15-DAY MATSES EXPEDITION

Territory of the mysterious tribe of the Feline, "The Matses” is considered one of the most remote areas of the Amazon rainforest. Little exploration has been done and is inaccessible for most tourists.

The Matses belong to the Pano linguistic family, like Matis ethnicities, and Korubos Marubos among others.

In the 1970's the Matses changed their mode of semi-nomadic life to live in permanent communities. The Matsés territory is located in the region bounded by the rivers of Yavari (Javari in Portuguese), and Galvez Chobayacu Peru's border with Brazil.

Currently their communities are located deep in the Amazon jungle of northeastern Peruvian border with Brazil. Still retain their primitive culture, are expert hunters and gatherers whose ability to survive depends on their physical skills and knowledge of the jungle. Your belief system is tied to nature, plants and animals have a very important relationship with their spiritual world.

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Matsés Indigenous Traditions IV. Copal Torches

Indigenous people of the Amazon extract the copal tree (Protium ferrugineum) resin through incisions for use in different applications. Matses / Mayoruna, stockpile this resin to make torches, with an elongated shape of 50 cm. Then they cover it with palm leafs and tied with barks. These torches are used by them to light up their homes at night.

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Matsés Indigenous Traditions III. Barbasco (Lonchocarpus sp.)

Also known as “cubé” is a plant part of the Fabaceae family that grows in the South American rainforest, used in the traditional fish by indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

Fishermen take the barbasco roots and smash them with a piece of wood. In a brook, they contain the water current in different points; then dip and shake the smashed roots in the water, releasing the venom and waiting until it works. Immediately, poisoned fish come to the surface, easy to take them with a net. Finally, fishers open the dams in the brook allowing the venom dissolves in the waters and loses its effect.

Barbasco root extract contains mainly rotenone and deguelin, as well as tephrosin and toxicarol.

Rotenone is mildly toxic to humans and other mammals, but extremely toxic to insects and aquatic life. Fish poisoned with rotenone can be eaten this venom is very poorly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract of humans.

Rotenone is used commercially as an insecticide, but use for fishing can be controversial, as it kills all species of fish.

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Matsés Indigenous Traditions II. The Frog Medicine (Kambo)

Frog medicine, known in Spanish as Medicina del Sapo, originally know as Kambo in old Matses language; sometimes referred as kambô and Vacina do sapo in Brazilian portuguese, this ancient ceremony is performed by native experts from the Mayoruna tribe (Matsés people), and other indigenous people of the Amazon.

In the Matsés, the ceremony starts by catching a giant leaf frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) also called giant monkey frog in English, because it climbs into the rainforest canopy. The Mayoruna expert immobilizes it by tying its four extremities, extracts the poison from its back with a small wooden stick and places it on a piece of cane, then release the frog. He subsequently dries and stores the stick to be used for this practice.

Later, before applying it, the expert rehydrates the dried poison with water or saliva. The expert heats up a thin piece of vine (tamshi) and burns several points on the participant’s arm or chest, producing instant blisters on his/her skin. The amount of burn marks will depend on the tolerance of each person. The blisters will then be scratched open one by one and the poison extracted from the frog will be applied on the wounds.

This practice is usually performed on rainy days by the Mayorunas in order to get more energy, trust and improve their shooting skills for hunting purposes. Several days after having been stung, the Mayorunas will go hunting and try their best shot with bow.  

According to researchs, the substance segregated by the giant leaf frog contains deltorphin, acting as an emetic and dermorphin, acting as a powerful analgesic. This practice is actually used as a treatment in alternative medicine.

An expedition to the Matses territories takes at least 2 weeks.

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Matsés Indigenous Traditions I. Nënë or Nunu, The Tobacco Inhalation

The native experts of the Matses (Mayoruna) tribe process a refined green powder that they call nënë in their own language or sometimes referred as nunu in Spanish, using tobacco leaves (Nicotiana tabacum) and the bark of a tree called cacahuilo (Theobroma subincanum).

This practice is usually performed by two people. An adult expert Mayoruna pours a dose of the preparation inside the end of a hollow cane. The other end is placed in the nostril of the person who is going to receive and inhale the tobacco. The expert powerfully blows the powder into the nostril of the person on the other end receiving the "nunu". The amount of inhalations in each nostril will depend on the tolerance of each consumer.

One of the keys to the success of the nunu ceremony lies in that the person blowing must be an expert adult, who, besides the tobacco, also sends his spirit and power to the person inhaling.

This practice is only used by men who want to gain courage, power and energy. However, they can also decide to do it as a celebration, to have visions or just to have a good night’s rest after a bad day. Since this tribe has an obvious relationship between hunting and shamanism they also use nunu to get a good shot with bow and improve their hunting proficiency.

An expedition to the Matses / Mayoruna territories takes at least 2 weeks.
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The Shuar (Jibaro) People

A Shuar with his traditional crown of feathers
and face painting

Known as a fierce tribe and headhunters, noted for their custom to reduce human heads into an orange size, the Shuar people are formed by four groups: Ashuar, Aguaruna, Huambisa and the Shuar (all these tribes belong to the Jivaroan people, but popularly are known as Jivaros). Their lands extends along the Amazon, northern Peru and southern Ecuador.

