Overview of the Culture of Los Tsachillas

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Overview of the Culture of Los Tsachillas

Let’s go down to South America where we find the country Ecuador, within these areas we come across a place called Santo Domingo de los Colorados but is now known as Santo Domingo de los Tsachillas. This place we come too is named after its main habitants which are known as Los Colorados but original name is Los Tsachillas. The word Colorado means “colored” and it was given to them because of their way of coloring their bodies and hair with red dye. The red dye became a big part of them because during the time of the colonization of the European in which they were hit by many diseases given that they were brought by their new settlers, the Tsachillas in desperation asked their spirits to give them a sign for a cure or protection from these diseases and during that time a ray of sun was shining on a basket filled with achiote. They considered this ray of sun a sign and covered themselves with the achiote and since then it has been considered a powerful and important part of their culture. All throughout Ecuador are many tribes but the Tsachillas are one of the big cultures that stand out through their ways and their unique look. The Tsachillas like any other society have its own way of dressing, language, way of living, political organization, marriages, gender roles, religion and rituals but despite this the Tsachillas are struggling to preserve their own identity and culture.

As I mentioned their unique look is what allows the Tsachillas to stand out, both women and men have their way of dressing. Tra...

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...se of a voice in the crowd. Even to the simplest thing of their wardrobe has changed, were the women feel ashamed showing their bare chest when before they were free to do it and it was considered normal. Some Tsachillas are still in hopes of persevering their culture and hopefully it’s never lost because the Tsachillas take a great role in what we know as Ecuador.

Work Cited:

Cadena, Edison M. "EcoMuseo Etnográfico Shino Pi Tsáchila .:: Idioma Y Etnolingüística ::." EcoMuseo Etnográfico Shino Pi Tsáchila .:: Idioma Y Etnolingüística ::. Ecuador Planeta Magica, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

"The Tsachillas." The Tsachillas. Archivo De Lenguas Y Culturas Del Ecuador, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

"Verde Milenio Foundation - Tsachilas." Verde Milenio Foundation - Tsachilas. Verde Milenio Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

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