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“Guayusa upina: Storytelling as Ritual in the Ecuadorian Amazon.” (“Guayusa upina: Cuentacuentos como un ritual en la Amazonía ecuatoriana”)

This past summer, I spent seven weeks working, living, and being in community with members of a Kichwa community in Mushullakta, Ecuador, in the Amazon Rainforest. Rather than a presentation of an outsider telling a story of Mushullakta, this session is a video presentation of the community of Mushullakta sharing their storytelling practices and traditions in their own words. In Mushullakta, the practice of storytelling is a part of the daily “Guayusa upina” ritual. Guayusa upina takes place before dawn, and is both a family and community-wide practice where community members/families drink guayusa tea, interpret dreams, and plan for the day. In accordance with this practice, during this session, we will learn about storytelling in Mushullakta through the Guayusa upina format. I invite you all and welcome you to participate in the Guayusa upina ritual, reflect on this practice, and engage with storytelling as traditionally practiced in Mushullakta and Kichwa communities in Ecuador.