Who Are the Ese Eja?
The Ese Eja (meaning "true people") are a Tacanan people inhabiting the border region between Peru and Bolivia, along the Madre de Dios, Heath, and Tambopata rivers. Numbering approximately 1,500-2,000 (split between both countries), they speak Ese Eja, a Tacanan language still learned by children in most communities. The Ese Eja territory lies within one of Earth's most biodiverse regions, including portions of what is now Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park in Peru. Once known as fierce defenders of their territory who resisted rubber boom incursions, the Ese Eja today balance conservation, ecotourism, and traditional subsistence while facing threats from illegal gold mining.
Rainforest Specialists
The Ese Eja developed intimate knowledge of one of Earth's richest ecosystems. Traditional economy centered on fishing (using bows, harpoons, and plant-based fish poisons), hunting (especially peccaries, tapirs, monkeys, and birds), and gathering forest products. Agriculture was limited; the Ese Eja relied primarily on wild resources. Seasonal movements followed resource availability along river systems. This mobile lifestyle and extensive ecological knowledge allowed sustainable use of forest resources. Ese Eja botanical and zoological knowledge encompasses hundreds of species used for food, medicine, construction, and ceremony. Shamans (eyamitekwa) maintained spiritual relationships with forest beings and used plant medicines including ayahuasca for healing and divination.
Conservation Territory
Much Ese Eja traditional territory now lies within protected areas, creating both opportunities and tensions. The establishment of Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park protected forests from some development but initially restricted Ese Eja access to traditional resources. Subsequent negotiations recognized indigenous rights within the reserves. The Ese Eja community of Infierno has developed an internationally recognized ecotourism project, Posada Amazonas lodge, partnering with a tourism company while maintaining community ownership. This model provides income while protecting forest. Other communities pursue different strategies, some more focused on traditional activities, others on integration with regional economies. Illegal gold mining poses severe threats; miners invade rivers with mercury-contaminated dredging operations.
Contemporary Ese Eja
Modern Ese Eja navigate between traditional lifeways and contemporary pressures. Communities in Peru have gained legal recognition of their territories; Bolivian Ese Eja have faced more challenges in securing land rights. The Ese Eja language remains relatively healthy, transmitted to children in most communities. Traditional knowledge faces erosion as young people pursue education and employment outside communities. Cultural documentation efforts record oral traditions, ecological knowledge, and language. The Ese Eja in both countries have organized politically to defend their interests, including opposing mining and advocating for land rights. Their experience demonstrates both the challenges facing small Amazonian peoples and the potential for sustainable development combining conservation, indigenous rights, and economic opportunity.
References
- Alexiades, M. N. (1999). Ethnobotany of the Ese Eja: Plants, Health, and Change in an Amazonian Society
- Peluso, D. M. (2015). Circulating between Rural and Urban Communities: Multisited Dwellings in Amazonian Frontiers
- Chavarría, M. C. (2002). Eshawakuana, Sombras o Espíritus: Tradiciones Orales Ese Eja