The World Wheel Project is an attempt to unfold wisdom within ourselves, and cultivate knowledge within and between communities, and countries—to further healing and peace on our planet.

Vijali Hamilton: Founding Director

Newsletter 2007
Amazon, Andean

Shuar Child — photo Vijali Hamilton

Dear World Family,

I have been out of touch for a year completing my World Wheel book but many projects have transpired during this time, which I am eager to share with you. At the end of last year we started a school for the Shuar Children, ages three to twelve on the Refugio Amazonico, the World Wheel Project in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest east of Macas. The school has come about by the generous donation from Markell Brooks and others.

Top: Federico and Solania teaching in the Refuge Shuar School Bottom: Shuar children in our school, photos Verona Fonté

Camilo and Federico Tsamaraint and Solania Unupi are our shuar instructors. We are excited about the classes and it was tremendously fun for all, the children, parents, elders, and ourselves. The classes are a way to preserve the Shuar culture, and the knowledge and preservation of the rainforest that is so vital to the survival of our planet. The children are extremely bright and eager to learn their own language that is fast being lost by entering the Spanish speaking schools.

Left: Nantar drawing, Right: Shuar children preparing for ceremony, photos E. Hartshorne 

 

Shuar child's drawing of Jempe, the hummingbird, photos E. Hartshorne

 

The traditional Shuar stories are told and all learning comes from these stories; language, writing, spelling, art, geography, history, and math. We culminated the session this year with a ceremony performance acting out their myth of Jempe, the hummingbird, bringing fire to the Shuar with a consciousness of their importance of saving the rainforest and becoming Peacemakers for the planet. It was indeed an empowerment, acknowledging the importance of these Shuar children on this earth.

Left: Peacemaker ceremony with Vijali as Spirit of the Rainforest and Shuar children each as a different animal bringing the fire of peace to the planet, photo Catherine Allport  Right: Shuar child preparing for the ceremony, photo E. Hartshorne

 

Top: Edie and Vijali teaching in the Shaur School, photo Verona Fonté Bottom: Vijali giving out drawing from the children in New Mexico, photo E. Hartshorne

 

Edie Hartshorne and I have started the school together and she has been the Outreach Co-coordinator for the two Ecuadorian sites of the World Wheel. (thank you Edie) When Edie is at the Refuge, she teaches English, which the Shuar parents are eager to have for their children. I teach art, sculpture, and ceremony performance, and bring drawing gifts from the children of the United States as a cultural exchange. The children, as well as the adult Shuar, love to be photographed and two friends, Verona Fonté and Catherine Allport, an independent photographer, accompanied us this trip taking beautiful photos, which you will see in the newsletter along with Edie's. David Aubrey and Michael Sterns were also here filming and recording for an educational World Wheel film and Verona, who is from Iris Arts and Education Group was second camera. We hope to gather funds to make a feature, and are thrilled that already we have a trailer edited by David.

Top: Shairy Jose Quimbo (to the left), healer and founder of the Andean school, Kuri-Muyu (Centro Cultural Infantil). Bottom: Vijali giving drawings of hands made by children in the United States to the Otavaleņan children, photos Verona Fonté.

The Second World Wheel has evolved to create Wisdom Centers to preserve the indigenous knowledge that is fast disappearing in this world and that is necessary for the survival of our planet. The World Wheel Project that I began in the Andes of Ecuador in 1999 has now a preschool in the village Peguche where I carved Achili Pachacamac, with the help of the village, the pre-Incan deity of the Otavaleņan people. We are happy that the government has now given funds for the school paying teachers and giving the children two meals a day. There were no funds allotted for the support of the indigenous cultural and I have been able to give every year, $1,000 from your contributions so that the children can study their own culture and language.

Top: Achili Pachacamac, the pre-Inkan deity of the Otavaleņan people, carved by Vijali with the help of the Andean village Peguche, photo Vijali Hamilton. Bottom: Matico and her work with Otavaleņan women, photo E. Hartshorne

In this same village Matico Lema's Bed and Breakfast is doing well that the World Wheel started in 1999. Verona photographed and crafted a beautiful website for Matico which both describes the work Matico does with "battered" women in her women's group, Wrari Maki (women's hands), and the Bed and Breakfast which Matico uses to help fund her work with women and their indigenous crafts.  We are grateful for the contribution made by Iris Arts & Educational Group to our ongoing work in Ecuador. Website: http:/www.casamatico.com.

The vision of the World Wheel Project has evolved. It now focuses on the creation of Wisdom Centers. (to read about the World Wheel, go to: www.vijali.net ) These centers will continue to be established in the remaining twelve countries circling the planet to preserve, as well as develop knowledge critical for the healing and survival of our planet. They will serve as crucibles for the birth of wisdom necessary for our future.

The two Wisdom Centers in Ecuador are the results of my last eight years of work on the Second World Wheel. Each center preserves a disappearing culture and each ceremony event is an attempt to protect the health of our Earth—its people, its flora, and fauna, the biosphere of our planet.

Left: Vijali wearing the International Peace Belt for ceremony, photo Catherine Allport.  Right: Yanua with new sandals, photo Verona Fonté

The Artists for World Peace organization created by Wendy Black-Nasta (www.artistsforworldpeace.org), sent down to the Amazon with me her International Peace Belt which has gone around the world, worn by mystics and shamans in sacred dance ceremonies. Blessed in the Andes and in the Amazon by shamans, I was privileged to wear it for the Peacemaker ceremony with the Shuar children. Also Wendy had gathered, through children's efforts in the United States, 3,000 shoes for the Shuar children as well as $300. We were only able to bring 300 this trip on the plane.

