Our Research Mandate

We are focused on projects around three main themes:

Support the continuation and practice of Ancestral Shuar Science. We are interested in studying our Plant Medicines, as well as the healing and medicinal properties of Shuar medicine gardens, or 'ajas', for the benefit of human and planetary health.
Indigenous-led Conservation and Planning. Support for climate change adaptation, restoration and healing through Shuar stewardship.
Education and Community-led Eco-tourism.

Community-led Participatory Research Methods

Community Advisory Commitee: The Shuar Kakaram de Buena Esperanza

Each stages of research were guided by an Advisory Committee, the Shuar Kakaram de Buena Esperanza (SKBE)

Please enjoy this list of our co-authored publications our work supported:

Jakubchik-Paloheimo, M. Maintaining Relations with the More-than-Human World through Shuar Science, 2025, Dissertation, Queen's University.

Peer Reviewed: Jakubchik-Paloheimo, M., & de Buena Esperanza, S. K. (2024). Making Space for Feminist Decolonial Geographies of Peace with the Shuar in the Ecuadorian Amazon: A Case for ‘Cuerpo Territorio.’ Geopolitics, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/14650045.2024.2366316

Peer Reviewed: Jakubchik-Paloheimo, M., de Buena Esperanza, S. K. (2025). Shuar Geographies of Peace. Postcolonial Hierarchies Encyclopedia. https://rewritingpeaceandconflict.net/2025/01/13/shuar-visions-of-peace/

We have several more publications under review! Please stay tuned for updates...

Future Research Interests and Possibilities for Community-Led Research

We are looking forward to what our next research project will be! We are interested in developing projects around:

1. Shuar Plant Medicine Healing and Agricultural Practices

2. Shuar and the importance of water

3. Indigenous-led Conservation

4. Exploring how the Shuar listen to, communicate with and steward the more-than-human world.

Stay tuned for our upcoming publications we supported through our collaborative doctoral research goal, working with Queen's University, which focused on creating a community archive and documenting:

1) Plant Medicine

2) Traditional Farming Practices

3) Shuar Ancestral Stories and Customs

4) Human Stewardship for Amazonian Ecosystems

5) Singing “Anents” (Shuar Songs for Nature) to counter cultural genocide of their culture.

Our work seeks to decolonize knowledge by de-centring Eurocentric knowledge production between the Global South and North.

You can read the Shuar 2021 United Nations Development Programme and PRO Amazonia-funded “Life Plan” for sustainable economic development in the region here:

https://www.proamazonia.org

Our Research Mandate

We are focused on projects around three main themes:

Community-led Participatory Research Methods

Community Advisory Commitee: The Shuar Kakaram de Buena Esperanza

Please enjoy this list of our co-authored publications our work supported:

Future Research Interests and Possibilities for Community-Led Research

Learning with, relating to & communicating with the Natural

Decolonizing the western centric view of the cosmos and moving toward holistic perspectives is essential to the future of life on the planet

Our Research Mandate

We are focused on projects around three main themes:

Community-led Participatory Research Methods

Community Advisory Commitee: The Shuar Kakaram de Buena Esperanza

Please enjoy this list of our co-authored publications our work supported:

Future Research Interests and Possibilities for Community-Led Research

Learning with, relating to & communicating with the Natural

Decolonizing the western centric view of the cosmos and moving toward holistic perspectives is essential to the future of life on the planet

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