanesha youth, some of whom were leaving their communities for the first time, with 6 wise elders. The space was dedicated to compiling the dances, hunting techniques, fishing and the process of spinning native cotton to her people, with them as protagonists. All this knowledge was then compiled by Vabi in a book that today can be found in more than 5 local schools.
"The sensitization work that Vabi has done to build trust, both with young people and with wise men has been very arduous. Its publication also marks a milestone, as it is the first research and consultation document of its kind to be written entirely by an indigenous person," says Mirko Ruiz, gender and safeguards coordinator for Conservation International Peru.
The experience provided by the Amazonia Indigenous Women’s Fellowship has allowed Vabi to grow in many ways. Due to all the challenges she had to overcome throughout her project, and the program's support network, she has learned to be more patient, to listen to herself more, to focus on priorities and strive to find more consensus, she tells us. The process has helped her to build new bonds of trust with those with whom she now seeks to achieve her new goals: a second book on plants, birds, animals and fish, as well as a gathering for the International Indigenous Women's Day in September of this year.
Vabi Miguel Toribio is relentless. She knows that, like her, many other Amazonian women leaders are fighting to preserve their identity, language and customs, but Vabi will not stop. “Others have always spoken for us, but now we are in the decision-making space and it is time for us to speak for ourselves and be the voice of other women,” she says firmly. Yanesha culture and art are safe with Vabi.
About the Program
Since 2021, 115 grants have been awarded in 7 Amazonian countries, channeling more than US$1.6 million to indigenous women working on a) better management and protection of their territories, b) valuing indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants, c) food sovereignty, d) strengthening their economies, e) reforestation, and f) promoting the leadership of more women within their communities. To date, more than 4,000 people have benefited from this program. You can learn more about how these women are transforming the Amazon here.