Gisele with an Ojé tree
also called Xomi in Shipibo language
Amazon rainforest, Perú
P L A Y
Gisele is a gifted artist and a keeper of the ancestral traditions of the Shipibo-Conibo, an indigenous people living along the Ucayali river (a large tributary of the Amazon river) in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest.
The Shipibo-Conibo are distinguished by their extensive knowledge of medicinal plants. They kept cultural traditions that stretch far back in time and are known for their extraordinary ceramics, textiles and beadwork. Their rich and complex cosmology is reflected in their art. Trees and medicinal plants, like the psychoactive vine Ayahuasca, are key elements in Shipibo-Conibo culture, informing much of their artistic work.
Their ancestral designs not only serve the purpose of ornamentation, they are a representation of their spiritual and animistic connection with the rainforest and the natural world. These designs represent an entire communication system with the spirits of plants and the rainforest.
The Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse place on Earth that houses countless species of trees. The best way to protect the Amazon rainforest is to empower the Indigenous People that have lived there, in harmony with nature for thousands of years, to continue to thrive as natural guardians of their environment. They are protecting and defending our collective future.
A B O U T G I S E L EGisele Morí Cauper is a loving mother, a gifted artist and chef. She is a keeper of the cultural traditions of the Shipibo-Conibo. She creates exquisite beadwork and embroidered textiles using ancestral techniques and traditional designs inspired by the rainforest and the rich and complex cosmology of her culture.
Gisele is standing by a Ficus insipida tree, popularly known in the Peruvian Amazon as “Ojé, Higuerón or Huito” and also called Xomi in Shipibo language. In the fig genus, this tropical tree has majestic roots, a broad and leafy crown and grows along rivers. Its milky sap, a white latex, is used by the people of the Amazon rainforest for its many medicinal uses.
First nation people around the world protect 80% of biodiversity on Earth. They are the guardians of our planet’s forests and the keepers of the wisdom on how to live in harmony and right relationship with all life on the planet.
Indigenous women in the Amazon play a vital role in the protection of the rainforest. They are the guardians of the forest and the ones who have nurtured, protected, and defended the Amazon rainforest for centuries. They protect and defend our collective future.
Photography by Liv Milani
Voice and music mixing by Joanna Lero
Music credit: Lucho Quintanilla - NUNA - La Semilla Del Templo De Piedra
