Pureido

Our community of San Luis de Zama is located in the Selva de Matavén reservation in the department of Vichada. Our work arises as an alternative for the generation of complimentary income, which help the economy of the Piaroa families. 

Our production is characterized for the utilization of natural raw materials like  chiquichiqui, the yaré, and the piragua. These materials are soaked, dried, and scraped; the processes of cutting in strips and weaving in the rolling technique give as a result, products that are high in quality and beauty. 

Our entire work is based in the preservation and sustainable use of natural resources, maintaining the cultural knowledge that is passed on from generation from generation.


San Luis de Zama community

We, the piaroa, are people of the jungle. In the year 2000, to gain another source of community income, we began the elaboration of crafts. We undergo a process of profound reflection, and after a work that involves the recovery of knowledge, artisans join together, organize the production, divide the tasks, and create our group of Pureido artisans.  

Artisan Association of San Luis de Zama - Pureido

The current and ancestral territory of the piaroa is located in the middle basin of the Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela. Our community of San Luis de Zama was founded in 1977 and is located in the sector of Caño Zama del Gran Reservation of Gran Selva de Mataven. The majority of our town is located in Venezuela, but generally, we receive families from the neighboring country and share beliefs and practices. In Colombia, we live in the department of Vichada, Colombia. 

Piaroa territory

Foto aérea SLZ

Pureido - Animagraph 

Piaroa San Luis

This is what a "nasa" looks like – fishing traps – that we use to trap fish in the river. It is a tool to collect our traditional food. We place it in the river, against the current, we camouflage it with branches and leaves, and we wait. After some time, we find some fish in the trap and we share them with the community. 

Artisans

Pureido

Culture
Piaroa

Artisans

Pureido

CulturePiaroa

Culture
Piaroa