Tribe Life: Dish of the Day

(Jemma Woodman from Cool Earth is visiting the community of Cutivireni in the Rio Ene Valley of the Peruvian Amazon, who are partnering with Cool Earth to protect trees and block logging. Her Tribe Life Notes, show detail diet and the dish of the day.)  

This morning Cesar returns from his night of hunting with an Armadillo. This brings about a real buzz in the village as everyone has an appetite for armadillo. No meat has been served up for about two weeks and today's dish will provide a good dose of protein. Many of the younger children have orange hair which is a sign of malnutrition. This is because the staple diet is manioc and doesn't provide all the varied nutrients needed in growing children, so a little meat is welcomed by all.   

The Ashaninka share all their food so although the Armadillo is relatively small around 30 people get to have a taste. 

I ask Cesar how he caught the creature and whether he's always successful. He tells me that there is less food in the forest now, so he often comes away with nothing, however he he uses his torch to temporarily blind the animal which he rests on the top of his gun. You can see Cesar on a hunting trip with Matt Zaner, a teacher from California who raised $30,000 with his pupils to save endangered rainforest. 

Protect the traditional tribal life of the Ashaninka by saving rainforest now

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