Reigniting Community Connection to Cultural Conservation
Location:
Aquia Community, Peru
Art Medium:
Mask Making, Video, Theater, Photography
Partner:
Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos - ECOAN
Artist:
Brayan Rupa Flores
The Challenge
Queuña trees are indigenous to the high Andes and serve critical ecological functions - regulating water, preventing erosion, and providing home and nutrients for insects, lichens, and birds. Despite being crucial to the ecology of the high Andes, they are endangered due to deforestation which is driven by the need for grazing land.
Additionally, globalization has been eroding indigenous culture which has eroded the valuing of natural resources and conservation practices. This is particularly true for youth.
The Action
ECOAN, together with Creative Action Institute, worked with local youth to reignite interest in indigenous culture and appreciation of Andean forests. The youth engaged in intergenerational dialogue, learning about the important role of the queuña forests in their ancestral culture. They then designed and implemented an advocacy project to engage their wider community in conversation around conservation and their indigenous heritage.
The young participants handcrafted masks, representing animals that rely on the forests, then used them for a theatrical performance as well as in stunning images in a photography exhibit. They presented these artworks at a community event, at which the community president committed to seeking funds for the continuation of this project, envisioning the creation of more videos and a radio program to continue spreading the message. The mayor also pledged to support future opportunities for Aquia’s youth to advocate for conservation.
The Impact
• 100% of youth participants developed a strengthened connection to the area’s biodiversity. Through the schools, participants are continuing to develop more videos and creating social media content about local biodiversity.
• The schools in Aquia established a formal space within the school curriculum to continue these environmental education activities and continue to promote a connection to the region’s biodiversity and its conservation.
• The masks created by the youth are permanently exhibited in the community hall.
• The video continues to be used as an educational tool by ECOAN as part of reforestation campaigns in communities.
Photo Gallery
