During my adventure to discover the pre-Hispanic cultures of Ecuador, I came across a nearby community of the Shuar tribe. Shuar, meaning "people" in their language, are originally from the tropical Amazon rainforest. Due to conflicts within the rainforest based on law, land and competition, some of the Shuar people migrated to the costa ( meaning coast in Spanish). One of their historic leaders had a vision about the coast, seeing rivers, massive amounts of land and plants for good health. This was used as a sign of confirmation that it was time to migrate and find peace in a new place. In the year 1830, their ancestors walked from the east to the west coast of Ecuador to an area called Bucay. Although they are all at peace and remain in contact with the rainforest Shuar, they have happily settled into a beautiful village and named it "Comunidad Shuar,” to represent their thriving community. Today, it is filled with strong bamboo trees, flowing rivers and a variety of plants that they believe can cure any sicknesses.
On this day, the young men of their community gave a performance on the Shuar dance. One of the younger men that performed explained to me that most ceremonies are still performed in the eastern area but, in the coast, they have adapted to dance for almost anything, even for a moment of fun.
