Caura Futures
Project: Sustainable Fruit Harvesting / Palm Climbing
View images from the palm climbing competion 5/24-26/2002 => click here
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Indigenous people of the Caura traditionally harvest fruit by climbing trees—many over 20 meters tall—using a loop of bark or vines stretched around the tree trunk and the feet of the climber which, alternately tensed and relaxed, is used to ratchet the body up to the fruit. Increasingly, the young men no longer climb, but simply chop down trees and palms as do many of their mestizo counterparts. This is part of a new trend where displays of force hold more prestige for the young than what they regard as an unnecessary, perhaps foolish struggle. The un-sustainability of this modern practice—and its effect on fruit resources for wildlife— has lead community elders to sponsor a workshop that encourages prowess in the old climbing techniques. Essentially a publicity campaign will be used including t-shirts promoting traditional practice with traditional designs (many Ye’kwana and Sanema already wear t-shirts with commercial messages). In addition, some modern safety techniques and simple equipment will be introduced that enable the climber to tackle wet palms or those covered with vegetation. These modern techniques have been used by a few Ye’kwana over the past five years with great success. Every workshop participant will receive a set of simple climbing slings. One goal, although not part of the budget of this project, is to televise a documentary of the workshop as a way of showing the young that their cultural practices are of interest to a wide audience. more... Cost: $17,485 |
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Please mail comments and questions to:
tarek@caura.org