Chachi people

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Chachi people (also Cayapas) are an

Afro Ecuadorian people;[1] the two groups have co-existed in the forest for about 400 years.[1] There were approximately 5,000 Chachi in 2003.[2]

History

According to Chachi oral tradition, they originated in

Tsachila people of Ecuador.[5] Today, they inhabit the river valleys of the Cayapas, Canandé, and Muisne Rivers in Esmeraldas Province.[6]

Culture

The A Pilehouse in the Tropics: Cayapa diorama at the Milwaukee Public Museum

Chachi people are characterized as being marginalized and poor.[7] Homes are built on stilts with sides and a roof of thatch.[2] Women's clothing includes a loose skirt with a sash at the waist while men wear a long shirt with pants; both men and women have bare chests.[2] Since colonization, Chachi have converted to Catholicism. The group's leader is known as "Uni" while the "Chaitalas" hold a lesser role. The canoe provides a means of transportation. Bark is used to form a kind of paper or fabric. Their economy is based on traditional subsistence agriculture and fishing.[2][7] However, the Chachi are well noted for their basketwork, and they sell their craft items in stalls in Borbón, Limones, Esmeraldas and Quito. [2]

References

Further reading

  • Armelle Lorcy (2003), "Les enjeux mémoriels de la figure du promoteur de santé". Un projet sanitaire entre Noirs et Indiens Chachi (Équateur), Face à Face, 5, Mémoires et santé : jeux et enjeux. (in Spanish)
  • Istvan Praet (2006), Courage and Fear. An Inquiry into Chachi Shape-Shifting (University of Oxford: Doctoral Thesis).
  • Istvan Praet (2007), "People into Ghosts. Chachi Death Rituals as Shape-Shifting", Tipiti. The Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America, 3, 2.