Top: Edie in a healing ceremony with shaman Pedro at the Refuge, photo Catherine Allport Bottom: Vijali in a healing ceremony with shaman Pedro in the Amazon, photo E. Hartshorne

We are delighted to have a very fine Shuar shaman associated with the Refuge. Pedro has diagnosed and healed many visitors that have come from the States. We have video interviews with him that are quite informative about shamanic work in the Amazon and with his permission we are looking for funding to edit this precious knowledge on film, present it to the public as a contribution toward our own mental health and the health of the planet.

Left: Traditional Shuar dance and music Right: Nantar in traditional dress, photos E. Hartshorne

The basalt sculpture is coming along that I am carving with the help of my Shuar Friends, Anaconda Woman, Spirit of the Water. We work in the rain by the sacred waterfall as I teach the Shuar children how to carve. Great Joy!

Left:Anaconda Woman (work in progress), photo Vijali Hamilton Right: Shuar learning from Vijali how to carve, photo Sherry Anderson

Projects on the Refugio Amazonico that when complete will make the Refugio self sustained

Here is a description of what we are developing on the Refuge and our need to find people to partner with the indigenous Shuars on the following projects.

1. We need someone who has experience in education to be partners with Federico Tsamaraint in the Refugio Shuar School. We need volunteer student/teachers to come and not only teach English but help organize the classes and the Learning Center. Federico Tsamaraint's email: tsamaraintfd@hotmail.com

Top: Federico in ceremony, photo Catherine Allport Center: Camilo working on ponds for the fishery, photo Vijali Hamilton Bottom: Camilo with Amazon butterfly, photo E. Hartshorne

2. We need to find someone who has knowledge about building a fishery business to partner with Tuntuam Camilo Tsamaraint. email: tuntuam@hotmail.com

3. We need a partner for Solania Unupi and Federico Tsamaraint to maintain the orchards, of yucca, papaya, peanuts, papas, and bananas that are already planted. They will be mature in November 2007, ready to sell in the market in Macas, the closest jungle town. The land and money for the orchards and beginning work on the fishery were donated by Sally Kranzler and Henry Swam. (Thank you!)

Top: Working in the orchards and gathering eggs and Yucca roots, photo Catherine Allport Center: Grandmother tree on the Refuge: Catherine Allport Bottom: Yukias River of the Refugio Amazonico, photo E. Hartshorne

4. We need a partner for Solania, Federico, and Camilo, to maintain the grounds of the Refugio Amazonico center, which means weeding the paths that the jungle continually wants to take back into themselves, repairing the buildings, re-thatching the roofs, etc. The center is along the Yukias River and the rest of the 300 acres of the Refuge is a nature reserve to protect the forest and wildlife: lagoon, island, two rivers, waterfalls, (donated by Tara Allen, Markell Brooks, Casey Straus, and your donations).

Left: Tradition Shuar house built by Camilo and Federico for our Center, photo E. Hartshorne Right: Lagoon on our Nature Reserve

5. We need a partner for Tuntuam Camilo and Federico Tsamaraint to build a traditional house by the fishponds, and a small store to sell their products.

6. We need a partner for Solania Unupi who makes traditional Shuar jewelry, handbags, and belts from the fibers and seeds of the rainforest. She needs an outlet in the United States and money for her supplies and her work with the other Shuar women. Email: solaniau@hotmail.com

Left: Solania wearing her jewelry, photo E. Hartshorne Right:Tamara Tsamaraint, Camilo's oldest daughter, photo E. Hartshorne

The income from the orchards, fish, and donations from visitors like you, need to make the Refugio Amazonico sustainable: the maintenance of the Refuge, the salaries of the teachers for the school, and take care of the three main families who are involved in the World Wheel Project with their elders and 14 children. Also we want enough income from these projects to give grants to some of the Shuar teenagers to be able to attend college. We (you) have supported Tamara in her first years of college and at this moment needs funding to go to her last two years, $2,500 a year.

Thank you for putting your thoughts to this project and may Arutum (God/spirit in Shuar language) inspire. May we all put joy into the world in our own ways, live lightly on this earth, and walk in conscious awareness. This is the healing needed for the planet at this time of disasters and political confusions.

I send much love and gratitude for all those who have contributed into the lives of our dear Amazon and Andean families and to all who read this newsletter,

P.S. I am holding Ocean Rainbow Spiral events as prayers for the Water's of our planet. Please see my website for photos, description, and how to send in poems about water that will be read at the events. Go to: www.vijali.net and click on "Vijali Journal". The first one was held in Costa Rica this May in the Caribbean waters where American oil companies have tried to establish themselves, but were block by Costa Rican activists. The next event will be held off the coast of Senegal, Africa in January 2008 where many Africans were stolen for slaves.

P.P.S. I am happy to announce that my book World Wheel: One Woman's Quest for Peace, is now available on my website www.vijali.net, click on "Vijali books".

Vijali in the Amazon — photo Catherine Allport

Send tax-deductible donations to The Seeds Project/World Wheel:
 
Vijali Hamilton
World Wheel Retreat
HC64 Box 2703
Castle Valley, UT 84532
worldwheel@vijali.net
www.vijali.net

*World Wheel is a project of EarthWays Found., a non-profit group that is concerned with personal growth and global awareness supporting personal & global transformation. 

Vijali Hamilton •  World Wheel Retreat •  HC 64, Box 2703 •  Castle Valley, UT 84532