wayfinders circle governance report english - Flipbook - Page 18
Achuar Governance
roles in their governance structures for elders and youth.
The Achuar have been living for thousands of years in large territories in the
Amazon of both Ecuador and Peru, along both sides of the border. In Ecuador the
Achuar have a legally recognized territory of 680,000 hectares and their full territory
is 800,000 hectares; located in one of the healthiest and most biodiverse tropical
forests in the world.
The Sungai Utik Indigenous people live in a 216 meter longhouse with
more than 25 booths and doors, which is led by a traditional house
harvester. The longhouse has a "ruai" porch both inside and outside. Ruai
is a communal space for the Sungai Utik, where decision-making is carried
out by joint deliberation, led by the traditional house harvester, and involving all Sungai Utik residents including Indigenous women and youth. They
also have a Traditional School for children and residents to transfer knowledge related to customs and culture, as well as the traditional community
customs and values so they are maintained and sustainable. The youth act
as knowledge recorders from the traditional elders, to maintain and document existing local wisdom and good practices in the Customary Territory.
In addition, the youth also play a role in connecting Indigenous community
Achuar governance includes 88 communities and 21 associations. Each community
has its own elected representatives. The Achuar representative organization was
formed in 2005: the Federation of the Achuar Nation of Ecuador (NAE),
representing the Achuar communities and associations at the national and
international level. NAE leaders are elected every three years in a congress where at
least five representatives from each community participate.
Achuar governance, and all of Achuar life, is guided by Arútam—the sacred source.
Arútam resides in sacred places; no one is born with Arútam, but each person has to
find it. Arútam can come in visions from a powerful animal, a mountain or a natural
phenomenon. Arútam gives the Achuar power, energy, skills and guidance.
S E E A N N E X F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N
Sungai Utik Governance
sacred sites, educate, and acquire sacred lands. The Sámi, Blackfeet, and
Heiltsuk all have nation-to-nation relationships with the nation-states where
their territories are located; though as they never signed a treaty, the Heiltsuk
have a less formal relationship.
Participation of Women, Elders, and Youth
In different ways and to varying degrees, each of the Wayfinders Circle members acknowledge special recognition and honor towards women, elders and
youth. For example, the Wampis and Gabbra have specifically created unique
The Dayak Iban Sungai Utik community occupies 9,504 hectares and is one of seven
villages of larger Ketemenggungan Iban Jalai Lintang in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
They manage their territorial management according to land use and function.
The traditional long house serves as heart of the social, economic, cultural, and
political life and is some 216 meters long with than 28 rooms accommodating more
than 300 people. The long house terrace serves as a community center where women
weave or make handicrafts, a place for traditional celebrations, deliberations for joint
decision-making and is also used for drying rice, coconut, cassava or leaves. An elder
in the long house serves as chief, and regulates the processes of cultivation, house
building, harvest ceremonies and customary law. The decision-making process is
carried out collectively and decisions are made by considering the ancestral customs,
norms and rules.
S E E A N N E X F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N
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