Arley in the Amazon
“Arley…brings big hope to his people and to the future of the greater world.”
In January 2023, a small group of international travelers joins Itzhak Beery for a healing apprenticeship in Ecuador, staying with the family of don Basilio Payaguaje of the Seiko Pāai tribe in the Amazon River Basin. Basilio invites his grandson over, 24-year-old Arley Payaguaje—a farmer and visionary—to share his amazing projects reclaiming and protecting their tribal lands—lands that are deeply intertwined with their ancestral knowledge, foods, spiritual practices such as drinking yaje, medicines, handcrafts, and sense of who they are. They are part of the forest just as the forest is part of them. However, palm plantations decimate enormously vast swaths of jungle, and the pressure is high from the palm companies to steal the tribe's ability to self-sustain by tricking them into debts they can never repay and turning them into servants on their own land.
Arley, however, returned from college and went right to work, guided by the wisdom of his grandfather, Basilio, and the yaje they have been drinking together since he was a young boy. He began to protect and restore the land by teaching his community—and neighboring tribes—to once again grow their traditional plants, preserve what has not been lost, and forge a new future together fueled by the infinite wisdom of the jungle itself.
Arley's incredible dedication to his work—alongside his profoundly gentle heart—ignites within us a sense of hope. The possibility of a future in which humans can thrive as part of a healthy planet just might be within reach if we listen to the deep wisdom of the earth and work together to make it happen.
This podcast is translated between Spanish and English with some Pāai koka in an informal presentation style as we gather 'round the kitchen table and lean in to hear what Arley has to say. We are are not professional translators, transcribers, or anthropologists, but we are putting in our best efforts to share information, come up with solutions, and open our hearts for a brighter world.
Extra big thanks to Arley for his incredible work editing the Spanish transcription of this podcast! (His second language!). I was really struggling with editing the Spanish transcription and racing to stick to the weekly podcast schedule—Arley jumped right in when I asked for help just the day before publishing. His motivation is phenomenal, and the edits make his valuable message even more accessible. Though it was a lot of work that took hours, at the same time I was amazed by how relatively quickly he was able to string phrases together and send it all back. If I had not yet noticed how intelligent he is, I certainly did then, and I found even more hope in his ability to go far with his vision. Thank you, Arley! (Alexandra’s edits are on the way and they will be added when they are ready! Thank you Alexandra!)
Leave a comment or send a message on the contact page to join the conversation!
More resources: Itzhak Beery’s article about Arley
If you would like to support Arley’s projects, choose the "Food Forests Project" donation option at yakum.org.
p.s. Try not to buy any products at all with palm oil, no matter the source! Sustainable palm oil production does not exist.
Photos Arley recently sent (Spring 2023) working on various aspects of his projects
Transcription
[Some edits are still on the way and will be added when they are ready!]
Rattle (Jenny) 0:00
Jenny LePage 0:07
Hi, everyone. This is Jenny LePage, and you're listening to Conscious Conversations with Jenny LePage, a podcast about spiritual awakening, planetary shift in consciousness, adventure, healing, and finding your life path.
Jenny 0:29
Today is extra exciting because this is our very first episode and it includes a full, nearly unedited hour straight from the Amazon jungle, recorded this January 2023.
Jenny 0:50
Before we get into it, I want to share with you that right now our friends in the Amazon are dealing with the passing of one of the few remaining elders of the Sieko Pāai tribe, don Cesario Payaguaje. A lifetime yaje drinker and a spiritual leader known as a grandfather for everyone in the community, lived to be over 100 years old.
And now he joins the other fabled elders in the stars: the elder, Tin tin, and Delphine, and countless others through the ages we have never even heard about yaje drinkers who speak with the celestial beings and work to move their people forward with the most pure vision possible. It's so inspiring, especially in this time of climate change and great challenge on Earth. It is no easy task to navigate our way through a dramatically shifting planet without them. Losing our elders makes us ask: How do we carry the vision forward? How do we thrive on Earth—the Sieko Pāai people and all of us? As the jungle is reeling from Cesario's death just a few days ago, it seems like the perfect moment in time to introduce a young member of the tribe: Arley, who brings big hope to his people and to the future of the greater world.
Jenny 2:34
Arley Payaguaje is a 24-year-old farmer, visionary, and member of the Sieko Pāai tribe.
He grew up in the jungle, and then he went to college and learned Spanish fluently after mainly just speaking his native tribal language, Pāai koka, and then, guided by the spiritual plant medicine, yaje, that he has been drinking since a child with his grandfather, Basilio, and other elders and members of the community, he returned to his roots and he initiated a reforestation, conservation, and cultural preservation movement within his community—with his tribe and among other tribes. Amazingly, Arley has already inspired 40 families to successfully reclaim their land from the harmful palm oil companies that are constantly pushing against their way of life and the health of the whole jungle. They're growing self-sufficient, biodiverse, and traditional plants and doing a number of other incredible projects, with more underway. The Sieko Paai people are immeasurably intertwined with the land. Their deep and sometimes outright mystical relationship with nature can remind us of our own true roots.
Jenny 4:13
These times call for all of humanity to consider our relationship with the earth.
Our greatest healing and solutions include simply spending more time in direct contact with our source and listening to the true wisdom that life itself is always ready to share with us.
What Arley is doing might not be exactly what you do. Maybe you want to jump right in and support his work. That's great! Maybe you have another calling also...
What does your own time in communication—communion—with nature spark for you? What does the earth and your own intuition tell you?
Jenny 00:05:02
At this recording with Arley in the Amazon, we are a small international group spending time in Ecuador, learning traditional healing practices, apprenticing with Itzhak Beery. And at this point in our journey, we are staying with Basilio's family in the Amazon Basin. Basilio invited his grandson, Arley, over one evening to share his story, which he allowed me to record and now share with you.
We are sitting at the family's kitchen table listening to Arley speak, surrounded by community and family members in the great wild jungle and supported by a couple of our gracious translators today: Alexandra [Kastanopolus] and Marcela [Camacho], bridging the gap between English and Spanish and a little bit of Pāai koka.
