PASTAZA CULTURE: CHARACTERISTICS, ECONOMY, GASTRONOMY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Pastaza culture can be defined as the accumulation of rites, customs and social and commercial activities of the ancient indigenous races that have inhabited the Amazon for long years.

The Pastaza culture includes characteristics that for years have united the social aspects of the aborigines and the civil population that currently inhabit the Pastaza province.

Pastaza River, Ecuador.

The province of Pastaza is a region of the Western Amazon, located in Ecuador. It comprises about 25,000 km² of native tropical forests and a colonized strip of around 5,000 km².

Most of the Pastaza region is indigenous forests, lacking roads, preserving significant ecosystem resilience, and harboring a remarkable degree of indigenous autonomy.

However, the western strip of Pastaza is notably affected by the colonization process, which has expanded deforestation, settlers, commercial agriculture, large grasslands, loss of biodiversity and cultural erosion.

Pastaza is a wide and diverse region in the cultural sense that presents a duality due to the seven aboriginal races that reside together with the civilian population.

These aboriginal communities have inhabited the jungle for millennia and their lifestyle, popular food, songs and above all, the way they see and interpret life are attractive to native and foreign scholars, because they represent the cultural richness of this region. environment.

The town of Pastaza has around 83,933 inhabitants and has enormous potential for tourism because there are many places to visit and activities focused on ecological, corporate and adventure tourism.

Main characteristics of the Pastaza culture

Pastaza is a prosperous and flourishing district in terms of tourism, but it also houses certain characteristics that make it an idyllic destination.

Main city

Puyo is the capital of Pastaza and as the main city it plays an important role in the culture of the area. It was founded in 1899.

In the streets of Puyo is where all the economic and tourist activity takes place. In addition, it serves as a kind of bridge to several other cities in the region.

The city is evergreen despite the hot or humid climate because for many years the river has given life to the city. Today Puyo is home to the most advanced river port in Pastaza and most commercial activities take place in Puyo.

Weather

The climate in Pastaza is hot. The temperature almost never drops below 25 degrees Celsius. The bright sun and the little wind that it does force its residents and tourists to wear comfortable and cool clothes to avoid constant sweating. The climate is similar to other tropical western areas.

Gastronomy

In Pastaza you can find the most extravagant and amazing foods in Ecuador. From a special fish dish called Maito to some peculiar stick worms known as “Chontacuros”. In addition, you can find very nutritious and thick drinks made from cassava.

The most famous food is the "Volquetero", a common food introduced in the city of Puyo more than 50 years ago which condenses the richness of the gastronomic culture of Pastaza.

Festivities and ceremonies

- The Fiesta de la Chonta takes place every year in August. The prosperity achieved throughout the year, such as sowing, harvesting, and the life cycle of individuals is celebrated.

- The Rite of the Sacred Waterfall has an unfathomable meaning for the peoples of Pastaza, since through this act the entire community asks the supreme being Arútam to give them power and positive energy for their future survival.

- The Rite of the Snake is a practice that is commonly performed when someone has been bitten by a snake. The purpose of this ritual is to pay tribute for the salvation of the person who has been bitten, and also to provide protection from future stings.

- The Uwishin Intervention. The Uwishin is a man with ancestral knowledge who is dedicated to healing the afflicted of the tribe and watching over the members who join the people. Under no circumstances does a genuine Uwishin cause harm to others, except for those who intend to use it for revenge in conflicts generated by wars or family discord. It is also the function of the Uwishin to identify the people who cause damage and provide guidance to avoid enemies.

- The Ayahuasca Festival is an excursion that is attended during the first month of each year. Reaching the waterfalls and sacred mountains is the main objective.

Ecosystems

In Pastaza, indigenous people classify lands and landscapes into four main categories: llacta, purina, sacha, and yacu.

This classification of land use is based on ecological conditions, indigenous land management strategies, ecological practices involved, and various cultural and settlement criteria.

Llacta (village) and purina (walking) are the main areas of settlement and agriculture. They are forest areas where migratory agriculture is carried out.

Llacta accommodates the scattered houses and family fields of a community, while purina are areas of subsidiary residence that have isolated houses and fields.

Sacha (forest) comprises forest ecosystems with low human influence, where the main indigenous activities are hunting, extraction of forest resources, and ritual practices.

Sacha includes wildlife areas and game reserves, while it is a sacred place for indigenous society due to the many cultural, ritual and religious meanings involved.

Yacu (water) comprises water ecosystems, such as rivers and pools, that provide food, natural interethnic boundaries, and communication systems.

Both sacha and yacu are refuges for mythical spirits and animals, and a sacred home for the ecological and spiritual training of the yachac (healer) and young people.

farming

In llacta and purina lands, the indigenous people carry out agriculture, which is their main productive activity.

The two main systems for agriculture are fields and home gardens. Agricultural fields of about 1 hectare are created within the tropical forest. Sometimes they are close to the houses, but often they are only a few kilometers apart.

Soil conditions and other ecological factors determine the location of fields, sometimes on banks, other times away from rivers.

Additionally, a garden belt around each home adds approximately 0.3 hectares of agricultural land to each home. Both in the gardens and in the fields, the indigenous people cultivate more than 50 species of plants.

This great agrobiodiversity includes plant species of nutritional, medicinal, ritual, and timber value, among others.

Cultivated biodiversity underpins both food security and a primary health care system for indigenous households.

References

1. Josep A. Garí. (Jan, 2001). Biodiversity and Indigenous Agroecology in Amazonia: The Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza. Ethnoecological, Vol. 5 No. 7, 21-37pp. Jul 09, 2017, From ResearchGate Database.
2. Acosta Llerena, AA (2014). Profile thesis of the tourist who visits the enterprises of the Association of Tourist Attractions of Pastaza, for the tourist promotion of the canton based on market segmentation in high season 2013. Amazonica State University, Pastaza, Ecuador.
3. Vargas, yes. L. (2010). Nature, culture and endogenous development: a new paradigm of sustainable tourism. Mexico.
4. Claudia Sobrevila. (May, 2008). The Role of Indigenous Peoples in Biodiversity Conservation: The Natural but Often Forgotten Partners. Google Books: The World Bank.
5. Rafael Karsten. (1920). Contributions to the Sociology of the Indian Tribes of Ecuador: Three Essays. Google Books: Åbo akademi.
6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. (2014). Pastaza. Jul 09, 2017, from FENEDIF, Fundación ONCE, COCEMFE, Website: turismoaccesible.ec.