El equipo

This time, Campbell, Yully and I aren´t alone. We´re traveling with a team of researchers from the United States. We have an ethnobiologist, a bee biologist, a linguist and a mathematician (and Campbell, of course).

Together, we visit the Maijuna, an indigenous community of about 300 people. We´re here at the annual Maijuna Congress to pitch a big idea: The team wants to collaborate with the Maijuna in a big interdisciplinary effort over the next five years. Each team member has a specific project in mind, and each is here to share his or her vision.

The team calls itself The Maijuna Biocultural Conservation Field Team, or El Comite de Colaboradores al Proyecto de Coservacion Biocultural a los Maijunas, or "el equipo" (my personal favorite).

Meet “el equipo”:

Michael Gilmore is an ethnobiologist, which means that he studies the relationship between people and plants. He has worked with the Maijuna for over 10 years and is an adviser to FECONAMAI, an indigenous federation that represent the four Maijuna communties. He is currently developing a map that displays the Maijuna´s use and knowledge of local natural resources. Michael is a goofball that always wears a smile. He loves to bust some chops. When I burned my knees beet red, Michael laughed, pointed and screamed, "I TOLD you so!" No worries, I´m gonna get him back.

German Perilla is a bee biologist. In the next five years, he will teach 24 Maijuna men and women how to manage bees and make honey. German is always the first one to ask you how you´re feeling, or to offer you some Milo (a chocolatey drink that we drool over). "Germancito no toma so milocito sin pancito." I´m not sure why we say that, but it seems highly appropriate.

No, German does not speak German.

Chris Beier is a linguist. Chris plans to learn Maijuna and initiate a Maijuna language revitalization program. Chris says that there are two types of linguists -- the field linguists and the theoretical linguists, and that she could never sit at a desk and be theoretical. "The first time I came to the Amazon, I fell in love."

Randy Gabel is a mathematician and a professor at George Mason University. He loves to travel, and that´s why he´s along for the ride with us. Randy and I both like to eavesdrop and to mull over paradoxes and riddles. Hey Randy, how many elephants are there? Either 5 or 7, I think.

And, of course, there´s Campbell, the copal resin and handicrafts guy. But I´ve already introduced you to this character.