The Chachi

• The Chachi tribe, traditionally called the Capaya, consists of between 3,000 to 5,000 people and is one of the last aboriginal tribes in the region. Legend suggests they originally resided in the province of Imbabura in the Ecuadorian highlands but then fled the coast to avoid facing Incan and Spanish conquests. The Chachi speak a Chibchan language similar to that of the neighboring Tsáchila and Awa peoples called Cha'palaachi. The Chachi religion is a mixture between Roman Catholicism and aboriginal pagan beliefs and their political system consists of hereditary chiefs and subordinate officials. They are quite limited in societal resources including quality education and health care and they also vie for natural resources with the nearby Afro-Ecuadorians. To sustain themselves, the Chachi hunt, gather, fish and have recently learned agricultural methods, especially to grow and export coffee and cocoa. Foods common in the Chachi diet include plantains, cassava, sugarcane, yams, peppers, taro root paste, fish, shellfish and many species of jungle animals. Chachi settlements consist of single-family households scattered along the rainforest's river banks. A traditional house is unenclosed and divided into two sections. Palm fronds form the thatched roof which is supported by wooden posts and bamboo walls. Women wear ankle-length wraparound skirts and men wear short tight pants paired with a thin calico shirt. Chachi crafts include weaving, pottery, woodworking -- especially canoe-making -- and basket weaving.
  
  

The Awa

• The Awa tribe, "Awa" meaning people, includes around 1,600 members. They are also referred to as the Kwaiker or Coaiquer. The tribe is scattered throughout northeast Ecuador and parts of Brazil with some communities living within the Choco Rainforest. Their numbers are rapidly dwindling due to logging companies and colonists relentlessly invading their rainforest home. The Awa speak a language called Awapi which shares the same language family as the Tsáchila and Chachi languages. To survive, the Awa use blowguns to hunt jungle animals and raise chickens and pigs.
  
  

The Tsáchila

• Residing in the rainforest at the western foot of the Andes Mountains is the Tsáchila tribe, the coastal region's best-known indigenous people. They consist of about 2,000 members dispersed between eight small reservations and speak a language similar to that of the Chachi and Awa tribes called Tsafiqui. The men in the tribe are known for shaving the hair off the sides of their heads and using grease and red achiote seeds to comb their top hair into a peak shape. Because of this, the Spanish originally called them "Colorodo," meaning "red," even though "Tsáchila" actually means "true people." Tribe members are known for being shamans and herbalists and are easily recognizable by the striped skirts they wear. The Tsáchila are an agricultural community and survive on their income from produce sales. Due to colonization and rainforest destruction, the Tsáchila -- more than other coastal tribes -- have been forced to integrate into the fast-changing world of the agricultural and export economy. Because of this, their special culture and lifestyle is rapidly fading.
  
  

The Afro-Ecuadorians

• With around 700,000 members, the Afro-Ecuadorians make up a large percentage of Ecuador's population. Most of the Afro-Ecuadorians live within the Choco Rainforest region but there are several communities that have moved and settled throughout Ecuador. They descend from the black African slaves that the Spanish brought to South America during the Spanish conquest in 1550. Spanish is the tribe's spoken language and they practice a Roman-Catholic-influenced version of Christianity. Ecuador's constant struggle with national, political and economic instability has essentially crippled the Afro-Ecuadorians and has left them scraping for resources and battling poverty. Tribe members have found the most success in playing for national sports teams. The Afro-Ecuadorians have strongly influenced Ecuadorian culture, especially with their introduction of the region's well known marimba-style music.
  
  

The Epera

• The Epera tribe neighbors the Chachi tribe along the Cayapyas River, though the Epera speak a different language. Though some Epera live on the Columbian side of the Choco Rainforest, many of them have now fled to join their Ecuadorian communities due to violent displacement. There are only about 450 members of the tribe and they are extremely isolated, most communities only reachable by canoe. The UN Refugee Agency has helped the Epera cope with a land shortage by securing for them a plot of land and has also focused on uniting the Ecuadorian communities with their Colombian refugee tribe members. With help from the Agency, the Epera practice environmentally-friendly farming methods and live off of what they harvest along with income from produce and handicraft sales. Their main crops include cocoa beans for chocolate, trees for fruit and timber, oranges, bananas, beans and maize. Tribe members are also known for being skilled fishermen and artisans. With an identity, culture and language on the brink of extinction, the UN Refugee Agency is attempting to revive and sustain the fragile Epera communities.