Peruvian Women Heal Themselves with Song, Art

01The thirty-six-year-old Peruvian artist Sadit Silvano makes creations born of ancient songs.

02Brush in hand, eyes on the cloth, the Peruvian woman paints as she sings, and through her voice her ancestors speak.

03When we paint, we listen to the inspiration that comes from the music, and connect to nature, to our elders, said Silvano.

04The artist now lives and works in Lima, Peru, where she moved twenty years ago from Pauyan.

05It is a Shipibo-Conibo indigenous community located in the Amazon.

06These pieces are sacred, she added.

07We bless our work with the energy of our songs.

08Official data says close to thirty-three thousand Shipibo-Conibo people live in Peru.

09They are believed to come from the surroundings of the Yicali River.

10Many moved to urban areas like Cantagallo, the Lima neighborhood where Silvano lives.

11Hand-painted textiles like the ones she makes have slowly gained recognition.

12Known as Cine, these works were declared part of the cultural heritage of the nation by the Peruvian government in 2008.

13Each Cine is special, Shipibo crafts women say.

14Every design speaks of a woman's community, her worldview, and beliefs.

15Every design tells a story, Silvano said while dressed in traditional clothing.

16It is a way in which a Shipibo woman distinguishes herself.

17Pauyan, where Silvano was born, is far from Lima.

18To get there requires an airplane flight and a twelve-hour boat trip.

19In her hometown, locals rarely speak languages other than Shipibo.

20Doors and windows there have no locks.

21Adela Sampayo, a forty-eight-year-old healer who was born not too far from Pauyan, moved to Cantagallo in 2000.

22But she says that all her skills come from the Amazon River area.

23Since I was a little girl, my mom treated me with traditional medicine, said Sampayo.

24She gave me plants to become stronger, to avoid getting sick, to be courageous, she added.

25That's how the energy of the plants started growing inside me.

26Sampayo, too, communicates her worldview through her textiles.

27Though she does not paint, she embroiders, and each thread tells a tale from home.

28Each plant has a spirit, said the healer, pointing to the leaves embroidered in the cloth.

29And medicinal plants come from God.

30The plants painted by Silvano also bear meaning.

31One of them represents pure love.

32Another represents a wise man.

33And another, a serpent.

34The anaconda is special for us, Silvano said.

35It's our protector, like a god that cares for us and provides food and water.

36In ancient times, she said, her people believed that the sun was their father, and the anacondas were their guardians.

37Colonization brought Catholicism, and their worldview changed.

38Nowadays we have different religions, but we respect our other beliefs, too, Silvano said.

39For many years, after her father took her to Lima hoping for a better future, she thought of her time in the jungle.

40Life in Pauyan was not easy, but she learned to be strong at a young age.

41When we encounter difficult times, we overcome them with our therapy.

42Designing, painting, singing, Silvano said.

43We have a song that is melodic and heals our soul, and another one that is inspiring and brings us joy.

44Few Shipibo girls are told to study or make a living of their own, Silvano said.

45Instead, they are taught to wait for a husband.

46And once married, they are taught to deal with problems, difficulties, or bad treatment.

47Even though we suffer, people tell us, Take it, he's the father of your children.

48Take it, he is your husband, Silvano said.

49But deep inside, we are wounded.

50So what do we do?

51We sing.

52The lesson is taught by mothers to daughters.

53If you are hurt at home, grab your cloth, your brush, and leave.

54Go far away, alone, and sit.

55Connect with your canet and paint.

56And while you paint, sing.

57That's our healing, Silvano said.

58Through our songs, our canets, we are free.

59I'm John Russell.

60I'm John Russell.

61I'm John Russell.

62I'm John Russell.

63I'm John Russell.

64I'm John Russell.

65I'm John Russell.