A Peruvian Canadian film touring parts of B.C. reveals similarities between the struggles Indigenous communities face in Peru with those in Canada.
Xeni Gwet'in Chief Roger William spoke at the Nov. 12 screening of Karuara, People of the River, in Williams Lake at the Cariboo Community Church.
After an audience of about 50 watched the film, William sat with a panel and talked about the parallels between the story told in the film and those told in his own community.
Karuara, People of the River, was made in close collaboration with the Kukama people whose culture is conveyed in the film. Viewers come to know Mariluz Canaquiri Murayari and her daughter Juanita as two women from the community of Shapajila situated along the banks of the Marañón River. The film tells the story of Juanita’s birth, her struggles as she moves to the city to attend secondary school and university and her own experience giving birth to a daughter in a community whose way of life is threatened by the impacts of oil spills and climate change.
Hand-painted animations are used to mould Kukama legends into the film, which tell the story of a god who used an arrow to create rivers but whose arm got tired in the process, leading to rivers which twist and turn. The animations also tell the story of a boa which turns into a woman, whose relations with a man produced a lake from which Kukama people originate.
These legends struck Chief William as similar to teachings in his own community, where stories of shapeshifters are told. William also noted the translation of Karuara, meaning ‘people of the river,’ as the local Tŝilhqot’in Nation are also known as the People of the River. Perhaps the parallel which is most evident between the Kukama story and that of Indigenous communities across the world is the experience of protecting and defending nature.
The film touches on the impact of oil operations on the land, water and creatures in the Amazon, with animations taking viewers through whirlpools, doors to cities below the river where Karuara spirits use turtles as chairs and alligators as canoes. The Karuara, of whom we learn are made up of Kukama people who were lured to the river’s depths, live happily and are protected by spirits such as the purawa who help maintain the river’s water levels. But a dark shadow is creeping over the Karuara world and is causing concern for the future.
The impact of oil operations on the Kukama way of life is no small thing. Not only do the Kukama bathe, play and fish from the rivers vulnerable to oil spills, but they believe their loved ones who have been lost are part of the river. To the Kukama, the Marañón River is a person, and the film was made to help support efforts to have the river respected as a person.
The film’s protagonist, Mariluz, is associate producer of the film and is also president of the Kukama Indigenous Women’s Federation of Peru. The women’s federation brings together women from about 30 communities wanting to stand up to powerful agencies whose actions impact the women’s communities and their way of life.
In its almost 30 years of existence, the federation has won two lawsuits. Most recently, the women won a lawsuit which recognizes the river as a legal person with rights. The film was made to help spread awareness about the women’s cause and put pressure on the government and oil companies to act justly. At least one oil company operating and exploring expansions in the area, Mariluz said, is PetroTal which has an office in Calgary, Alta.
As she spoke to viewers in Williams Lake, Mariluz said while the river is recognized as a legal person, the fight isn’t over. She wants to make sure the lawsuit is implemented, which means putting pressure on the government by writing letters and signing petitions and being prepared to set the standard for water management and stewardship by gathering Indigenous leaders and devising a plan that works for their communities.
Chief William said the Kukama story is not unlike what the Xeni Gwet'in and other nations across Canada have experienced.
“We need to fight for our water, we need to fight for our land,” he said.
The film will be shown in Vancouver on Nov. 14 at the Robson Square Theatre, and in Victoria at the Cinecentra Theatre on Nov. 18.
