Text : Carlos Sprei
Our enterprise felt the necessity of developing this ethno-sustainable tourism project for the reason that it cares about the sustainable development of the visited region, generating work and financial benefits to the natives’ local communities. This obstructs this settlements inhabitants´ necessity of migrating to the big urban centres and avoid, as consequence, the deterioration, the separation and the rupture of these communities.
This Ticuna´s Project’s route consists on visiting an indigenous community, The Ticuna, which population is located at São Leopoldo, in a Federal Government’s demarcated area, by FUNAI (Brazilian National Indian Foundation). This community lives by the Solimoes River’s margin and practices the subsistence agriculture. Furthermore, they hunt and fish following their forefather’s methods. This way, we offer to the tourist total contemplation for their habits and customs, fixing, valorising and helping to preserve the environment with this community cultural patrimony.
This program consists in let the tourist participates into the everyday of the Ticuna Indians. A program that is, at same time, a mix of tourism and anthropological experience .The visitor will take place into everyday activities of the Ticuna Indians and will also watch the animals, the birds-singing and the almost untouchable environment, what will certainly be a fantastic experience in his life.
As a consequence of taking part in this model of ethno-sustainable touristic project, the Ticuna will be paid through a fair value, receiving a pre-established amount for each passenger who visits them, developing the ideal that it is possible to achieve a fair commerce between all involved parts. Also it is important to note that the Ticuna Indians agreed with this project.
The Ticuna Project is supported by the Professor José Bessa – PHD Indian History and Indian Education, Indian People Research Program Coordinator at the UERJ – Brazilian Federal University.
Location
First we arrive in the city of Manaus, capital of the State of Amazons. An Anthropologist will join us to be our main guide during our tour to Ticuna Community in the middle of Rain Forest. We will stay in Manaus City for one night. In the morning there is a flight to Tabatinga City (it takes about 1h40m flight). Transfer to the dock for shipping onto Regional Boat to Benjamin Constant City. On the Day after we will leave for shipping on a Regional Boat to São Leopoldo to Ticuna Indian Community. Also it is necessary to walk one hour, always guided by a Ticuna Indian Guide and by an Anthropologist, before we arrive there.
Contact
Carlos Sprei.
Brasil10 Incoming
Rua da Assembléia 10 suite 1506
20011-000 Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Tel. : 55 21 2224 05 37
Fax : 55 21 2224 15 52
E-mail : produtos@brasil10.tur.br, carlos@brasil10.tur.br
Website : www.brasil10.tur.br/ingles/ingles.htm
Languages : English, Spanish, French and German
Cultural Information
Our enterprise selling this touristic package will be contributing with the sustainable development of a settlement that composes the forest population and you, our agency, the visitors who make this tour will all be pioneers into etno-sustainable tourism at its own habitat, so that their culture and identity may be preserved and lots of future generations have the possibility of travelling by the virgin nature and its traditions from the past that the Ticuna people still can offer to ourselves.
There are around 400 families of Ticuna indians at São Leopoldo’s Community, that stands an 01:30 h distant by boat from the small city of Benjamin Constant, with an one-hour walk through the jungle. There are also other Indian settlements at the region, but they are found at places with difficult access and their habitants are hostile.
www.brasil10.dyndns.org/web/ticuna