17 July 2005

Eight hundred people from over 80 nations attended a ceremony of indigenous Andean healers, the opening ceremony of the Second People’s Health Assembly. Delegates from around the world dressed in white clothes came to be part of a ceremony in honour of Pachamama.

The ceremony was performed at the Pumapungo Archaeological Park, the site of the Tomebamba city where the Canaris and Incas lived hundreds of years ago.  Indigenous healers, seated around ceremonial decorations made from flower petals and maize seeds. directed their invocations to the forces of the nature, to the cosmic forces and prayed for the health for all.

As the participants entered Pumapongo Park, the tone was set for a solemn occasion by the rhythms of the traditional music, the chanting of the shamans and the giddy fragrances. Rapidly, one forgot that this site is in the middle of a modern city, tucked away behind Ecuador’s erstwhile Central Bank defunct since the dollarization of the economy in 2000. The Central Bank now houses ironically now houses a collection of old coins and an archeological museum.

The ceremony built steadily in tempo and at noon the shamans asked the spirits of the four cardinal points to give the world a balanced life: land, air, water and fire. These elements were represented in each point of a cross that was drawn on the floor with corn and red flowers.

When the ceremony ended delegates walked around with a slightly dazed air.  “I cannot begin to share the feelings that have penetrated my inner being. I am referring to the instant when we were asked to raise our hands towards the four directions, towards the sky and Mother Earth, “ said Julio Monsalves of Argentina. But like all ceremonies it was different things to different people. Nand Wadhwani from Costa Rica like many others said that he was deeply moved by the soaring music played on traditional instruments during the Ceremony. Johanna Orellana, a 9 year old Cuencana girl, dressed in traditional clothes was there to pray for nine month old Valentin who has life threatening cancer.

Beginning the People’s Health Assembly with a ceremony with traditional healers from across the world was a clear affirmation of the People's Health Movement to alternative paradigms of health.

After the ceremony came the release of the declaration of the Indigeneous Peoples. In the same breath that they asked for an end to xenophobic practices and discrimination against the world’s native people be punished they also called for the construction of a better world, in which people’s health represents that world’s joy, solidarity and harmony

Hear what a blogger has to say about the ceremony and PHA2: http://www.lipmagazine.org/conant

For more photos

Press Clippings from the event