NATIVE TRIBES IN ECUADOR
Ecuador is a country with a great cultural wealth, at national level 14 indigenous nationalities have been identified, each one of them, with its respective language and traditions.
In Ecuador jungle are 10 indigenous tribes, those that are distributed in the 6 Amazon provinces, located in the Pastaza province the biggest number (7 nationalities).
The native tribes of the Ecuador jungle are: Kichua, Shuar, Achuar, Shiwiar, Andoa, Waorani, Zapara, Cofan, Siona, Secoya
Shuar Nationality.-
It is seated in the provinces of Pastaza and Morona Santiago. They venerate and respect the “Malicahua”, drink that produces hallucinogenic effects. Known by the "tsants"a practice (reduction of heads). Their houses is characterized by walls made of chonta and roof with pambil leaves. The house divides in two sections: the “tankamash”, it leaves social reserved for the men and the visits, and the “enkent”, private room for the women and children. The men are characterized to be good hunters, while the women are devoted to the home and the "chacra" works.
Kichua Nationality.-
This nationality is located to the south of the Waorani culture and to the north of the Shuar and Achuar communities. They respect and venerate the boa that represents the power. For the house they use the hard wood as the "huambula", "guadua", "pigüe", for the roof uses straw, they elaborate four types of ceramic utensils, the "mocahua", "tinaja", "callana" and "manga". They accustom to paint their face with "huito" and "achiote" in special occasions. Their culture is characterized by the man's complete harmony with the nature that surrounds it.
Zapara Nationality.-
They are located to the south of the Pastaza province, venerate and respect the monkey “Kají” that according to its beliefs is who gives them the force of supernatural power. They elaborate big "tinajas" to keep and to ferment the masato of yucca chicha. In the year 2001, the UNESCO declares them as ORAL AND IMMATERIAL PATRIMONY OF THE HUMANITY.
Achuar Nationality.-
They are located to the left margin of the Pastaza river, near the frontier with Peru. The men are good hunters, they practice the polygamy, the women work in the chacra and the domestic chores. The house Achuar is more or less a vast and harmonious construction in elliptic shape, don't have external walls and have a high roof.
Andoa Nationality.-
Is a indigenous group that was thought extinct; however, recently it has been rediscovered and accepted as indigenous nationality for the Amazon Indian Parliament (May of 2004). Esteem that their population surrounds 800 people in Ecuador, of which only four old men would speak the language, while the remaining ones have adopted to the kichwa as maternal language; is known that there are also some small groups in Peru.
Shiwiar Nationality.-
This nationality seems to have a heterogeneous ethnic origin, product of the coalition of several groups, as the Shuar, Achuar, Kichwa and Zaparo. It seems that their ancestral territory was shared with the Achuar. At the moment they are seated to the southeast of the Pastaza province. The shamanismo continues being a practice of great validity in the daily life.
Waorani Nationality.-
It is one of the last contacted indigenous groups, they live in the provinces of Orellana and Pastaza. They are characterized to live nudes and to be a warring group. At the present time exist two groups of the Waorani culture that have not been contacted, “Tagaeris” and “Taromenanes”