Ninos de la Amazonia: FAQ’s
Where is the village of San Martin de Tipischa?
San Martin de Tipishca, (pop.500) is in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, Peruvian Amazon. To arrive at this remote village requires a 1 1/2 hour flight from Lima to Iquitos, a 1 1/2 day trip upriver from Iquitos by cargo boat followed by a 1 1/2 hour trip by motorized canoe. Interestingly, Iquitos is the largest city in the world (pop. 300,000) navigable only by boat or plane.
What language do the people speak?
The villagers speak Spanish. Their indigenous language, Cocama, is spoken by a few elders in the community.
Who wrote the biographies and captions?
The children. They were translated into English.
Why do some photos appear with dates on them?
The village had no telephones, no internet access and no direct mail when the project began. Five years later, it has no internet access, no direct mail and one community telephone. After the project began and I had returned to the States, the children figured out how to make the dates appear on the photos and thought this was cool! Due to the obvious communication difficulties, it was months before the children received my message telling them not to do this! The dates have not been removed so as to maintain the integrity of the project and its photos.
©Copyright 2009 Amy Coplan. All rights reserved.