"In
the summer of 1998, DR Eloy Rodriguez and David Rosane of Cornell University
visited us in our small family village of Jodoimena, one of the forty villages
spread out across our territory in the upper orinoco valley. Together with students,
they learned of our ways and traditions and we shared some of our "biological"
knowledge with them. They have visited us repeatedly since, and we have diligently
helped them with their scientific explorations of the forest. In exchange for
our hospitality, we have asked that Cornell (er30@cornell.edu,
birddave@hotmail.com)
voice our identity and struggles to the outside world. So far, they have managed
to sollicit the interest of Survival International (www.survival.org.uk)
- we hope that this will give us the political tools to decide of our own future.
We have also asked that Cornell seek funds for medicine and the education of
our children. And we have agreed to work with Andines (www.andines.com),
a fair trade operation in Europe set on distributing our artwork and jewelry.
