Meeting with representatives of the municipal government
Today a meeting was held in the native community of Santa Martha, where representatives of the local authorities met with the indigenous peoples' community. They discussed how the community can become an ecological tourist destination where indigenous culture can be experienced and nature can be protected.
To achieve this, the community will be embellished and a cultural centre with a handicraft market, museum and botanical garden will be created. It is planned to reforest large areas of the community and to combine agroforestry concepts with organic farming. The lagoons will be cleaned and a pedestrian promenade will be built.
The Santa Martha area has now received its land title, for which it has been fighting for two years. The official recognition of the land as indigenous property is the basis for new investments. However, the presence of invasive companies that pollute the environment is an obstacle to sustainable community development. Illegal coal companies must be shut down to end air and water pollution. Access to the river will be restored and a port will be built so that indigenous people can fish and go on excursions with tourists.
Ecotourism tries to help preserve ancient crafts, such as embroidery, paintings and pottery, by attracting visitors who are interested in the culture and support it with their purchases. It is important that the indigenous people can make a living from their culture so that their culture lives on.
There are many ideas with great potential in Santa Martha. It is an advantage that the head of the community, Roger Bardales, is also an ambassador for the Shipibo Conibos and is very committed to promoting the community and is daring the balance of preserving the ancient cultures while finding new paths to a secure and prosperous future.
There are more than 200 indigenous communities in Ucayali, but most of them are many hours away. Santa Martha, on the other hand, is only ten minutes away from the city centre and has ideal conditions to develop tourism and act as a model community combining concepts of nature conservation and agriculture, living indigenous culture and promoting ecotourism.
“Santa Martha in Pucallpa shall become a green oasis where the culture and traditions of the Shipibo people can be experienced and where nature conservation is practised. At the same time, it should serve as a model for other communities, demonstrating that it is possible for indigenous peoples to move towards a modern future without losing their ancestral roots." Roger Bardales
The municipal authorities appreciated the concepts and the location, and see many opportunities for the development of ecotourism.
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