Succesfully resistered the incursions of the Inca Empire and later the Spanish conquistadores. Before the Spanish conquest, the Inca Huayna Cápac tried to conquer the Shuar people. Later, in 1549, year in which for the first time arrived a Spanish expedition in the shelters of their isolated jungle. The leader of the expedition, who was really furious, sent a letter to the Spanish King telling him: “I inform my Majesty that their town is the most insolent that I have seen during all the time that I have been travelling in the Indies and fighting to conquer it”. This brave man, who was Hernando de Benavente, arrived there with the idea of establishing a camp, was obligated by the hostile Jibaros to lease their geographic areas.

In his book, which was title The Jívaro: People of the Sacred Waterfalls, edited in 1972, the anthropologist Michael J. Harner, set the place of this tribe in the history saying: “We only know an Indian tribe of American representatives that could fight against the Spanish Empire and failed all the intention of the conquerors to dominate them: the Jibaro people.”

Although, many Spanish armies dominated the tribe during half century, the Jibaro people rose in 1599 in rebellion. The Spanish chronicles related that during that year, aroun 20000 Jibaro leaded by Kirrúba (Quiruba) due the Governor of Macas, representative of the Spanish colony, charged a huge tribute to the indigenous people, the Jíbaro people rose in rebellion and kill a thousand of white citizens in only one day. First, they captured to the Governor in a city named Logroño de los Caballeros, poured melted gold in his throat up to his bowels exploded inside his body and destroyed the village. Some nights later, in 25 leagues of distance, they killed most of the men in the village of Sevilla de Oro and Valladolid, as well as Canelos, Zamora and other colonial villages in the area.

Nowadays, the Shuar people are located in the area of the rivers Tigre, Morona and Pastaza in Peru, and in south Ecuador. An expedition to their lands usually requires sense of adventure and 15 days available.

Further information:
Wikipedia: Shuar (Español).
Wikipedia: Shuar (English).

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LOS SHUAR O JÍBAROS

Conocidos como una aguerrida tribu del Amazonas y notables por su tradición de reducir las cabezas humanas al tamaño de una naranja, los llamados pueblos Jívaros se componen de 4 sub grupos: Ashuar, Aguaruna, Huambisa y los Shuar.

Su territorio se extiende por el norte del Perú y sur del Ecuador, en la selva del Amazonas.

Resistieron exitosamente las incursiones de los Incas y posteriormente a los conquistadores españoles. Antes de la conquista española, el Emperador Huayna Cápac trató, sin éxito, de conquistar a los Shuar.

Posteriormente, en 1549, año en que penetró por primera vez una expedición española en las guaridas de su aislada selva, muy indignado, el líder de la expedición, el capitán Hernando de Benavente, envió una carta al Rey de España: «Afirmo ante su alteza», escribió Benavente, «que este pueblo es el más insolente que he visto en todo el tiempo que llevo viajando por las indias y luchando para su conquista», Benavente, que llego allí con la idea de establecer un campamento, fue obligado por los Jívaros a batirse en retirada. Los españoles los nombraron jívaros como sinónimo de salvajes.

En su libro The Jívaro: People of the Sacred Waterfalls, editado en 1972, el antropólogo Michael J. Harner fijó el lugar de esta tribu en la historia: «tan solo se conoce una tribu de indios americanos que haya conseguido levantarse contra el imperio de España y que haya abordado todos los intentos consiguientes de los españoles por reconquistarles: Los Jívaros».

Aunque sucesivos españoles dominaron la tribu durante medio siglo, los Jívaros se sublevaron en 1599. Las crónicas españolas relatan que durante dicho año unos 20000 Jívaros, comandados por Kirrúba (Quiruba), a raíz de que el Gobernador de Macas, el representante colonial español de la zona, impuso un enorme tributo a los indígenas, se sublevaron y dieron muerte a miles de blancos. Primero capturaron al Gobernador, afincado en la ciudad de Logroño de los Caballeros, vertieron oro fundido en su garganta «hasta que las tripas le estallaron dentro del cuerpo» y luego destruyeron totalmente el pueblo. Unas pocas noches más tarde y a unas veinticinco leguas de distancia destruyeron Sevilla de Oro y Valladolid, así como Canelos, Zamora y otros pueblos coloniales. En aquellas incursiones se llevaron a muchas mujeres blancas, por lo que todavía en nuestros días se puede distinguir rasgos de mezcla blanca en los rostros de algunos Jívaros.

Actualmente, los pueblos Shuar se localizan en el Perú en el área de los ríos Tigre, Morona y Pastaza, frontera con el Ecuador.

AMAZON EXPLORER cuenta con expediciones hasta sus territorios, lejanos de las grandes ciudades occidentales. Mayor información:

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Enlaces de interés:

• http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuar (Español).
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuar_people (English).

More information: info@amazonexplorer.com

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Jungle survival training course