Eikofɨ: In the Bosom of Mother Earth

Rising Voices Grantee Project Update

Juan Kuiru, foto usada con autorización del proyecto.

Juan Kuiru. Photo used with authorization from the project.

Location: House of Juan Kuiru, Milán, La Chorrera.
Transcription: Ever Kuiru
Writing and translation: Ever Kuiru and Laura Areiza

Juan Kuiru is my brother and is wise inherited from my father, Aurelio Kuiru. He is my teacher. The nɨmairama, knowledgable that becomes inspired on his own connecting with the spirits. He is a great meditator and healer. Here we present one of the dialogues that we had together at the mambeadero, the place where we chew coca leaves and enjoy the honey of tobacco.

Yadiko family house. Image provided by the project and used with authorization.

Yadiko family house. Image provided by the project and used with authorization.

Here we share some words about the Mother Earth with the confusion that is caused the depletion of our natural resources. We are the guardians of those resources, but only those that feel and follow the word of Moo, our father creator. However, we don't build temples or venerate images. Following the word of Moo is to preserve our tradition and to have a sweet heart. For us, it is very important to preserve our language and because of that, with the help of collaborators, we present a selection from the bilingual words of the wise Juan Kuiru:

Abuelo y padre de Ever Kuiru. Foto usada con autorización.

Ever Kuiru's father and grandfather. Photo used with authorization from the project.

Kue mamekɨ Juan Kuiru, kue nonuiyaɨ Jitómagaro imɨedɨkue.
Mei o jɨkanoga ¿mɨnɨka bie enɨena?
Ba ua kaɨ eiño, binɨiño daɨna,
kaɨ ua bini eiño jogobe.
Bini daɨna, jae ua moo dama imabikaiya yezika.
Afemɨe jafiñoga jagɨiyɨ ,
monifue jagɨiyɨ .
Ua eiño komuiyano.
Nɨ eiño uaidɨno.
Ie jana arɨ binɨena
moo moziñote.
Monifue ini, bini,
meita bie enɨe eiñoza.
Iemo bie kaɨ mei komuidɨkaɨ.
Jirari kaɨ mei ua binɨe eiño daɨdɨkaɨ.
Daje enɨemona guitɨkaɨ.
Daje enɨe kaɨ jagɨiyɨ
ɨaɨbikaiyadɨ ñue fɨnoka.
Daje enɨe jaɨnoibi ñue fɨnoka.
Ɨaɨredɨno afemɨe zaɨtaga.
Iemona arɨ bene ie
jana kaɨ ei ba kaɨ komuitate.
Kaɨ ua duera jizadɨkaɨ.
Ua nɨnomona eiño komuiya
nakuri eromo
mozibikaidɨkaɨ.
Dɨnómo jébikaidɨkaɨ.
Guiñeno, eiño ua guiga naɨeri
jébikaidɨkaɨ.
Iedo jékana jaidɨkaɨ.
Ikaɨ jino kaɨ monaiyado
eiño naɨ ua monoɨdo úikaigakaɨ.
Dai kaifo monaitɨkaɨ.
Akie izoide bie enɨe,
jirari kaɨ ei daɨdɨkaɨ.
Nana ua bie enɨe emodori ite,
enɨedo kade.
¿Nofɨkɨ bie emodo kade mɨnɨka dɨnomo iya? Iñena.
Bie enɨedo kade: Amena, chamu, okaina, jemɨnɨaɨ, ofokuikɨ.
Ua nana, nana enɨedo kade.
Enɨe iñedenia kañede.
Enɨe iñedenia bie jagɨiyɨ ɨaɨrede.
Enɨe jagɨiyɨ ñue fɨnoka
ie jagɨiyɨ jafiñotɨkaɨ.
Bie enɨemo ite amenaikɨ daje jagɨiyɨdo kádɨkaɨ.
Okaina, chamu, nana jagɨiyɨdo
kade,
enɨemona ite jagɨiyɨ .
Ie jirari ei enɨe daɨdɨkaɨ.
Akɨnɨ ua ei enɨena
mameidɨno.
Meita kaɨ mamekɨ
monifue urukɨdɨkaɨ.

My name is Juan Kuiru, I'm fomr the nonuiyaɨ Jitómagaro clan.
You ask me, what is this land?
It's our mother, this mother earth,
our land, the breast of the mother.
We say this land, before the time when Moo purified himself.
The breath invoked,
an air of abundance.
Ua is the origin of the mother.
It's the word by the mother.
This image above in the land
Moo settled it.
The land of abundance, this land,
that's why it's the mother earth.
From there we were born.
That's why we say mother earth.
From that same earth we eat.
The same earth our polluted breath purifies.
The same earth that the water cleans.
What is murky He clears.
From there, up on high
the image of our mother carrying child.
We were small children.
Where the mother was carrying child,
in the womb, the uterus,
we were also developed.
There we matured.
Without eating, with the substance the mother consumes we mature.
With that we become mature.
And we out there, still with her breast the mother nurtures us.
That's how we grew up.
Like this land,
that's why we call it mother.
Everything on earth, through the earth lives.
Above the rock, there is life, what life there? Nothing.
Due to this land live the tree, the fish, the animals, the micos churucos, the birds.
Ua is everything, everything lives from the earth.
Without the earth there won't be life.
Without the earth the wind would be dirty.
The earth purifies the air
this air we breathe.
The trees on earth breath the same air
Animals, fish, all live through the breath
with the air that's on earth.
That's why we call it Mother Earth.
to that Mother Earth we really call.
Then our name is
children of abundance.

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