Surrounded by vegetation and with a warm climate that envelops tourists seeking rest, half an hour north of the city of Lago Agrio, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, is the Cofán-Dureno community that offers a variety of attractions.
The first adventure to get to the place is to cross the Aguarico River by canoe, one of the largest in eastern Ecuador. The Cofán-Dureno community is a true natural paradise where 600 inhabitants live, gathered in 110 families.
Among its main traditions is the celebration of the 'Fiesta de la Chonta', an ancestral ceremony in which thanks are given for the food received and a tribute is paid to the ancestors, which takes place in April of each year.
A shaman, the oldest in the community, is in charge of carrying out the ritual that lasts two days and begins with drinking Yajé, a hallucinogenic drink derived from the vine (Yajé). The concoction is prepared by the shaman himself and, according to the inhabitants of the community, it allows him to “see the past and the future of the person who drinks it.”
In the ceremony, the attendees are also cleansed. On this occasion the 'taita' in charge of doing it was Alejandro Criollo. With herbs in hand and a prayer in his native language, he “scares away the evil spirits that may haunt people.”
One of the attractions of this festival, in addition to getting to know the Cofán culture, is meeting the "Matache", an old man who lives in the center of the jungle and who is only present at the beginning of the celebration to share his experiences with those present. experiences and then return to nature.
“This chonta festival has been passed down from generation to generation, so now we celebrate to maintain our culture,” Criollo explained to the media after the ceremony.
For the party, the Cofans wear their typical clothing. A black outfit crossed with necklaces made by the same inhabitants of the community that represent “the joy of celebrating together or living together as a family.”
According to Robinson Yumbo, vice president of the Cofán community, the outfits are no longer worn to go to the city because “people find it strange and they look at us badly.” Therefore, the original inhabitants take advantage of this opportunity to show their clothing and their skills in singing, dancing, and traditional games.
Delfín Criollo, one of the community's inhabitants, told the Andes agency that the party is prepared two months in advance. During that time, community members dedicate themselves to making crafts and preparing chicha de chonta that will be distributed to the guests “to celebrate.”
Crafts, fishing and agriculture are their ways of life
After the celebration, activities in the community return to normal. To survive, the Cofans dedicate themselves to making crafts, hunting animals and harvesting the land.
Furthermore, in recent years, the Municipality of Lago Agrio has undertaken a tourism campaign to publicize the community. Loly Sevilla, tourism director of the council, indicated that “this event helps promote tourism in the community.”
The authorities aspire for tourism to become “the engine that sustains the economy of the Cofans. "They need to have alternatives in economic income."
