NUNPAIM: Ancestral Land Mapping and Community Support

NÚMPAIM is a Shuar word that means: 

NUMPA = SANGRE = Blood

IM = RIO  = River

Númpaim is a small river with many stone beaches and reddish sand. It has three beautiful waterfalls, considered anciently as the sacred temple, a place where many Shuar warriors from different parts of the jungle came to these waterfalls to purify their bodies, fill themselves with positive spirituality and strengthen themselves physically. Located in an ecological hotspot, this territory is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet located in the Cordillera de Cutuku. Currently, this Shuar territory is at risk of encroachment by Canadian Mining Companies as they also require funding to gain the legal entitlement to their traditional territory. 

In October 2013, the suspension pedestrian bridge over the Yukias River, 40 meters light, collapsed in its entirety, leaving the community of Nunpaim displaced with no where to live, or go. Consequently, men and women, children, youth and adults, cannot cross the Yukias River to their traditional territory because it is very dangerous, its waters almost dragged several people away. For this reason and because the PIKIUR - NÚMPAIM route does not provide guarantees of human mobility, and the government has provided no support, the community decided to evacuate the entire population, settling in different places according to individual convenience and possibilities, such as: Pikiur, Santa Rosa, Santa Ana, Quito, Machala and Macas.

This circumstance has generated a state of psychological and economic depression, because the situation of these families is precarious, they live in houses built provisionally or rent rooms where families of 10 to 12 people share a single room, they no longer have territorial spaces where to develop crops for subsistence. So the situation of more than 30 families is extremely dire. 

The Objective of Nunpaim: Is to improve the conditions of transportation and human mobility, to provide an adequate service to locals and visitors.  As well as gain the legal entitlement to their lands. 

Their GOAL: Is to create the most appropriate conditions for the RESETTLEMENT of the Númpaim community and protect their ancient forests and sacred temples.