The well-being of the rain forests of Amazonia is inseparable from the well-being of the biome’s original nations. Their ancestors, as archaeological and biogeographical studies are demonstrating, have extensively contributed to shape and build a monumental ecology characterized by a high degree of cultural and biological diversity. Currently, indigenous territories tend to correlate with healthy, productive, and well managed forests. Simultaneously, they continue to face the threats posed by the advance of mining (formal and informal), fossil-fuel extraction, illegal logging, ranching and mono-culture plantations. Mass-timber construction, if managed in a timely and responsible fashion from a communal base, offers a unique opportunity for forest remediation (polycultures) and the improvement of local economies. In this presentation, I would like to tell the story of Mushullakta and its symbiotic relationship with Humans for Abundance. Their experience with chakra reintroduction is a story of hope for the future of Amazonia and our planet.
Ana Maria Duran Calisto is a lecturer at the Yale School of Architecture and a doctoral candidate at UCLA.