A Thousand Faces of Amazonia Exhibition

The language and legends of the Nacionalidad Originaria Quijos (NAOQUI), an indigenous nation of the Napo Province region of the Ecuadorian Amazon is currently being exhibited in the Czech Republic.

The exhibition 'A Thousand Faces of Amazonia' is currently showing at the Moravian Museum in the city of Brno. It includes films and drawings made by members of NAOQUI in collaboration with staff and students from Universidad de las Americas (UDLA), Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and Bournemouth University (BU). The films were made during Summer Schools delivered in Ecuador in 2017 and 2018 and drawings during BU's 2023 visit. Students and staff from BU's Faculty of Media & Communication and Faculty of Science & Technology travelled to Ecuador to participate in the Summer School 2023, which was funded by Erasmus + KA107 and the Turing Scheme.

The Summer Schools aimed to document, promote and preserve the language and cultural heritage of the NAOQUI through film, animation and sound recordings, and to share the footage via social media so that families and young people within the Napo Province region and beyond could learn about the cultural heritage of the NAOQUI. Each of the artifacts created during the Summer Schools addressed specific priorities and interests identified by NAOQUI. Artefacts exhibited include 'La Selva te Habla en Shillipanu' (2018) a film that illustrates the profound connection between the Quijos language, Shillipanu, and the rainforest. It highlights the intertwining of language and cultural practices across generations, emphasising the Quijos recognition that their language serves as a fundamental aspect of their identity as a nation.

Also exhibited is 'Cosmovision of our native peoples of our Amazon Quijus Causaimanta', a series of drawings by NAOQUI artist Gisela Yumbo. Gisela Yumbo said: "In our native villages there was a connection with our three worlds Hanan Pacha (Future), Cay Pacha (Present) and Ucu Pacha (Past), where everything was cyclical, we have to see the past to project our present and future and through ceremonies with our wanquiris, bancus we connected with our ancestors, in which they gave us the guidelines to follow with our families."

BU Computer Animation student Zsuzsanna Gomori who participated in the Summer School 2023 said: "My experience in Ecuador helped to shape and polish my future goals in terms of cultural awareness and participation in cultural preservation whenever possible. I am also inspired by the idea of building greater understanding and trust between nations."

In May BU senior lecturers and academic leads on the Summer School, Susan Sloan and Hilary Stepien presented a talk on the collaborations with NAOQUI, UDLA and USFQ since 2017 at the Educational Portal for Sustainable Cultural Diversity in Latin America (EPSULA) conference held in Brno during Ibero-American Week 2024. The conference was part of cultural and social events organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Czech Republic.

Susan Sloan said, "Over a number of years we have developed rich and rewarding partnerships between BU, NAOQUI, UDLA and USFQ. Students, staff and participants from all partners have benefitted in so many ways, learning new skills through working in multidisciplinary teams towards common goals. Collaborating on audio-visual projects aligned with NAOQUI's cultural priorities has been a fulfilling experience for everyone involved, equipping our students with a wide range of skills that will serve them well in their professional lives beyond their time at BU. We are delighted to showcase a selection of these works in Brno."

The exhibition was well attended by young people from the region. The exhibition will be showing at the Moravian Museum until January 2026.