These Peruvian women left the Amazon, but their homeland still inspires their songs and crafts

LIMA – Sadith Silvano’s crafts are born from old songs. Brush in hand, eyes on the fabric, Peruvian woman paints while singing. And with his voice his ancestors speak.

“When we paint, we listen to the inspiration from music and connect with nature and our elders,” said Silvano, 36, from his home and workshop in Lima, Peru, where he moved from Paoyhan two decades ago. Shipibo-Konibo indigenous community built into Amazon.

“These pieces are sacred,” he added. “We enrich our work with the energy of our songs.”

According to official figures, nearly 33,000 Shipibo-Konibo people live in Peru.

Many of those who settled around the Uyacali river moved to urban areas such as Cantagallo, the Lima neighborhood where Silvano lives.

Hand-dyed fabrics like his did gradually became known. These structures, known as “Kené”, were declared part of the “Cultural Heritage of the Nation” by the Peruvian government in 2008.

Shipibo artisans say each kené is unique. Each pattern speaks about a woman’s society, worldview and beliefs.

“Every design tells a story,” said Silvano, dressed in traditional attire and crowning her head with a beaded robe. “This is a way for a Shipibo woman to differentiate herself.”

His craft is passed down from one generation to the next. Since the roots of wisdom are based in nature, the knowledge inherited by the elders connects the younger generations to their land.

Paoyhan, where Silvano was born, is a plane and 12-hour boat ride from Lima.

In his hometown, locals rarely speak languages ​​other than Shipibo. Doors and windows have no locks and people are eating from Mother Nature.

Adela Sampayo, a 48-year-old healer born in Masisea, not far from Paoyhan, moved to Cantagallo in 2000 but says all her skills come from the Amazon.

“My mother treated me with traditional medicine since I was a little girl,” said Sampayo, sitting in the lotus position inside the house. ayahuasca and other remedies for those with wounded body or soul.

“He gave me herbs to be stronger, not to get sick, and to be brave,” Sampayo said. “This is how the energy of the plants began to grow within me.”

He also conveys his worldview through textile products. Although she doesn’t paint, she does embroidery and each thread tells a story from home.

“Every plant has a soul,” the healer said, pointing to the leaves embroidered on the fabric. “And herbs come from God.”

The plants Silvano draws also have meaning. One of them represents pure love. Another symbolizes a wise man. Another one, a snake.

“Anaconda is special to us,” Silvano said. “He is our protector, like a god who cares for us and provides food and water.”

He said that in ancient times, his people believed that the sun was their father and anacondas were their protectors. Colonialism introduced a new religion, Catholicism, and the natives’ worldviews were diluted.

“We have different religions these days,” Silvano said. “We are Catholic, Evangelical, but we also respect our other beliefs.”

For many years, after his father took him to Lima in the hope of a better future, he longed for the mountains, the clear skies, and the time he could spend alone in the forest. Life wasn’t easy in Paoyhan, but he learned how to stay strong from a young age.

In the 1990s, Amazonian communities were affected by: Violence on the Shining Path rebellion and illegal recording. Poverty and sexism were also common, so many Shibipo women taught themselves how to relieve their pain through the intimate music they sang.

“When we face difficult times, we overcome them with our therapy: designing, painting, singing,” Silvano said. he said. “We have a song that is melodic and uplifting, and we have a song that is inspiring and brings us joy.”

Few Shipibo girls are encouraged to study or earn their own living, Silvano said. Instead they are taught to wait for a husband. And to put up with any harassment, cheating, or discomfort they may face after marriage.

“Even though we are suffering, people tell us: Al, he is the father of your children. “Take this, he’s your husband,” Silvano said. “But deep down, we’re wounded. So what do we do? We sing.”

Lesson taught by mothers to their daughters: If you get hurt at home, grab your diaper, your brush and go. Go far away alone and sit down. Connect with your Kené and paint. And sing while you paint.

“This is our healing,” Silvano said. “We are free thanks to our songs and songs.”

Delia Pizarro currently produces jewelry in the workshop where she works and raises her two children alone. He also sings while creating birds from colorful beads.

“I didn’t use to sing,” Pizarro said. “I was very submissive and didn’t like to talk, but Sadith’s sister Olin told me, ‘You can do this.’ I’m a single mother now, but I can go wherever I want. I know how to defend myself and fight. “I feel valuable.”

The numbers on the products they offer for sale vary. Besides anacondas, they like to depict jaguars, representing women, and herons, which are valued by the elderly.

A Shipibo textile can take up to a month and a half to complete. The materials needed to make it (fabric, natural pigments) are brought from Amazon.

The black color Silvano uses is obtained from the bark of trees grown in Paoyhan. The fabric is made from local cotton. The mud used to adjust the colors comes from the Uyacali river.

“I like it when a stranger walks in with something from my community,” Silvano said, touching one of her freshly dyed fabrics to bless it for a quick sale.

He said that when he and his father first came to Lima 20 years ago, his people’s handicrafts were little known. However, according to him, things have changed now.

In Cantagallo, where approximately 500 Shipibo families settled, many people make a living by selling their handicrafts.

“My art has given me strength and is my faithful companion,” Silvano said. “Thanks to my mother, grandmother and sisters, I have the knowledge that allows me to open doors.”

“Here is the energy of our children, our ancestral world, and our community,” she added, her textiles still in her hands. “This is where we draw inspiration from our songs.”

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