Arley is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. He has spent a lot of effort overcoming his great shyness to launch his various projects and to speak to larger and larger groups in his community and beyond.
His inspiration and tenacity offer a spark of hope to so many. Maybe it will ignite your spirit too.
Jenny 00:06:34
I have to mention that sound quality in the Amazon jungle as a beginning podcaster is a little difficult to perfect.
In the end, I left it mostly raw and free of edits so that you can absorb the feel of the place yourself and listen to the most authentic version possible. You might hear a passing boat on the river, some startling jungle dogs, the family milling around us, doing what they do. Maybe you have to adjust the volume a little bit.
I invite you to take it all in. Not just the meaning of the words, but the tones, the spaces in between, the whole jungle that is one, just like the whole earth is one and which you just might get to feel yourself if you listen from your heart.
Jenny 7:36
I also want to let you know that transcriptions are available in English and Spanish as well, with my intermediate edits, on the website jennylepage.com. [BIG BIG Thanks to Arley his work reviewing the translations and transcription edits in both Spanish and a few words in Pāai koka!!! Alexandra is reviewing the transcript and her edits will be added when they are ready. Thank you Alexandra!!!]
And now, gather round as we quiet down and settle in…
Group Member: Raymond 8:05
(singing) In the jungle, the quiet jungle…
Itzhak Beery 8:12
This is Arley. He is just a wonderful, wonderful person, and I'm very, very proud of him.
Marcela: Translating (Spanish) 8:25
El dice que presales una persona maravillosa y que se siente muy orgulloso de ti.
Arley (Spanish) 8:34
Gracias, Itzhak por esta ______________.
Marcela (English) translating Arley 8:42
Thank you, Itzhak, for these words and for giving that love.
Arley (Spanish) 8:47
Bueno, mi nombre es Arley Payaguaje. Como trier. Mencionaba que mi abuelo Basilio.
Marcela (English) translating Arley 8:54
So, my grandfather is Basilio.
Arley (Spanish) 8:57
A veces siempre compartimos tomando yagé a partir de eso, desde el comienzo de mi pers anualidad de las proyecciones de mi trabajo más especialmente con las plantas, nació con un amor que tuve con las plantas con diversidad de frutas.
Marcela (English) translating Arley 9:23
Ok, so. I like to share with my grandfather (to drink Yaje); that is born from my heart. And he says that from there he got a passion for plants.
Arley (Spanish) 9:40
Y entonces eso es el inicio de mi idea de desde pequeño, desde 10 años.
Marcela (English) translating Arley 9:51
So, that's the beginning of this idea that I have [had] since I was ten.
Arley (Spanish) 9:57
Y entonces estuve estudiando de un colegio y tuve que dejar mi abuelo unos tiempos, casi como seis años. Y ahí volví a reconnectar con el mundo universal del bosque de todo la sabidura, el espíritu y el poder de la naturaleza.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 10:20
So, I went to school and I had to get away a little bit from my grandfather. But then I came back and I reconnect[ed] with the world of the spirit and the cosmic world.
Arley (Spanish) 10:33
Entonces comencé conos pequeños estudios o investigaciones de las áreas de adaptación de las plantas en las parcelas.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 10:46
So, I started to study a technology about adaptation of plants,
Arley (Spanish) 10:52
Plantas del bosque
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 10:54
Plants from the forest
Arley (Spanish) 10:55
Y entonces fue en el 2014-2016
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 11:03
from 2014 to 2016.
Arley (Spanish) 11:07
De esos pasos de inicio, como seña de tener algunas plantas del bosque que demora casi como 10 años en cargar frutas dentro del bosque. Y esa fue la idea a mi propósito de hacer motivar a los demás personas y demostrar que las plantas frutales adaptadas en las parcelas se cargan en menos de 10 años.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 11:29
So that (my purpose) was born. A purpose that…fruits from the jungle, from here that take many years to grow and to give fruits, grow around, and that people learn how to work with them, how to sambralas [?]
Alexandra (English) 11:48
How to sow them. And in their own house (referring to the forest), the trees, the native trees they take a really long time to produce. And this is inspiration for him to have more of that trees.
Marcela (English) 12:04
Hmm hmm. Thank you.
Arley (Spanish) 12:06
Entonces, eso fue como el inicio de mi trayecto de vida. Y desde el 2016, cuando salí del colegio, estudié algunos temas más importantes sobre Asia, sobre el mundo occidental y el mundo dentro de la comunidad Siekoya Remolino y Sewaya, como dentro de unos 10 años, va a ser pro estado dentro de la comunidad y qué cambios y qué consecuencias van a tener y que van a adoptar. Y entonces eso fue como una de las principales prioridades que pensé, como mejorar la soberanía alimentaria y cultural dentro de la comunidad y en otras tribus.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 12:53
So, after that, in 2017, he started to think about how to make better what people eat here in the community and start this vision of doing this around the plants and around the life in the community.
Arley (Spanish) 13:14
Y entonces, al inicio del trabajo, mío hacer compartir las demás familias fue un poco duro. Fue que comenzamos con siete familias a sembrar plantas medicinales, frutlaes, maderables y de artesanias, demostrar estas acitivdades con los de mas fue muy duro por que siempre decian que somos locos y que va demorar en crecer, en dar frutas en mas de 10 años y no valoraban y ahora que temenos resultados menos de 5 años quieren sembrar y estan mas de 40 familias inspiradas a formar y ser parte de esta vida Sieko Paai.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 13:29
So at the beginning, it was difficult to begin. They started with seven families to share these ideas.
Arley 13:48
Al inicio fui yo, La, Margoth Payaguaje, Gilberto Piaguaje, Lennn Piaguaje, Wilmer Piaguaje, Manolo Payaguaje y Cesar Piaguaje, fueron estas personas como principales motores para ispirar a dar Animo a los demás personas que estaban dentro de Nuclear familiar con otra ideología del proceso de trabajo con expancion de monocultivos y demostrando con diversificacion de las chacras. La mayoría de las personas, como Sieko paai dicen que sin el bosque, no somos Sieko Paai. Entonces, considerando esas posibilidades, y viendo en el pasado y el futuro, ven un medio que casi no era como una posibilidad de alcanzar muchas cosas pero si logramos a demostrar e insentivar el trabajo con la reforestacion con pantas importantes de nuestra cultura que ya estuvo perdiendo el conocimiento etnobotanico.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 14:27
So he started this project with seven people. Margot, Lenin and other people around the family and to teach more people from the community and to share. And he says it's difficult, but he believes in this because the Siekoya people think that if there is no jungle, there is no Siekoyas anymore.
