Chachi people (also Cayapas) are an

ethnic group An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

who live in the

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

area of northwestern Esmeraldas on the northern coast of

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

. They live by the Cayapas River in the Centro El Encanto, a section of the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve, as do Afro Ecuadorian people; the two groups have co-existed in the forest for about 400 years. There were approximately 5,000 Chachi in 2003.

History

According to Chachi oral tradition, they originated in

Imbabura Province Imbabura () is a Provinces of Ecuador, province located in the Andes of northern Ecuador. The capital is Ibarra, Ecuador, Ibarra. The people of the province speak Spanish, and a large portion of the population also speak the Imbaburan Kichwa va ...

in the mountains near Ibarra, fleeing after the Castilian invasion and spent time in

Chimborazo Chimborazo () is a stratovolcano situated in Ecuador in the Cordillera Occidental (Ecuador), Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known Types of volcanic eruptions, eruption is believed to have occurred around AD 550. Although not ...

. They were forced to settle in the area after the Spanish conquest of Ibarra, which led them to move to Esmeraldas. They have traditionally been known as Cayapas (''Cay'', meaning "son"; ''Apa'', meaning "father"). However, after rejecting the term "Father's Son", from 1978, the people have been called Chachi ("pure"). The Chachi speak a

Barbacoan language Barbacoan (also Barbakóan, Barbacoano, Barbacoana) is a language family spoken in Colombia and Ecuador. Genealogical relations The Barbacoan languages may be related to the Páez language. Barbacoan is often connected with the Paezan languages ...

named Cayapa. Linguistically, their closest living relatives are the Tsachila people of Ecuador. Today, they inhabit the river valleys of the Cayapas, Canandé, and Muisne Rivers in

Esmeraldas Province Esmeraldas () is a northwestern coastal province of Ecuador. The capital and largest city is Esmeraldas. Esmeraldas is one of the three provinces of Ecuador that borders Colombia, and it is the most northern province in the country. The provin ...

Culture

Chachi people are characterized as being marginalized and poor. Homes are built on stilts with sides and a roof of thatch. Women's clothing includes a loose skirt with a sash at the waist while men wear a long shirt with pants; both men and women have bare chests. Since colonization, Chachi have converted to Catholicism. The group's leader is known as "Uni" while the "Chaitalas" hold a lesser role. The canoe provides a means of transportation. Bark is used to form a kind of paper or fabric. Their economy is based on traditional subsistence agriculture and fishing. However, the Chachi are well noted for their basketwork, and they sell their craft items in stalls in Borbón, Limones, Esmeraldas and

Quito Quito (; ), officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city, capital and second-largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its metropolitan area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha Province, P ...

History

Culture

References

Further reading