The Deep Forest Foundation recently participated in a preparatory workshop for the first Huni Kuin women’s wisdom gathering, planned for early 2018. The Huni Kuin women met in September to discuss the demands of their community and decided that it would be highly beneficial to learn, teach, and exchange knowledge that only these women hold. Due to difficult environmental conditions and busy lives looking after the household, they hadn’t had the opportunity to celebrate womanhood in such a way. 

​

     The Women’s Project will bring together over 70 women from multiple villages to document their knowledge, strengthen political leadership, and promote income generation. Never before have these women gathered in such numbers to have their voices heard. For the first time, these women will not only have the ability to share, but also record their traditions. This is important on many levels: culturally, traditionally, and socially. This documentation and anthropological research will not only preserve their culture, but it creates a lens for the world to further our knowledge and understanding of indigenous peoples. 

​

     Two main components of the workshops are “Ainbu Dauya”, women with medicine, and “Ainbu Keneya”, women with designs. Ainbu Daya aims to strengthen and give visibility to the Huni Kuin women’s knowledge about health, spirituality, diet, songs, narratives, plants, medicine, and many other traditional topics. In addition to promoting this exchange of knowledge, there will be training in filmmaking and communications allowing the documentation of both their knowledge and daily lives from their own perspective. Ainbu Keneya aims to add value to the Huni Kuin women’s artwork and support a network of access to materials, production and distribution. 

​

     The Deep Forest Foundation will support this gathering with its recently built Huni Kuin School, providing a space to host this event. The following workshops will take place in the new facility simultaneously over the course of 10 days: workshop of healing plants, ceramics workshop, beads workshop, cotton weaving workshop, and the Nixi Pae Ceremony. The beads produced from this gathering will be purchased by Bakhirka Apparel and gifted to their customers. This celebration will include the Huni Kuin women, the DFF team, and renowned anthropologists. 

The Deep Forest Foundation will also be also bringing artists, photographers, interviewees, and filmmakers to continue our work on documentary, photo exhibition, and anthropological research.