Arley 14:53
En 2018 Conocí a Nick. Es como mi hermano, que compartimos y conectamos mucho con las plantas y psicologicamente conectamos con la esperanza de apoyar a las Comunidades.
Marcela (Spanish) 15:13
De donde es Nick? [Where is Nick from?]
Alexandra (Spanish) 15:14
Ingleterra
Arley (English) 15:15
England
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 15:16
Okay, so in 2018, he met Nick. He's from England, and he knows a lot about plants.
Alexandra (English)15:22
He has a foundation about [how] to rescue native plants from the jungle, all the mainly edible native plants. And he beginning [began] to working [work] in place from Tena where he is established; from there he had the vision that this need[s] to be expanded more, and then [that] he needs Arley.
[Cross-talk]
Nick, he is from England. Yeah, he's from England, but he's still living in Tena.
Arley (Spanish)15:59
Conocemos ahí conectamos mucho con con este proceso de adaptación de diferentes frutas, maderables de artesanía, de medicinas, y entonces
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 16:11
So they learn together how to Technify and organize all the information about plants, native plants for crafts, for wood, for food, for medicines.
Arley (Spanish) 16:25
Gracias a este proceso de estudio conocí muchas plantas, muchas frutas, y diferentes frutas que me gustaron bastante.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 16:33
So I learned a lot about in this process to know a lot of plants and fruits and different plants.
Arley (Spanish) 16:42
Y entonces fue para mí como algo nuevo, más allá de lo que había proyectado.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 16:48
So, this was something new for me. Bigger than I was projecting before.
Arley (Spanish) 16:55
Viga tana project informeseme persona calamaro [EDIT SUGGESTED] y las demás familias para un poco a ser estudio adaptación de las especies, saber cuáles frutas cargan más como entre tres años, cuatro años. Y entonces ahora tenemos algunos resultados que que hay algunas especies que cargan rápido, aunque sean nativas introducidas de otros lugares y de otros países, ya están cargando entre un año y medio y los otros demoran hasta dos años y medio. Tres años y hasta cinco años en cargar. Son adaptados.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 17:37
Okay. So since then, they are, like, getting to know very good [well] the technologies for plants, for growing these plants and studying how long they take to get the fruits and what are the best environments around the place to make them better.
Alexandra (English) 18:01
They are more interested in growing the plants that have the range of three years maximum of harvesting. Right now, they discover[ed] [a] few trees that have a year and a half to three years of [to] harvest. And some of that [those] plants are non-native, are introduced plants, but still adapting to this environment. And that is [those are] the plants that they wanted to seedling [plant] more for the project to be able to have more edible forests.
Arley (Spanish) 18:50
Entonces ahora la idea y el objetivo es la soberanía alimentaria, rescate de los conocimientos de las plantas, y cómo entender sobre los principios de la Comunidad de por qué no quieren destruir el bosque, porque quieren cuidar, tienen mucho amor hacia el bosque y entonces de entender dentro de las Comunidades hay algunas personas que quieren cambios destructivos y no constructivos y entonces hay muchas de las familias que quieren sembrar palmas por falta de la economía y por la necesidad de hacer estudiar a los hijos, en momentos de la salud, por la alimentación y por muchas otras cosas que hace falta y entonces es para mí una barrera de poder entender y proyectar de las mejores maneras y de las mejores estrategias fueron como entender esos principios de la Comunidad de todas las familias.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 20:08
So
He's.
(Cross-talk/laughing) 20:11
So the main principal objective, yes? for this idea is to give alternatives to the community, to have the possibility to have soberanía alimentaria [Spanish], how do you say?
Cross-talk 20:34
Sovereignty? To be resilient. In food. Self-sufficient.
Marcela (English) 20:44
Yes, that’s it. And also to give an alternative against this palm oil willing to get into the community. Because basically, he says, families need the money and need to survive and need to get their children to study and buy the things that are needed. So he see in this project, in this idea, a good possibility that the families can have these possibilities without the need to bring palm oil and destroy the forest.
Crosstalk in Group 21:19 An alternative? Yes, an alternative
Arley (Spanish) 21:25
Y entonces, en ese proceso de estudios que estamos realizando fue que hay algunas posibilidades que podemos aprovechar del beneficio que brinda el bosque sin hacer mucho impacto tanto en el bosque con los animales como con las demás diversidades que están. Y entonces descubrir más que hay otras metodologías que podemos, o sea, las familias pueden beneficiarse. Y entonces es cómo aprovechar los productos preparando algunas conservas o embutir envasados y sacando aceites, haciendo artesanías de las mismas que tienen. Y entonces son como unas fuentes de alternativas que podría sustentar, como unos planes de estrategias de piloto.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 22:18
Okay, so what they are doing is to use the forest. Keep trying to keep the forest in balance, growing some plants but always keeping the diversity, the life, animal and plant life. So, doing this in a very balanced way and also bringing this possibility we told you before about the economies of the families and also with the fruits and the other things they are growing—preparing different kinds of products…
Alexandra (English) 22:54
…products, medicines, extracts, and conserves from the fruit and use[using] it, make[ing] their own products with the different foods, seeds, and medicines. And this can be a way of income to keeping [keep] preserving the jungle, the balance of nature, the animals, and at the same time have[ing] some resilience in the community to have [be] self-sufficient and [have] income, too.
Arley (Spanish) 23:37
Como una de las ideas que tenemos para implementar como una estrategias de que realmente algunas familias se entienden, de qué sin la palma, sin el petróleo, sin los demás podemos sobresalir. Sí. Y entender la importancia que tiene también el bosque.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 24:04
So. One of the ideas…
Cross-talk 24:07
Sorry. [Speaking to the side in Spanish] (laughter)
Pardon que te interrumpe para poder traducir a ser más cortito.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 24:15
So, [in front of] the conflict that they are also in, between families, [is] because some families want the oil in [the ground] and some families don’t. They believe this is a really good alternative to preserve the forest and to have a good quality of life and to convince, also, other parts of the families—Siekoya families—to not want[ing] to bring the palm oil in the forest.
