The clothing worn by the first kichwas of the Amazon was made from local materials. In the case of women, they covered themselves with a skirt made of lanchama and men wore long wide trousers to the ankle, made of deerskin; they did not wear shoes. Today many communities wear the same clothes as the settlers and mestizos, however, in the Kichwa Añangu community the villagers reached an agreement to wear clothes typical of the Kichwa villages of the Amazon.
One of the villagers says: "To wear these clothes, we thought we had to sew our own clothes. Before it was made of lanchama, of a bark of a tree, then the grandparents began to use these typical clothes that we use now. All kichwas dress like this. This is for women, men, children.
They use it at school, too. The clothing is used in the kurymuyo, in meetings and parties. It's the same outfit that grandparents used to wear."
This garment consists of a shirt with floral designs that represent nature; in the neck they have three ribbons of green, blue and yellow color. Green represents nature and generates luck and life. A skirt that has the same ribbons on the edges is also used.
In addition to clothing, it is common for women to have long, beautiful hair. Lida Lola Grefa Grefa, 24, and Eva Yumbo, 39, say that women like to have long hair, but only let it out for important events, such as parties. They know natural methods to make their hair grow and look shiny and dark, for this they use ungurahua oil, which they extract from the fruit of a palm.
One of the villagers says: "To wear these clothes, we thought we had to sew our own clothes. Before it was made of lanchama, of a bark of a tree, then the grandparents began to use these typical clothes that we use now. All kichwas dress like this. This is for women, men, children.
They use it at school, too. The clothing is used in the kurymuyo, in meetings and parties. It's the same outfit that grandparents used to wear."
This garment consists of a shirt with floral designs that represent nature; in the neck they have three ribbons of green, blue and yellow color. Green represents nature and generates luck and life. A skirt that has the same ribbons on the edges is also used.
In addition to clothing, it is common for women to have long, beautiful hair. Lida Lola Grefa Grefa, 24, and Eva Yumbo, 39, say that women like to have long hair, but only let it out for important events, such as parties. They know natural methods to make their hair grow and look shiny and dark, for this they use ungurahua oil, which they extract from the fruit of a palm.