The Aguaruna of Peru

Why should we want to be more ignorant than others?
An Indian woman of the Americas

Literacy Brings Defense

While preparing dinner at their home a hundred miles from a road, Millie Larson and Jeanne Grover were visited by a delegation of feathered Aguarunas. "We have come to buy a teacher," they announced.

They hoped that education would give their children skills to deal with the outside world.

"We have no teacher for sale," they were told, "but choose some of your bright young people and we will see that they are trained to be your teachers."

Since 1953 a bilingual trainng school has been conducted by the Peruvian government and SIL, to train jungle Indian teachers. More than 10,000 Aguarunas have benefited.

Once some unscrupulous non-Indian settlers displayed an impressive-looking document and claimed they had a deed to some Aguaruna land. An educated Aguaruna studied it for a moment and conceded, "It is a fine Singer sewing machine warranty!"

(Above) Participants in the teacher training course in the Peruvian rain forest. (Left) Aguaruna fathers enrolling their children in a bilingual school.