Arley (Spanish) 24:50
Y entonces esos son como una de las ideas que ahora ya están en práctica para entender cuál es la mejor fórmula de poder procesar algunos productos, como preparación de los helados de conservas y hasta qué tiempo sé dura y cuál es la mejor calidad del producto. Y entonces estamos en ese proceso de estudio ahora para poder entender y a la vez entender cuáles realmente pueden beneficiar, si es que sembramos en las chacras especies crecen rápido y producen más, al igual que no como una competencia, sino una estrategia que sostenga y sea de igual valor que la palma digamos, y entonces eso eso es la idea. Si.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 26:01
So, right now, they are in this specific moment of the process that they are trying different technologies and strategies so the products can last longer and how to prepare them, how to label them, how to also help different families he's talking about that can help many families and can be fair against the palm oil—so they can sell their products, how to sell them, how to move them. They are studying all that now.
Alexandra (English) 26:38
And what is the best way of efficiency be used [the most efficient way to use] the products without the waste, that is, some are better to extract [for extracting] the oil and others are better to preserve and eat, others are better to make tincture, and others are better more for handcraft. And right now, they experiment with the different techniques to be able to have more efficient products and ways the seeds or the fruits the trees produce. That is why they use it, a species they produce, they are harvest[ing] quite soon because in that way they can keep [have] food for the community, for the animals, and have some income with the products too.
Arley (Spanish) 27:40
Y ahora, viendo los demás familias que la idea que al principio habíamos planteado si da resultados, y entonces ahora hay la mayoría, de las familias dentro de la comunidad que quieren sembrar en este año de ansia.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 28:04
So [cross-talk] so basically [that] this year there are many families, new families that want to be part of this and are believing in this idea.
Alexandra (English) 28:21
Yeah, [in] this project, it's a foundation that Nick make it [made] with this purpose. And now Arley are [is] part of the S’iekopai territory, here in charge of all this territory of the Amazon, to be able to give to teaching [to teach] them how to take care of the trees. To check in time to time how the family is going [doing] with nursery, in the nurseries with the trees to looking [see] if the family is planting the trees. Seeing if the families need more trees or already need help for [with] planting more trees. And that is why he spend[s] most of the time seedling, planting, supervisor [seeding, planting, supervising] the families with the trees and bringing more seeds, and in [at] the same time organizing with the families what trees already produced and what kinds of products can begin to make it. He [Arley] made it that [He start this project] mainly because [of] the love the S’iekopai people have for the forest.
Group Member: Michael and cross-talk 29:44
Beautiful.
Arley (Spanish) 29:49
Yeah. Y entonces, el año pasado, casi nosotros lo hicimos con las demás familias. Trabajó dentro de la comunidad y también trabajó con otras nacionalidades que son A'i Cofanes de la Comunidades de Dureno y Sinangoe, estoy llevando los mismos procesos. Pero otra comunidad está recién comenzando. Y entonces resinosa sembramos y actualmente dentro de la comunidad estamos estudiando. Tengo sembrado como 8000 plantas de diferentes especies, de madera frutales, medicinales y de artesanía.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 30:35
So they are working here with the community, Siekoya, but they are also starting, also, to work with another community, Kofan community. And they are just starting there. [Cross-talk] With the Kofan, they are just starting. And he said that here, they had 8000 plants in the Siekoya territory. Plants for wood, handcrafts, food, and medicines.
Arley (Spanish) 31:09
Lo que estoy trabajando como dentro de la comunidad y fuera de la comunidad. Con el apoyo de la fundación Yakum.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 31:22
Yakum. So that is what he's doing right now with the support of Yakum Foundation. That is Nick’s foundation.
Pete (group member) 31:31
Bravo.
Raymond (group member) 31:33
Beautiful.
Arley (Spanish) 31:35
Para formar una organización es otra historia. También pensamos mucho en cómo poner el nombre de la fundación. Y entonces surgieron varias ideas de como decir lo este bosque cielo, o algunos otros nombres de los espíritus de la selva, y del río.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 32:09
So, they have been thinking a lot about the name. He said this is another story. [laughter] And the name of their foundation. And they were thinking about Sieko Paai names of spirits, of water, of the jungle. Different ideas.
Arley (Spanish) 32:24
Y …con cuatro idiomas de las nacionalidades y de los que conocíamos, de diferentes espíritus del bosque y de todos de los animales también,
Marcela (Spanish) 32:38
Como las ideas de nombre eran de cuatro nacionalidades. Cuáles [Which four nations formed the foundation?]
Arley (Spanish) 32:42
Shuar, Kichwa, Kofan, Siekoya
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 32:46
Okay. So, they shared these ideas. They had to put the name they [were] talked [about] in between Siekoyas, Kofanis, Shuars, and Quechuas (Kichwas). Yes. These four different communities in these four different languages. With the spirits of each community and the beliefs of each community, they were talking and sharing to pick a name.
Arley (Spanish) 33:12
Yeah. Yakum es como en sí, el significado que habíamos escogido el idioma Shuar.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 33:22
So, they picked a name of the Shuar language and Yakum means [Cross-talk] In English.
Arley (Spanish) 33:28
Mono aullador
Alexandra (English) 33:33
Holy Monkey [laughter]
Itzhak (English) 33:36
A what?
Marcela (English) 33:37
Holy Monkey
Itzhak (English) 33:37
Holy Monkey? [laughter]
Alexandra (English) 33:38
The one they [that] is little. And they, “ooh ughh ooh ughh” [monkey noises] [group laughter]
Marcela (English) 33:42
No. They are not little. [Spanish: estan grande] They are not little. They are big!
[Cross-talk]
Arley (Spanish) 33:52
A las cuatro de la mañana hasta las siete de la mañana. Sabe cantar
Alexandra (English) 33:58
Four a.m. to Seven. They. They sing.
