Ticuna of Peru

Deep in the Amazon rainforest, the Ticuna have experienced internal transformation--the result of cooperation between concerned governments, SIL linguists, and the Ticuna themselves.

It's a classic "before and after" story. Before, the Ticuna were continually exploited and always in debt; today they are trained in a variety of occupations, know how to read and write, and carry out medical responsibilities.

In earlier days most money was spent on alcohol; today many own their own land and run a variety of industries.

Once they were known only for blowdart poison; today they have built a model community with total self-government.

Frequent machete fights and drunken puberty rites once made it a dangerous place to live. Today the Ticuna are proud of their culture, their language, and their achievements.

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