The tsáchilas use achiote and huito especially as elements to decorate their bodies in the celebration of festivities or battles. However, they have also been used medicinally and attributed aphrodisiac powers.
The Tsáchilas are a small indigenous tribe that lives in Ecuador, settled in eight communities within the province of Santo Domingo, being the town of Santo Domingo de los Colorados where its maximum representation is found.
The name Tsáchila comes from the Tsáfiqui language and means "real person." They are known by the name of Colorados, thanks to the characteristic color in their clothing and body decorations.
When the tribe prepares to celebrate festivals and battles, they decorate their bodies with the red dye of the achiote and the blue-black ink of the huito as part of their ritual.
Ecuadorians consider tsáchilas shamans as true connoisseurs of medicinal plants.
Uses given by the tsáchilas to the achiote
Also known as urucú, onoto or acotillo among more than 30 names. Bixa Orellana is the scientific name given to the plant and it is native to the tropical forests of Central and South America.
It is a shrub considered medicinal by the Tsáchilas, widely used in cosmetics and in the manufacture of fabrics due to the color that its fruits contribute.
The whole plant is used in the treatment of lung, heart or digestive problems. It is also considered to have aphrodisiac powers.
The seed contained in the annatto pod is used together with the butter extracted from the tangaré tree, to prepare a red mixture that is used in the characteristic hairstyle of the men of the tribe.
They shave their heads leaving long hair only on top. And this hair is colored with the red achiote paste and then they comb it in the shape of a helmet.
In the past, the cultivation and drying of achiote represented the main source of livelihood for the members of the tribe.
There is a legend that says that in the midst of a smallpox epidemic that was decimating the Tsáchila population, one of the shamans of the tribe asked the spirits for advice and was guided to the achiote plant.
The spirit prompted him to cover his entire body with the product of the sheathed seeds. A few days later, the deaths from the epidemic ceased and hence the belief in its medicinal power.
Uses given by the tsáchilas to el huito
Its name is Genipa americana, but for the Tsáchilas it is known as huito. It is a large tree characteristic of the Central and South American jungle.
The fruit is edible and is used to prepare sweets and jams. If it is fermented, they prepare a drink considered spirit that they call huitochada.
The táchalas use the pulp to rub it on the skin, as the liquid oxidizes it superficially stains the skin a bluish-black color, which lasts for two weeks. With it they make different body decorations.
The pulp is considered insecticidal, repellent and medicinal. The infused fruit is used to cure bronchitis. The whole tree, including its flowers, is considered to have various medicinal properties.
References
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- Shulman, N. (2005). Climbing The Equator: Adventures In The Jungles And Mountains of Ecuado. Summersdale Publishers LTD - ROW.
- Tsáchila. (2017, 3. d. (2017, 09 03). Tsáchila. Retrieved 09 09, 2017, from es.wikipedia.org
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