Marcela (English) 34:01
They Sing
Alexandra (English) 34:02
They Usually sing. The holy monkey. Yakum.
Itzhak 34:06
Yakum. I like the Shuar name tuntui.
Alexandra (English) 34:11
Tun-tui
Itzhak 34:12
It's the tapping on the tree as a drum to call for the whole community to come together.
Alexandra (English) 34:20
Tun-tui
Itzhak 34:21
Tun-tui. Really beautiful.
Arley (Spanish) 34:27
[English]A holy monkey. ¿Dónde? [Spanish] el principio. Él siempre pasa por los bosques. Cantan en las madrugadas y en las tardes. Y para mí, para los demás equipos que estuvimos formando, fue como una alerta mundial sobre el cambio climático. Cómo Holy monkey Cómo canta siente que está perdiendo su selva, su bosque, su casa juega, y entonces es como un llamado de alerta. El proceso de calentamiento global….
Jamal de laurta.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 35:12
So they pick[ed] the name of the holy monkey because the holy monkey is always singing, always in the forest, jumping up and down. Happy. But, also, they feel like this monkey is singing [like] loud to be against the climate change and all the destruction of the forest. So that's why they thought it was a really powerful name to put in their foundation.
Alexandra (English) 35:38
Yeah, for them, it's like the holy monkey is singing “to listen to him;” he loves him [his] home. And the foundation that Arley, are [is] part of is a major foundation. Margot too. They are part of that project from the beginning on, with Nick. And they, together, help him to building [build] up and to put the communities together to do it. Margot and Arley and the other families.
Pete (Group Member) 36:22
Muy bonito [beautiful]
Arley (Spanish) 36:25
[Laughter]
Entonce mas o menos asi fue fundada Yakum.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 36:30
So, that's how it was founded. Our foundation.
Arley 36:33
Casi en el 2021
Marcela (English) 36:37
Like the beginning of, the forming of, foundation, it was 2021. It's really recent.
Group Member 36:45
Wow.
Arley (Spanish) 36:47
Yo trabajo y tengo viveros en cada comunidad. Y entonces tengo en las comunidades de: Sewaya, Remolino, amisacho Dureno Sinangüe. Y entonces, desde eso, dentro de la de la comunidad misma consigo las semillas para poder distribuirlas a los demás comunidades. Y entonces, dentro del territorio de nosotros. Pero es de puro bosque y está increíble. Y entonces, desde eso saco las semillas. Y entonces ayuda como otra estrategia de comprar las semillas a las familias y de ahí para poder distribuirlas a las demás comunidades que ya no tienen y que ya están perdiendo.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 37:59
[Spanish] Ay yai yai yai! [English=wait] [Group Laughter]
So they have greenhouses around all the Siekoya communities. He said the names Remolino, Sewaya, Sinangüe [Cross-talk, more names of communities] So there are different communities and also they pick the seeds. So, he does [this] because, here, the forest is still kind of big. They pick all the seeds from the forest and they start to do this network of seeding also to share with other communities.
Alexandra (English) 38:33
And the foundation buy[s] the seeds for the families too, like a way of…
Marcela (English) 38:43
…returning…
Alexandra 38:44
…inspiration, and [and] [to]have some income to [for] the families and in [at] the same time they can nourish[ing] the nurseries.
Arley (Spanish) 38:56
Yeah. Y entonces. Es el trabajo como parte de la Fundación Yakum regresando de nuevo a la comunidad. Dentro de la comunidad hay varias proyecciones de cada familia y tienen varias ideas y proyecciones que casi son diferentes ideas que quieren comenzar a trabajar como familia.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 39:24
So there is [are] different ideas also from different families, new ideas that they want to begin.
[Spanish cross-talk with Arley] So there are families that [they] want to dedicate only to one product.
Arley (Spanish/Pai-Coca (?)) 39:41
Como el morete la ungurahua, washanso, maní de árbol.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 39:48
So he's talking about different specific fruits: morete, manidauribul [(sp?)], amoragua [(sp?)]
Alexandra (English) 39:54
All delicious!
Marcela (English) 39:55
All delicious! Yes.
[Cross-talk]
Arley (Spanish) 40:00
También hay otras variedades de productos que ellos quieren dedicar.
Marcela (Englih) Translating Arley 40:07
Yeah. So, some families kind of want to specialize in something specific. So, they are now trying to do this. Like not everybody doing the same thing but also some different small personal projects with their own interest, can be part of this.
Arley (Spanish) 40:28
Y las demás familias. Mi idea de tener como tutor agroecológicos que muestra la diversidad de diferentes especies.
Marcela (English) 40:43
Some other families they want to specialize in ecotourism and do agroecological tours.
Alexandra (English) 40:52
Agroforestry
Marcela (English) 40:53
Agroforestry tours. And they want to show people the forest, the animals, the plants, the projects they are doing, the balance they are finding in between the natural environment and the way of growing and dealing with plants and needs.
Arley (English) 41:15
Um yep.
Group Members (English) 41:17
Yeah, excellent.
Arley (Spanish) 41:19
Lo que es la proyección de las familias. Y más allá de las proyecciones de las familias, hay, como, en conjunto, que justo en el año pasado quedaron como Remolino y las demás familias, que, considerando como, a fuerza de todo lo que viene las causas de afuera hace los problemas y el impacto que viene como económicamente bellas a aún quedaron con fuerzas de resistencia de que dijeron que sin selva, nosotros no somos Siekopai, que más me dio como ánimos de trabajar, de implementar y más mejorar la técnica del sistema de lo que estoy trabajando.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 42:23
So now many families are believing that this is possible. They really believe that without the forest, there is no Secoya people. And they are believing that and having the strength to resist.
Alexandra (English) 42:41
And that love for the forest and that love for the jungle are the motive, the [what is] guiding arley to move on, to keep him working forward with this project and inspire him to no [not] let go that beautiful vision and love for the forest and for the jungle.
Group Member: Raymond 43:10
Beautiful.
