(from the handwritten notebook on Infierno) ESE EJA PEOPLE

The Ese-Eja people belong to the Tacana linguistic family. This group has been the object of very few studies, especially anthropological ones. They probably constitute one of the most important ethnic groups to reconstruct the history of human groups in the State of Madre de Dios. The Ese-Eja people actually live on the settlements scattered along the Bahuaja (Tambopata), Madre de Dios and Heath rivers. There about 600 of them in Peru, distributed in two main settlements; Infierno and Palma Real. In Bolivia there are approx. 1000 Ese-Eja. Though some information sources say there were more than 15,000 before 1948, many of them were exterminated in internal tribal conflicts with other ethnios and the majority, during the systematic genocide of the rubber exploitation. The Ese-Ejas actual location is the result of continuous migrations, not only motivated by the internal conflicts but also by numerous pressures and oppression from outside; among these are the efforts of the catholic missionaries and more recently of other religious groups. Due to these pressures and other reasons, the Ese-Eja have grouped and integrated themselves in a moment that their group spirit and the values of their cultures has been seriously endangered. THE NATIVE COMMUNITY OF INFIERNO Officially this community have existed since 1976, with a titled territory of 3,558 hectares (see map of expansion). The census of that same year recorded 180 inhabitants. Today there might be about 460 people, half native, half non-natives. Non native people are a result of the immigrants who started to come down from the Andes in the 1940s, in search of better conditions for their lives and the fulfillment of the Amazon dream, the government fed them with. The Ese-Eja people have seen their land and their community slowly invaded by non native people. Under the pressure of a new system of production, imposed by the non native society, especially the

extractive system the native society has entered a new crisis of identity and process of transformation. Families have forged an individualistic way of life and parted from the previous communal one. The extractive system has a destructive nature as it does not help reproduce itself. It also is a system that destroys the native people, their ethnicity and culture, for it makes him/her lose the ideology which make him/her feel he/she is part of a society integrated into a definite environment. Most of the native population has settled on the right bank of the river, a dozen families, the last Ese-Eja families of Tambopata. The three dominant native families are the Mishaya, Pesha and Lehue. Perhaps they are the last representatives of the 3 groups who lived along the Tambopata river that was about 40 years ago. The group of Ishajoa, the great chief was camping at Tres Chimbados (one mile down the river from La Torre). From there he was taken away captured by the Guardia Repulicana and sent to a jail in Puno, where he soon died of cold and sadness. That was the beginning of the end for the Ese-Eja people. Today forty years later, noone seems to remember and the oldest people dont speak anymore, after they were told so often by their children to stop telling those stories of past times for now a new life was to begin for them. Life is based on agriculture. The main crops are manioc (yucca), corn (maize), rice (arroz) and beans (frijoles). Bananas and papayas are grown all year round. Other fruits include; oranges, limes, mangoes, avocadoes, pineapples and other exotic fruits such as guava, pacae, caimito, anona and cashew. Most families have chickens and ducks pigs are also kept. In the last two years cattle have been introduced to the community and people have been made to think about what is the best for the future of their community. Until today the results are not so good with cattle, and most of the investors are giving up. Hunting is still the main source of protein game includes; pecanny, paca, agouti, tapir, monkey and several birds (guans and macaws). Fishing is also good for the diet but only during a limited time of the

year, when the lakes overflow. The overall diet is rather poor and lacking in protein, because game has become scarce due to over hunting as well as over fishing. Income is provided by the harvest of Brazil Nuts between December and January, the sale of lumber and roofing material made from Palmiche leaves woven between two canes of cana brava (see roof of lodge). Occasionally people bring some of their produce bananas, papayas, avocadoes, oranges etc to the town Puerto Maldonado, but the market is not big enough and competition has discouraged many people. In Infierno there is a central ground where the General Assembly house stands, as well as the school, the medical house and the soccer field. But all the people have individual pieces of land, each being about 300 metres of river front and no limit very far in the back. The 45 families are living along an approximate stretch of 20 kilometres, which can make communication and relationships a bit difficult. This separation was probably the cause of the first breaking of the community in two: Infierno and Casuyal though it is all called Infierno. Now Casuyal with about 40% of the Infierno population, has its own school and internal organization, also their own soccer team to play against Infierno.