Introduction by Eileen Hall and Jaime Tiwiram
Photography by Eoin Carey
The Shuar are a tribe indigenous to the amazon rainforest: they have been inhabiting these jungles for hundreds of years. They are most famous for being fierce warriors and head shrinkers, so much so that the Spanish conquistadors were defeated by them and never returned.
They also have a long standing tradition of using plant medicines and plant knowledge to navigate their terrain and health, including using the spirit world to support the community.
Before entering the cave they held a ritual and ceremony for us (with music only) to invoke the spirit of Arutam and to ask the cave permission to enter.
The following is a transcript of an introduction by Jaime Tiwiram before he carried out the ceremony:
“We are the Tiwiram family.
I feel proud of being a Shuar, I am a native here and my ancestors lived like we live now.
My ancestors have also always used ayahuasca to help our men and women be strong and brave, for our children to be strong and not lazy and for the Spirit of Arutam to give us all more energy.
We are also happy to be guiding you all into the Tayos Caves and this blessing and ceremony will also bring you strength.
When our elders use ayahuasca or tobacco medicine they are given information about how to stay healthy and young and how to bring good luck.
They speak to Tsunki, the spirit of water, rivers and waterfalls.
They also speak with Nunqui who is the female spirit that looks after our crops and food and sings to them at night.
Once per year we venture into the cave to collect the eggs of the Tayos birds and we sing a song to ask for permission to enter every time, it is the same song we sing to you today to ask for permission.”
Explore more on the topic of Phenomenology:
EPHEMERAL ECHOES OF THE ETERNAL
KALEIDOSCOPE MINDS
DAWN CHORUS