Alexandra (Spanish) 43:11
Side-talk
Arley (Spanish) 43:22
Y cómo pueden hacer para apoyar en específico. Tenemos proyectos hechos en cada familia ahorita en este año. Voy a considerarlo así. Aún no tengo presupuesto, pero voy a ver ahora en este año, aumentaron más familias que no alcanzamos a avanzar económicamente para apoyar a ellos. Es muy poquita de lo que tengo ahora en este año.
Alexandra (Spanish) 43:57
Y cómo se puede apoyar. Tiene la fundación, cuentas bancarias Onmomanaco.
Arley (Spanish) 44:07
Para donaciones como fundación si tenemos si tenemos una cuenta bancaria que es como banco de Austro y ahí se puede hacer donaciones directamente a una comunidad que quieren apoyar. Hay diferentes comunidades y diferentes ramas que estamos trabajando y entonces hay como un proyecto de procesamiento de alimentos, proyecto de compra de materiales para donar a la comunidad. Hay proyectos de reforestación de plantas y metas por lograr en este Año. Entonces son proyectos dentro de la página web www.yakum.org hay proyectos de la comunidad mientras dentro de la comunidad y pueden apoyar.
Alexandra (English) 45:04
This year for the foundation is quite low (cross-talk), low budget, and many projects are short [on funds] and he cannot do [them]. But the foundation, Yakum, have [has] webpage and in the webpage of the foundation, Yakum, is [there are] different kinds of projects that anyone can donate [to]. There’s a project for materials, for making nurseries and communities. You can donate for materials, for reforestation, for medicine making, for food making, and each community the foundation supports with these projects. You can include choice [of] what community and what specific objective you want to support. And you can do that directly from the web page. And they right now try to looking [look] for support because this year, from the last year already it’ll be quite difficult for them to found it [find] a good support, but the spirit is always there, and it's really helpful to spread the word and to find a way of [find a way to] support these different projects and different communities too. It's not only, it’s the S’iekopai too, but it's lots of projects and different programs that you can, you can help for the project of reforestation.
Pete (Group Member) 47:08
What's the website?
Alexandra (English) 47:10
The website is called Yakum.
[yakum.org: to support Arley's project and this community specifically, please choose the option "Food Forests Project - Support Amazonian communities in reforesting their territory with the most nutritious food plants on the planet."]
Pete and Alexandra 47:13
Y A K U M
[Cross-talk]
Alexandra (English) 47:19
He can write it down for you and you can check inside and see it.
Cross-talk [about writing down and looking up the website Yakum.org [If you need to donate in USD please use this link. 100% proceeds are forward to Arley’s projects!)
Alexandra (English) 47:30
We don’t have reception here
More cross-talk about the website yakum.org
Marcela (English) 47:40
So, you have the page available?
Itzhak (English) 47:43
Yeah, yeah. I can share it later on with what's app.
Marcela (English) and cross-talk 47:46
You have the page?
Itzhak 47:48
Yeah.
[Cross-talk about yakum.org] 47:49
Yeah yeah. I’ll give it to you. Okay. Here we are. Corresponding. [Laughter] Excellent.
Arley (Spanish) 48:04
Entonces tenemos, como, dentro de la comunidad, ya de producción. Son 12 plantas que hemos sembrado en el 2018 y interesantes variedades de especies digamos.
Marcela (English) 48:20
Now they have twelve species of plants that are charging. Charging you say?
Alexandra (English) 48:26
They. Right now. They can harvest. And right now is [they are] produced inside of the community. Twelve different varieties of plants they already produced from the beginning of the project to now. And they are already doing products from that too. They make ice-cream, they make oils for the hair and for eating. They make conserves of really yummy fruits.
Group (English) 48:58
Mmm. Yum. Laughter
Marcela (English) 49:00
Are you doing some …[crosstalk with Arley: Huh?] 49:05
They will start also doing the black chile, the traditional black chile for selling outside, because normally the black chile, the neapia, is just for the family (solos mascot por las familias tradicionalemente…) . So every family make their own neapia, the black chile, and they use it. But now they are starting this idea also to sell.
Alexandra 49:30
That is where [it] come[s] from, [to] the inspiration for the womans [women] and the family of Basilio to make the medicines and extracts that you see there. Because the inspiration of them [their inspiration] is to keeping passed [passing] on the wisdom of how to use, preserve, and recognizing the medicinal remedies and plants used native from the S’eikopai territory.
Group member 50:04
Beautiful
(Group Member) 50:07
Qual es tu producto favorito? [Asking Arley his favorite product)…What, do you have a personal favorite product?
Cross-talk about Arley’s favorite product
Itzhak 50:19
Ice cream (group laughter)
Arley (Spanish) 50:25
Igual
Alexandra and Marcella 50:26
Uno! (group laughter) Cross-talk
Arley (Spanish) 50:35
Me gusta. Son casi la mayoría.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 50:36
I like them all (Group laughter). I don't have a favorite. (Group laughter)
Arley (Spanish) 50:41
El morete (ne’e Paai Koka ), el wasoka , Tamarindo Amazonico (el kaya Pāai koka).
Alexandra 50:55
Cuchayi!!! [(sp?)] Cuchayi is the grape. The grapes that we eat in the last day. That is one of his favorite.
Arley (English) 51:09
I adore them.
Arley (Spanish) 51:10
Casi. Los otros productos de la Asia son Mangostino, yuchotillo tampoy, mente.
Alexandra (English) 51:19
He have [has] traditional trees, native trees that he like[s] one of the he [the ones he] mentioned, but he still have [has] some products, some trees, they are introduced from [neighbor?] too that is really tasty. And he loves it too.
Arley (Spanish) 51:38
El más favorito es el Copal.
Marcela (English) Translating Arley 51:41
Ah. Copal is his favorite.
Alexandra (English) 51:44
Copal tree are his favorite!
Arley (Pāai koka and Spanish) 51:49
So-hon. Umblio
Alexandra (English) Translating Arley 51:53
Belly button.
Arley (Pāai koka) 52:00
Es de este tamaño. Y justo en marzo, mata a Madura de este tamaño. Y adentro tiene una semilla y unos polvos. Y ese polvo se chupa. Es como chicle. Se chupa. Y el sabor lo atrae el polvo y se queda como medio. Permanece. El sabor
Alexandra (English) 52:26
The flavor of the fruit. It's like a gum. And the texture is exactly like a gum. You know, they [gum sounds] um um um
Group Member (English) 52:39
Chewing!
