En route to Pico da Neblina with the Yanomami
An unprecedented expedition to the highest point in Brazil will assess trail conditions in preparation for ecotourism and create a record of the places that are part of the history and culture of the Yanomami people.
By Marcos Wesley, adjunct coordinator for ISA’s Rio Negro Program
If climbing Pico da Neblina [“misty peak” in Portuguese] is already a moving experience itself, can you imagine being guided by a Yanomami shaman who spent his childhood and teenage years near the mountain, even before the arrival of white people?
“Our house was over there and we called this place Irokae [cry of the howler monkey],” shaman Carlos Yanomami tells us in his own language, pointing to the forest that appears intact — but which, 60 years ago, was the site of a communal house where the festivals and rituals of his parents were held.
The expedition with 32 people hiked to the top of Yaripo while listening to stories by shaman Carlos. The journey lasted 10 days and is an integral part of the Yaripo Ecotourism Project, developed by the Yanomami in a partnership with ISA.
In addition to Carlos, another 18 Yanomami rounded out the team, with 16 boys and two women, Maria and Floriza. They are receiving the training they need to monitor the trail and work as guides, porters, cooks, as well as management positions for the ecotourism enterprise they intend to develop there.
Other participants on the trip included representatives from ICMbio [the Chico Mendes Biodiversity Conservation Institute], Funai [the National Foundation for Indigenous People], Federal Public Ministry and the Brazilian Army.
Equipped with GPS, a camera, video camera and keen interest, the expedition members recorded Carlos’ accounts along the 36 kilometer trail, starting at Igarapé [small river] Tucano, on Yanomami Indigenous Land, in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira, in the state of Amazonas.
As they hiked over long distances and difficult terrain, the Yanomami marked the places where animals or their tracks could be found, where there is water, places along the trail that could be improved and better sites for building overnight shelters. They also identified areas more sensitive to environmental degradation.
Maria Yanomami, 52, will go down in history as the first Yanomami woman to reach the summit of Yaripo — up until now, only men had achieved that feat.
Floriza Yanomami was also part of the hike, but was unable to continue her ascent out of respect and fear of their traditions. The day before arriving at the summit her period began: despite her great sadness, she knew that her condition would displease the spirits that live on mountain peak. If she continued, she would be placing not only her own life at risk, but the lives of everyone on the expedition.
Ecotourism on the Yaripo will be a source of alternative income for the Yanomami communities, who need money to buy essential manufactured goods: farming implements, utensils for food preparation, linens, clothing and goods for transportation.
With the introduction of the community-based ecotourism project, it is estimated that 80 Yanomami will earn income by providing services regularly, indirectly benefiting another 800 people, including relatives and dependents.
The work done with the Yanomami guides and the functioning of the trail for regular use should also generate income for community purposes, according to determinations by the general assembly of the Yanomami Association of the Cauburis River and Tributaries (AYRCA), in which all Yanomami from the region participate.
Ecotourism on the Yaripo comes as an alternative to the gold mining activities currently underway around the mountain, in which white invaders and the Yanomami themselves participate. Young men, who are usually married and have children, derive income from mining to support their families. They work on their own, mining for gold by hand, or as porters for the encroaching miners.
During the 10-day hike on the trail, the expedition encountered 30 young Yanomami coming and going from the mines. When questioned, they said they work in the mines out of necessity and complain they have no alternatives. They believe mining is harmful to the environment and to their own health because the work is hard and grueling. Everyone we talked to expects that the ecotourism project will make it possible to abandon mining and begin an activity with low environmental impact, in addition to being more pleasant and profitable.
Pico da Neblina is one of the best known places in the world for lovers of adventure tourism. It has been closed to visitors since 2003, following a recommendation from the Federal Public Ministry and a determination by Ibama [the Brazilian Institute for Environment and Renewable Resources]. On the one hand, the decision was frustrating for mountain climbers; on the other, however, it was necessary to curb environmental degradation and infringement of the rights of the Yanomami.
The reopening of the trail to the peak for tourism is now under the administration of the Yanomami. It is planned to take place in 2018. People from around the world will be able to meet the Yanomami and see the precious place they live in. Access will be opened to a limited number of people, and with some restrictions. Tourists will learn about the indigenous culture, enjoy their hospitality and join the alliance in defense of indigenous rights and the Amazon forest.
When Yaripo is finally open to tourists, the stories told by Carlos will live on through the young people who today receive the knowledge from the old shaman — and who will then pass these stories on to amazed visitors.
The Yanomami Association (AYRCA) and ISA are looking for sponsors to help develop the Yaripo Ecotourism Project. If have an interest in supporting this initiative, or for more information, please write to marcos@socioambiental.org
