ECHO 2002 Daily Diary  
Columbia Education Center
ECHO 2002
DAILY DIARY
July 16, 2002

Today's ECHO activities brought to you by


"Liberty Spuds"

Yohandre Suarez
Jim Harper
Linda Nolevanko

 

Aritfacts from the indegenous people of Paraguay, including whistles, fire starter and carvings


 Indigenous People of Paraguay
Like the United States, Paraguay has several aboriginal peoples, which sadly now only constitute about three percent of the of the country's approximately six million inhabitants. Today we visited a reservation of about 1,500 Maka people and met the chief ("cacique"), who is also an ordained Baptist minister. The Maka are primarily an egalitarian and communal society. The roads are unpaved and most of the families live in corrugated iron houses. Construction of the few communal centers in the reservation were made possible through donations from foreign countries, most notably Japan and the U.S. The Maka were relocated from the Chaco (western region) and are struggling to create and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. A major highlight of today's excursion into the Maka reservation was a traditional dance, which featured chanting by a group lead by elders in traditional costume who interlocked their arms and moved in a counterclockwise formation.

Language Issues of Paraguay
The Maka children study at least three languages: Maka, Spanish and Guarani. Although many dialects of Guarani exist, Paraguayan Guarani (or "Jopara") is the lingua franca of the native inhabitants of Paraguay. Despite Spanish colonization and subsequent language codification, Guarani survived -- ironically and in large part -- due to Jesuit efforts to create its written form. Guarani is spoken by about 87% of the population of Paraguay, versus 57% that know Spanish. In fact, according to Professor Luz Maria Ojeda, "most Paraguayans don't understand Spanish very well."

Words such as "caribe" in "Caribbean" and "jaguar" originated from Guarani, and the language uses onomatopoeia widely; for example: pororo = popcorn, chororo = running water, sununu = thunder (try saying them five times fast!) For more information on languages in Paraguay visit www.falevi.edu.py.

Mg. Luz Maria Ojeda, Prof. of Living Languages, Universidad Evangelica del Paraguay, holding a baby at the Maka reservation.

Maka traditional dancers

Maka handicrafts


Off to the Zoo!
This afternoon we were welcomed to the National Botanical Gardens, Natural History Museum, and Zoo, located on the former estate of President Lopez. The gardens are known internationally for its 30,000-plus collection of dried and identified plants, which are stored in antique files in a non-airconditioned room, which they hope to renovate and climatize soon. Next door is the Museum of Natural History, which houses specimens ranging from a whale's eye to a human mummy. Many of the creatures looked like strange (to us) variations of goats and pigs and monkeys. Paraguay houses one of the world's most diverse ecosystems, and it is considered a paradise for bird watchers. The zoo is being modernized too, but its current inhabitants are quite impressive and quite noisy at sunset. Perhaps most impressive were the large jaguars with their spotted coats and strong jaws. Also native to Paraguay is the scarlet macaw or parrot, which are also on display at our lovely hotel. Also at the hotel are several species of monkeys, and a tiny deer plus toucans, tortoises, ducks and storks.

We've heard more than once that growing something in Paraguay is as easy as dropping a seed in the soil. The diversity of wildlife and flora is one of its great treasures. Another is its diverse, multilingual people, who are both struggling to prosper in the modern world and to preserve the heartfelt customs of their traditional cultures.

Ocelot at the National Zoo of Paraguay

Butterflies, at the Museum of Natural History, some of which are extinct.


Today's Recipe: Chipa Guazu (cheese cornmeal soufflé)
This delicious dish uses full kernels of corn mixed with cheese and onions - yum! Here are the ingredients:

1 Kg. Fresh tender corn removed from cob
500 g cheese (white, semi-soft)
½ liter milk
10 eggs
300 g shortening
100 g diced onion
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together and liquefy. Grease a 9"x13" pan and pour in mixture. Cook for 45 minutes, remove and serve warm. Enjoy!