(group laughter)
Alexandra (English) 52:41
And it has like a little…look like a pollen powder. And this covers the seed. And that is what you [are] licking. And when you [are] licking, it makes it kind of like a gum. And and that is him [his] favorite.
Arley (Pāai koka) 52:58
Wasoka
Group Member: Raymond 53:03
Can I ask? He mentioned that some of the S’iekopai people were in favor of the palm oil because it was going to bring money for the college and whatever them to use for. How are they responding to this project, the people that were wanting the palm oil?
Marcela (Spanish) to Arley 53:23
Antes que hay algunas personas de la comunidad que sí quieren que la palma sea sembrada en la comunidad. El pregunta Cómo responde en estas personas que sí quieren la palma a estos proyectos que Uds.. Están proponiendo.
Arley (Spanish) 53:42
El mayor resultado y el mayor impacto que tenemos dentro de la comunidad. Existieron la mayoría de las familias que sí quieren la palma. Pero hubo hacia él según el proceso de los avances que tuvimos un resultado con Procesamiento de productos de. Chonta y moreta. Y entonces eso fue como un impacto que vieron el resultado casi sin tregua de lo que ellos tienen dentro del bosque y nunca pensaron aprovechar de su propia casa. En las familias más o menos van como que empiezan a cambiar de idea ahora han cambiado de idea o siguen con la misma idea actualmente. Hay como 45 familias que habían cambiado bastante. Hay otros que son como 10 familias que quieren todavía sembrar palma.
Marcela, Alexandra, and Arley (Spanish) 54:33
Cross-talk
Arley (Spanish) 54:49
Spanish not translated: 40 familias (see below)
Marcela (English) 55:02
Ok so they do have results, especially with two products of different fruits and they got to see that the income is balanced. It's the same of what would be the income from palm oil without destroying their land. So, right now, 40 families changed their mind to this project.
Yeah, it's a lot.
Marcela (English) 55:35
They are trying, he says ten families they still want the palm oil.
Group Member (English) 55:40
That’s a huge impact.
Marcela (English) 55:44
It’s huge, yes. Because the main thing is that as he said at the beginning, people need money, they need their kids to study, they need to buy materials for school and clothing and health, all the things—that's a reality and this project is making it possible.
Alexandra (English) 56:05
And what he say is that still lots of families that make that vision is a way of fusion, all the change that’s happened with the traditional way of living. But they see, for example, Secoya, Sewaya community, and Remolino’s community that [are] resisting quite a bit to this, really strong, to this project and seeing they is [are] more able to plant [than] to cut in the jungle and planting the palm oil, for have [creating] more income to [for] the families but him [his] vision of have [having] support in [from] the foundation [is] making [helping] him founded [find] alternative ideas to bring income to the families that is [are] quite resistant and try [he tried] to convince them in [of] the way, [and] they [are] still resistant to no [not] planting the palm oil and planting more native trees. They produce food, but in [at] the same time preserving the ecosystem and traditional ways of living that is very important. Like the hunting, for example, because they, most of the time, just used to once a month or twice a month hunting but they cannot hunting [hunt] if it's [there are] not trees and animals. Cannot be [they can’t hunt] if there is no food forest. And that is why for them are [it is] so important to have food forests. Because [we have] food forest preserving [that preserve] ancient ways of living. Like hunting, like using the tools for the hunting, and in [at] the same time the animals can keeping spread [keep spreading] the seed and spread [plant] the forest.
But, it's a long way to [a long way to go to]…not convince…but to show the families and communities that [these ways] exist [with] other ways of living would not destroy the Amazon.
Group Member: Pete 58:32
Does he ever get any resistance from, like, the powerful companies? Like, you know what I mean? Resistance, like or any kind of pushback?
Marcela (Spanish) to Arley 58:42
Y si Uds.. Generan resistance or any y las compañías petroleras o de Palma les molestan y generan resistencia hacia sus proyectos, presión hacia seres.
Pete (Group Member) 59:22
Bucket of water [re dog commotion]
Arley 59:28
Y esa es una de las proyecciones que dentro de la comunidad en conjunto entre todos los socios de la comunidad hicieron como un compromiso de resistencia de protección y defender el bosque dentro de la comunidad. Como resistencia, ellos quieren proyectar algunos más grandes proyecciones dentro de la comunidad para dar el beneficio dentro de la comunidad directamente, como decir ellos dentro de la comunidad hicieron una carta de compromiso de compromiso de resistencia para cuidar los 22000 has. Dentro del territorio Sekoya Siekoya Remolino y Sewaya.
Marcela 1:00:00:23
So, the community made, like, an agreement, and they wrote a document that is a commitment for resistance against…
Itzhak 1:00:00:32
For what?
Marcela (English and Spanish) 60:00:33
…resistance against the palm oil companies and other companies. But
…su pregunta es más, si las compañías de como la expresión a Uds.. Para que lo hagan, si tienen estrategias de ellos.
Alexandra (Spanish) 1:00:50
La plantación
Arley (Spanish) 1:00:53
La plantación
Hace nosotros también hicimos un poco de estudios, estudios económicos y también de los beneficios que puede brindar el bosque. Y entonces, casi según a investigación, son de las mismas cantidades. Pero lo que más, más gruesa es de lo que está en el bosque, lo que tenemos y de lo que resistimos. Y si es que eramos. O sea, del punto de vista dentro de la comunidad como palmeras. Si tienen presión hacia la comunidad, que quieren hacer como un préstamo y que y que con una deuda de $10000 que siembran cinco hectáreas y que poco a poco vayan pagando. Y eso casi no es como No es un beneficio, digo, como un engaño. Si no si no quiere sembrar palma, va a estar con una encima. Va a estar con muchos trabajos y no va a tener cosechas de plantas frutales y cosas así.
Marcela (English and Spanish) 1:02:18
[English] So he's explaining the strategies of the palm oil. So, what they do…what they do
[Spanish] me corrige si me equivoco. Sí entendiendo.
