Paths to the Past: Reconnecting Shiwiar and Mochica Peoples with Their Cultural Legacies

This project aims to reconnect Indigenous communities in southeastern Ecuador and norther Peru with archival materials housed in Berlin, fostering cultural revitalization and reclaiming ancestral knowledge. The project will explore collections at the Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut, Ethnologiches Museum, Humboldt University Archive, and Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. These archives contain significant yet underexplored records, such as manuscripts, artifacts, and linguistic data collected from Shiwiar and Mochica communities by German ethnographers like Eduard Seler and Adolf Bastian.

The project has two interconnected goals: (1) to identify and document these materials, providing cultural and linguistic context through collaboration with Shiwiar and Mochica-descendant communities, and (2) to develop accessible outputs, including multilingual educational resources, workshops, and a digital repository. By centering Indigenous voices and perspectives, the project will decolonize archival narratives and empower communities to reclaim their heritage.

This initiative addresses cultural sustainability, equity, and Indigenous engagement. Outcomes include revitalized connections between archives and Indigenous communties, strengthened cross-disciplinary partnerships, and lasting impact on the cultural preservation and education in Ecuador and Peru.

Shiwiar and Mochica linguistic and cultural reclamation