Map of Ecuador showing the three regions of the coast (light gray) the Andean highlands (medium gray) and the Amazon (white), as well as the major rivers in the area. Health Area 6 is shown in dark gray and at higher scale to show the parroquias it includes. The Cutucu range is not shown on the map, but runs parallel to the Upano River and divides Health Area 6 such that Yaupi lies to the east of the Cutucu, while the Upano River lies to the west. The area of Pastaza where Shiwiar data was collected is indicated with crosshatching. Maps are based on data from the Sistema Integrado de Indicadores Sociales del Ecuador released by the Secretaría Técnica del Frente Social of Ecuador, and were published in Blackwell et al. 2009.

Upano Valley Shuar are currently experiencing rapid socio-economic change, with their economy primarily based on small-field horticulture, mixed small-scale agro-pastoralism and, when available, wage labor and timber sales. Diet is based on traditional horticultural products, augmented with non-traditional foods such as chicken, rice, sodas, chips, and sardines; hunting and fishing are no longer as important economically. In the last decade, dirt road and electrical grid access has increased dramatically for Upano Valley communities.  Paving of the main road between Sucua and Puyo to the North, completed in 2009, is further accelerating change in the area.

Map of the Morona-Santiago region of southeastern Ecuador showing the Upano River Valley (left) with central towns of Macas and Sucua, and the Cross-Cutucu region (right) on the east side of the Cutucu Mountain Range.

In contrast, Cross-Cutucu Shuar lack access to roads and the electrical grid. Hunting, fishing, and subsistence horticulture remain the primary means of subsistence, with limited agricultural, cattle, or timber sales. Travel to market centers from riverside communities involves a motor canoe trip ranging from 1-16 hours, followed by an 8-9 hour bus ride, with some communities a day’s walk or more from navigable rivers. However, construction of additional dirt roads across the Cutucu has recently begun, and plans for electrification are underway. For more information on Upano Valley and Cross-Cutucu Shuar, check out the Shuar page.

Some Photos from Our Research
The field research team in the Upano Valley in 2008	Shuar men clearing a field
Collecting grape-like fruit from a high tree	Larry Sugiyama with Oswaldo Mankash, the 2009 Shuar Federation Health Director
Josh Snodgrass performing a finger prick on a Shuar girl to collect blood spots and to test for anemia	Graduate student Melissa Liebert and undergraduate Ruby Fried interview a Shuar woman
Aaron Blackwell measuring grip strength	Shuar woman making ayampacos
Shuar women pounding barbasco, a poisonous root used for fishing	Porta Morona, the port that allows canoe access to the remote Cross-Cutucu region