[English] So what they do is they give them $10,000 as a, how do you say?
[Spanish] Prestoma,
Alexandra (English) 1:02:34
Borrow. They borrow. [Lend/debt]
Marcela (English) 1:02:38
I give you $10,000, then you have to give me the $10,000 back. And they give them all the technologies to grow the palm, but then they have to give back the $10,000 and keep the lands. Like so it's a trap, it's a trap. And that's..they put many [a lot of] pressure and they trick, they try to trick the people, you know, this way.
Alexandra (English)1:02:58
The …in the community, Remolinos, Hugo, one of the son of Abuelo (Grandfather) Basilio, uncle of Arley, are [is] the president of the organization of the committee, the organization there and the association of the community. And he explained before that they [palm companies] say lots of ideas, like this is a good future for the community, this is a progress, this is develop[ment], this is what the community needs. You [are] going to have constant[ly] income. But thanks to abuelo Basilio and him [his] love for the jungle and the forest and the location that [where] he raised up him [his] family, Hugo [is] asking more questions about what happens with the land if we cut the trees, what [will] the animals go to eat, where [will] we go to hunting [hunt], what happens with the rivers, what happens with the water? How do [are] the other communities, [that are] planting palms living, what happened with them? [Are] they still hunting, [do] they still have animals, [do] they still have trees? And thanks to all these questions and to him, they want to see the big picture of how the people live, how they say is a developed community. And he asked him from outsiders what is a developed community, and [to] come here to see how him [his] people live. He has still tried to resist to [that] the community, Remolinos, not [don’t] do the palm oil project. More families try to, do not do that [palm plantations]. With projects like Arley, with Yakum Foundation, they have hope. And the seed of hope. This inspires. There is [are] many other ways to preserve[ing] the Amazon, to preserve[ing] the ancient ways of living and not [be able to] give up to that ideas of develop[ment – not give in to the palm plantations]. They are not really healthy for the ancient ways of they [their] living but they they they receive lot of pressure from oil [petroleum] companies and palm oil companies too. There's no pressure in the way of pushing, but pressure in the way of trying to convince is [it’s] the best way to have an income and receive help. They [palm companies] they try to sell the idea that they can help them. But the Sieko Paai have quite a lot of love for the forest but it's [there’s] lots of change that already happened, that made them to, still, not decide properly what they want.
Jenny1:06:43
Wooooh!
Group clapping 1:06:44
Alexandra 1:06:52
He say (says) thank you for listening everybody.
Arley 1:06:56
Gracias tambien. [Thank you also]
Group Member: Pete 1:06:57
Muy importante [Very important]
Jenny 1:06:58
Good work. Yeah, bien viaje [good travels, oops wrong word!] [Laughter]
Bien trabajo (good work)
Arley 1:07:01
Yeah. Gracias. Si. [Yeah, thank you, yes]
Itzhak 1:07:07
Is it possible for us to visit there? To see where…
Marcela (Spanish) to Arley 1:07:13
Dónde queda algunos de? Pero podría él está preguntando [Can we go there?]
Alexandra (Spanish) to Arley 1:07:16
¿Pueden visitar tu casa y ver los árboles? ¿Ver una nube de los viveros? [Can we visit your place and see the nursery/trees?]
Arley (Spanish) 1:07:22
Si.
Tengo ahora que estoy implementando vivero en mi casa y tengo en cada la comunidad los viveros.
Alexandra (English) 1:07:36
¿Tal vez pueden ir a ver en tu casa? Cuándo pueden ellos se van el martes a lunes
Marcela (English) 1:07:45
Monday, he says. Alexandra (English) 1:07:50
He say(s) he can show him (his) home, the nursery, the trees they’re already planting. Monday in the morning.
Arley/Marcela 1:08:02
9:30
Alexandra (English) 1:08:05
After breakfast!
Itzhak 1:08:06
Bueno!
(Lots of laughter)
Alexandra (English)1:08:09
The mother say [says], “after breakfast!”
(Group laughter)
Marcela (English) 1:08:10
After breakfast!
Alexandra (English) 1:08:15
She is Arley’s mother.
And then you go [get] to eating [eat] some Amazon. Amazon Grapes.
Everyone 1:08:26
Laughter/talking/excitement
Arley 1:08:29
[A fruit] you can have
Alexandra 1:08:30
Ohhhh! And other fruits and one of them are my favorite. And I say Sh sh! (group laughter) I say to them! Hahahah!
But they say you can go visit the trees and the nursery, see him [his] place and have some fruits for [to] taste.
See you. See you Monday, he says.
Marcela (English) 1:09:03
Gracias, Arley.
Jenny LePage 1:09:10
Wow, that is so inspiring! And we did have an amazing time touring Arley's farm and helping him out. Big thanks to Arley Payaguaje for sharing his inspiration with all of us. And thanks again to our translators, Marcella Comancho and Alexandra Kastanopoulos. You can support Arley through yakum.org, which is also linked on my website, or get in touch with me directly at jennylepage.com if you want to collaborate around additional and ongoing support for projects with Arley and with the Sieko Paai community.
On our next show, we have been granted a very rare opportunity to interview and record an elder, Arley's grandfather, don Basilio Payaguaje. We talk about the plant medicine yaje and his insight into planetary healing, among other things. It's a very special interview that I'm excited to share, so be sure to tune in!
Basilio Payaguaje (Pāai koka) 1:10:25
[Not transcribed. He is telling us it is good we are at his place.]
Ocarina (Jenny) 1:10:36
Jenny LePage 1:10:56
Thank you for tuning in to Conscious Conversations with Jenny LePage. I hope it made your heart a little lighter and that it ignited a deeper connection to your true source. If you love listening, be sure to subscribe to this podcast and you can keep the show going with your support of a contribution at jennylepage.com. Thank you so much.
Drum (Jenny) 1:11:23
[Endnote: Support Arley's project at yakum.org. To choose to support his projects and this community specifically, please choose the option "Food Forests Project - Support Amazonian communities in reforesting their territory with the most nutritious food plants on the planet." If you need to donate in USD use the button below—100% proceeds are forwarded to Arley’s projects!]
