Genico Ruiz coats his face in achiote, or anatto seed dye, which traditionally signifies one is ready for war. Ruiz and his Asheninka tribespeople living along Peru's remote Peru-Brazil border are facing a sort of war from in this remote region as drug-smugglers invade their territory. Ruiz's Asheninka community of Dulce Gloria serves as an important role in buffering the protected Murunahua Indigenous Reserve. The community of roughly 300 monitors the region for illegal entry from loggers and drug-smugglers. Confronting environmental degradation, the Asheninka here are implementing conservation efforts, which include turtle hatcheries. Their depleted rivers are being restocked with hundreds of "taricaya" turtles each year.
A Different Kind of War
Copyright © 2023 Neil Giardino
Country
Peru
Topics
Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, Biodiversity Conservation, Natural Resource Management
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