Santa Clara

One of our most important partners is Santa Clara. In 1986, the Shipibo-Conibo community, mobilized towards an important directive: to preserve and regenerate and share ancestral traditions and knowledge. Since that time, with the support of local organization, Alianza Arkana, Santa Clara has developed into a model ecological community that that strives to revitalize and preserve Shipibo-Conibo traditional knowledge and life-ways. When you visit the community, you will find a tranquil village built in the shade of mango trees where every aspect of life follows local traditions with pride. Homes are built with sustainable harvested wood (quinilla), and palm thatch in the traditional style and you will also find a community centre, an intercultural school for the children to receive lessons in their native Shipibo language, and a ceremonial round-house (maloca) where traditional ayahuasca ceremonies are held under their onaya (healer), Chonon Benxo.

Santa Clara Permaculture Project

In 2018, Santa Clara began a larger scale reforestation project to regenerate the local land and ecology around the village, focusing on a region by the village that had been exhausted by industrial farming. They worked with Shipibo specialists to plant aguaje, a large palm that not only produces an abundance of fruit but conserves water and acts as prevention against forest fires, an issue that has increasingly afflicted the region every year. As important recent phase is the development of a village permaculture project. Under the guidance of Shipibo expert of permaculture and director of Alianza Arkana, Marcos Urquía, the Santa Clara applies cultivation practices that have been integral to Amazonian agroforestry for millennia.  The permaculture gardens produce not only provide foods and medicine the community but acts as a learning laboratory for local youth and children.

In the Ucayali, Santa Clara is a key player in building Shipibo solidarity and identity, producing bilingual learning materials, and working with partner organization ARIAP (Association of Amazonian Indigenous Roots), they have been instrumental in the creation of Axenon Ikanwe, the first radio station dedicated to Shipibo language and culture.

Santa Clara understands well that the key to building ecological communities is not only fostering traditional practices in the village but also building relationships and sharing knowledge with partners in the greater community and across the globe. Santa Clara hosts groups and international volunteers from partner organizations every year. This year Santa Clara will become a key partner with the Amazon Medicine Institute, offering guests an immersive experiences in traditional Shipibo-Conibo culture that can not be found elsewhere.