Ashaninka people reaches the end of 2020 without Covid-19 cases

Following strict social isolation and using their ancestral knowledge, the Ashaninka reached the end of 2020 without cases of Covid-19 in the villages of the Kampa Indigenous Land of the Amônia River in Acre State, in the Amazon region. According to the Special Indigenous Health District (Desei) of the Upper Juruá and Purus River, this is the only indigenous people in the state that remains free of the disease, reported the G1 portal.

Following the recommended security protocols, they vetoed any residents from leaving the villages and prohibited the entrance of visitors. Those who needed to solve pending issues outside the villages, such as going to the bank, have been assisted by a specific commission. Faced with the risk of shortages, the work in the fields and plantations has been intensified throughout the pandemic, resulting in a plentiful and diverse production of fruits, vegetables and greens. The purchase of groceries in the city near Marechal Thaumaturgo, such as salt, coffee, oil and sugar, is carried out by a group designated to make the order beforehand to the local traders.

The ancestors’ inheritance is considered by the Ashaninka of extreme importance for the success of Covid-19. The use of remedies extracted from plants and roots and the tradition of disposing the houses of the residents far from each other are some of the ancestral practices that, according to local leaders, helped the people to face past epidemics such as measles, mumps and flu.

“The Ashaninka people of the river Amônia have a consolidated social organization, and that represents very well the collective interest of the people,” states the leadership Francisco Piyãko in a testimony to the website Amazônia Real.