‘Nothing Left’: How Climate Change Uprooted an Indigenous Village
San Miguel Centro Marankiari, Peru – Perched atop a treeless ridge, Tsitsiri Samaniego surveys his ancestral homeland, stretching out under the blistering sun. As the leader of San Miguel Centro Marankiari, an Indigenous Ashaninka village nestled in the central Peruvian mountains, Samaniego sees signs of environmental distress—forests replaced by farmland, a contaminated Perene River, and blighted cassava crops.
Samaniego seeks advice from his ancestors, visiting the cemetery where his grandfather, Miguel Samaniego, is buried. He lays coca leaves on the grave and performs a ritual blessing, finding strength in these traditions to face the pressing threats of development and climate change. The harsh reality, however, is that his ancestral land can no longer sustain his people.
Mass Indigenous Migration
Samaniego, like many other Indigenous leaders in Latin America, is contemplating migration. Nearly half of all Indigenous peoples in the region have moved to urban areas due to land degradation, territorial dispossession, climate change, and conflict. Indigenous peoples, despite representing just six percent of the global population, steward 80 percent of the planet’s remaining biodiversity. This makes them particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
In San Miguel Centro Marankiari, settlers from the high Andes have encroached on Ashaninka territory, replacing humid rainforest with citrus, avocado, and coffee groves. This has disrupted local rain cycles, causing extreme heat and drought, which has decimated cassava and plantain crops. As food and clean water become scarce, tensions with neighboring landowners have escalated.
A Land of Legends
The Ashaninka village, home to 150 people, is deeply connected to its surrounding forests. Marankiari, meaning "serpent," reflects the once-abundant wildlife and rich legends of the region. However, rampant deforestation has driven many species to near extinction. In 2022 alone, Peru’s Amazon lost 144,682 hectares of old-growth forest, largely due to small-scale agriculture.
Cultural and Environmental Decline
The village’s elder, Tsonkiri Samaniego, recalls a time when the forest was lush and full of wildlife. Now, with reeds and medicinal plants growing scarce, he fears the erosion of Ashaninka culture and language. Deforestation has led to soil erosion, reducing cassava yields and forcing villagers to buy food from nearby towns.
Searching for a New Home
Samaniego is exploring relocation options for his community. He has identified several thousand hectares of fallow land in Ucayali, near other Ashaninka communities. Despite the risks of illegal logging, mining, and a surging cocaine trade in the region, he remains undaunted. Samaniego plans to begin a phased relocation later this year, aiming to legally acquire the land for his people.
His uncle, Tsonkiri, supports the move, believing it will preserve their culture for future generations. The challenges are significant, but Samaniego is determined to find a new paradise for his community. “Our territory has been massacred, so why not go in search of our new paradise?” he says.
FAQs
Q1: Why is Samaniego considering relocating his village?
A1: The village faces severe environmental degradation and climate change impacts, making it difficult to sustain their traditional way of life. Relocation is seen as a way to find more sustainable land and preserve their culture.
Q2: What challenges do the Ashaninka face in their current location?
A2: Encroachment by settlers, deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, and climate change have all contributed to food and water scarcity and cultural decline.
Q3: How has climate change specifically affected the village?
A3: Altered rain cycles have brought extreme heat and drought, reducing crop yields and drying up aquifers, exacerbating food and water shortages.
Q4: What are the proposed new locations for the village?
A4: Samaniego has identified land in the Ucayali region, near other Ashaninka communities, as a potential relocation site.
Q5: What is the significance of preserving Ashaninka culture and territory?
A5: The Ashaninka play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity and their cultural practices are deeply connected to the natural environment. Protecting their way of life also helps safeguard the ecological health of their region.
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