The Shipibo Indians reside at the southwestern edge of the vast Amazon
Basin in Peru (map). Shipibo Indians are River Indians living along the banks and
tributaries of the Amazon River. The Shipibo
people are primarily artisns, hunters, and fishermen and some practice
slash-and-burn agriculture. Primary tools are machetes and spears. Virtually
none of the villages have electricity. A small number of Shipibo people live in
Iquitos where they make and sell their uniquely patterned art and craft.
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The Shipibo-Conibo consist of around 35,000 people living in three to four
hundred villages located north and south of the town of
Pucallpa on the
Ucayali River, which connects Cuzco to the Brazilian Amazon.
They speak a language of the Panoan family, though some of them are
starting to learn Spanish. Despite 300 years of sporadic contact with white or
mestizo civilization, and massive conversion to Christianity in the 1950’s and
60’s the Shipibo-Conibos maintain a strong identity and retain their ancient
ways. They are known for their intricate designs on their pottery and their
bright clothing.
The Shipibo-Conibos are primarily hunters and fishermen, using some slash
and burn farming, and still today none of the villages use electricity;
machetes and spears are the primary tools. All of the villages use barter for
trade, but their proximity to the burgeoning town of Pucallpa makes it
inevitable that the people will soon be drawn into modern trade and
exploitation.
(Text from the Peruvian Amazon Indian Institute)
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The Shipibo are well known for their distinctive pottery and
textiles. In their culture the designs they use are traditionally copied from
the skin of the Giant Anaconda or the heavens, such as the Southern Cross.
Many other designs were given to them by their culture hero Incan ancestors. Their cotton cloth
is hand painted in traditional
designs. The cloth is worn as a wrap around loin cloth by the women of the
tribe as well as being used for other functions.
