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Yine
Interviews
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V.
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Tales and Personal History |
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Interview with : Gerardo Gómez
Interviewers : Steve Frankham/Anja Stijnen
Date : 12-July-01 (8:50 – 10:15)
The Spider Monkey and the Howler Monkey II
Two monkeys, a spider monkey and a howler monkey, are on the beach.
The spider monkey presents the howler with a competition, but in a
very intelligent way….. It's a race to see who can make it up the tree
the fastest, which both can do very well. However, since there are no
trees on the beach, they first have to swim to a place that has trees.
The spider monkey can swim well, but it’s quite difficult for the
howler. Completely exhausted, the howler reaches the foot of the tree
long after the spider monkey. At this point the howler monkey has no
energy to climb the tree, so the spider monkey wins.
About Animals and People
Before, the Yine people lived like animals eating fruits (like the
charichuela) and raw meat. The animals lived like people drinking
masato and eating cooked meat.
There was a tapir that had a yuca crop. The Yine, who had nothing,
went to ask for a bit of yuca. The tapir did not want to give them
some, but he gave them a yuca branch to plant. However, the yucca did
not grow.
A Yine girl raised three birds: a small woodpecker, a large woodpecker
and a chacarero. When the Yine were finally tired of eating raw meat,
they decided to send the birds to look for firewood, to be able to
make a fire to cook their meat. First, the small woodpecker left but
he never returned: he was killed by the vultures, that didn't want to
give him firewood so that the Yine could cook. Next the large
woodpecker left, but he didn't return either for he was also killed by
the vultures. The chacarero was the last to depart, and he was
successful bringing the firewood to the Yine. Then, they were able to
live like humans, and the vultures and the tapirs converted into
animals. And it's still that way, up until today.
Personal History
Approximately 15 years ago, Gerardo Gómez and his family lived in the
Manu National Park, near Sacarita, for about 8 years. When the loggers
arrived, the Yine people worked with them. Since they did not have a
peque-peque (small self-made outboard motor), they built a raft that
took them to Laberinto (a four-month trip from Boca Manu) to sell
wood. Then they returned in canoe.
One day, Mr. Calisto arrived to the Park. He denounced the Yine for
hunting animals, something the Yine did not do, but rather Mr. Calisto
himself. However, they had to move. The founders of Old Diamante are
Aladino Vargas and Mateo Gómez Ignacio (the father of Gerardo Gómez
Ignacio).
Gerardo was with his godfather in Puerto Maldonado, where he finished
the fourth grade in high school. At 18 he entered the military. He got
to know Lima and Cusco, where he has a room, but he considers Diamante
his home.
He believes that the wives in Diamante are not very faithful: when you
leave to go to work, they already are with other men. It’s preferable
to have a wife somewhere else. He believes that you must learn a
trade, any trade, in order to make a living (driver, carpenter).
One day Gerardo left to go hunting. He spotted jaguar tracks. The
jaguar was resting under a fallen tree. They both became frightened
when they saw each other. The jaguar took off running and Gerardo
jumped into the water out of fear.
Gerardo lived with the Matsiguenka for about 8 months. They are
different from the Yine people. The Matsiguenka are civilized, while
the Yine are not, the Matsiguenka speak a different dialect and eat
frogs, lizards and worms, however, the Yine do not.
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