Matsés Indian Tribe

The Cat People - Page 5 of 5

Currently, it is not recommended to meet the Matsés using commercial tourist guides who due to their past indiscretions are often prohibited from entering the reserve by the Matsés chief. Best to have the Matsés Indians act as your guides, thus preventing the exploitation of the Matsés communities by outsiders. If you would like to receive more information and materials on the Matsés, please purchase a documentary and become a member, thereby gaining free access to the information needed (maps, videos, books, magazines and dictionaries) in order to plan a success trip to meet real indigenous Amazonians (that is, those who still speak their native language and practice their Amazonian culture).

For more information and to see more photos of my journey to the Galvez River, please visit the Matsés Photo Gallery. An excellent reference is the book, "Matsesën Nampid Chuibanaid, La Vida Tradicional de los Matsés" (The Traditional Life of the Matsés) in Matsés, Spanish and English, published in July, 2004 by the CAAAP (Centro Amazónico de Antropología y Aplicación Práctica, www.caaap.org.pe). For information on the ecology of the Yavarí Valley, please read Rapid Biological Inventories: 11, Peru:Yavarí, published by the Field Museum (www.fieldmuseum.org) in November, 2003.

Extraordinary documentaries of the Matis Indians (who are closely related to the Matsés) are available.  Again, if you would like to learn how you can meet Amazonian Indians and find out how you can help them preserve their culture, become a member and get free access to maps, magazines, books, videos, and indigenous dictionaries. Additionally, if you are interested in authentic Matsés handicrafts, please contact info(at)amazon-indians.org.

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