MEETING ARTISANS IN PUCA URQUILLO

November 23, 2022

MEETING ARTISANS IN PUCA URQUILLO

by Campbell Plowden

October 10, 2022

We slept well in our hospedaje in Pebas after our tough trip from Brillo Nuevo. On Saturday, we took a motorcar from Pebas over the 20+ rickety bridges crossing streams to Puca Urquillo.
Nicolas Ruiz with chambira cell phone holder
Bora artisans from Puca Urquillo with chambira bags
We met with both Bora and Huitoto artisans in the seats overlooking an asphaulted basketball court. Yully and Marianela carefully reviewed a variety of hot pads, bottle and cell phone carriers made for our orders. I was again relieved that Yully embraced the tough job of rejecting ones that didn't meet high quality export quality. We then bought a few more bags and other items at a small feria.
Bora artisan from Puca Urquillo with chambira hot pad
Huitoto artisan from Puca Urquillo with chambira bottle carrier
I then saw a few artisans buying loose batches of white chambira fiber from a woman from Tierra Firme. While we are investing a lot of resources to help artisans from Puca Urquillo plant more chambira palms so they can have their own supply of raw material for weaving crafts, it is still easier for them to buy this from more distant communities who have a lot of forest but few artisans.
Campbell Plowden with Puca Urquillo artisans with raw chambira palm fiber
Bora artisan from Puca Urquillo with chambira butterfly ornaments
On the way back to Pebas, we passed several smoky fields being burned to plant yuca. It was inevitable that paving this land passage would lead to the clearing of almost every adjoining parcel of forest.
Field burning near Puca Urquillo



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