Yarishaya Itiumu
Yarishaya Itiumu - “Blooming Women" is a collective of women from the Sapara Nation of Ecuador belonging to the head communities of the territory located in the southeastern Ecuadorian Amazon, in the province of Pastaza. We practice our own cosmovision. We are the caretakers of the forest, we are grandmothers, mothers and daughters whose sacred knowledge and spiritual connections with Mother Earth have been passed down from generation to generation. Our strength and form of life are guided by dreams and our connections to the spirit world.
As Sapara women, we are self-convened and empowered by the energy of our living forest, by the energy of our sacred river, and by the energy of the wind that gives us oxygen. Our resistance comes from the territory and from our bodies. Currently, we are involved in the fight against extractivism, machismo, and in the search for inclusion within decision-making processes of our different communities and nationalities.
Our Mission
Our mission is to work for the revitalization of our ancestral language and culture. Through internal work, we intend to self-assess the main differences between our communities, taking into consideration the main obstacles we face and the need to maintain a Witsa ikichanu (Good Living) through the active involvement of Sapara women. As guardians of the forest, it is important for us to strengthen the female leadership in our territories, which is based on mutual respect, resilience and autonomy.
Our Vision
Our vision is to weave a network of creation within an environment of harmony, healing, ceremony and empowerment in order to revitalize and preserve the Sapara knowledge guarded by women. As Yarishaya Itiumu we have organized our first women's gathering, which will take place from August 10 to the 13 of 2022. Within this 4-day integration gathering we have decided to congregate in the Llanchamacocha community, the place where we would like to carry out this initial process of transformation and cultural exchange in search of self-empowerment and territorial self-determination.