Historia daniel aeguazu

ºDaniel Aeguazu Ureyo

Fit in around, with out being embarrassed of where I came from

[pic]
Daniel Aeguazu junto a su familia en La Pampa de la Isla-Santa Cruz.

My last name is Aégwasu, but priest who baptism me wrote Aeguazu. And this is the way it was set up. Life taught me, the importance of the writing for culture development, but each language has its own sound and thealphabet´s uses vary. That is why I started a project about the guarayans writing. This project ended as a guarayan´s dictionary, so now I work in myth and stories compilation, of my people. Hoping this help to get stronger my people culture.

I born in Urubicha in 1963, my father was Cirilo Aeguazu and my mother, which still alive is named Maria Ureyo. I was a kid when my father had to leave thetown, years later he comes back. When he got apart my mother, I was 9 years old. The brotherhood, -2 boys and 3 girls- lived our entire childhood only with my mother. Thanks to the priest, Father Walter, I could attend to school in Guarayos, where I studies and stayed. My mother and sisters, stayed in Urubicha. Today my mother still lives there with my sisters. The rest of the family came toSanta Cruz the city. My brother arrived very young and never returned home. Then the discrimination in Santa Cruz were huge, and that is why he decided to change his name, this way he would not be identify as a guarayan.Today his name is quite pure spanish

At home we always talked in guarayan language. Later I learned Spanish when I got school, in Ascencion de Guarayos a biggest town. This was anun´s schook, where we were to speak only Spanish. The situation was kind of violent, because we were forbidden to speak our language even between us. By tradition guarayans always avoid to interact with other etnias. In general we try not to have any relationships with other groups. I believe this isolated situation is one of the reasons, because guarayan culture remains purest. We didn’t“serve” because we never wanted to depend on a master. Kids in Urubicha, are very communicative between them, but if they see a foreigner, barely say hi. However in Ascencion, -where different kind of people arrived- kids are more outgoing, and communicative, and in time they forget our language.

Art and identity

At school there were a nun, who taught us music, so I learned to play guitar, afterthat we made a band “Los amigos” (The friends). We were Urubicha´s people, from Ascencion and from Yaguaru. Then I made a folklore course with Prof. Yolanda Cabrera, this way I understood music as an ideal tool to make people learn about our culture. That is important in order to a community keep the identity. That is good for self esteem. If I hear our music playing in the city, I feel so proud.Our repertoire, include own songs, and others compiled by us. Our rhythms are Chovenas, and the carnival, which is kind of jumping rhythm. Our first cassette was recorded with “Centro Indigena del Oriente Boliviano” CIDOB support and it is in guarayan language.

At school ensure me that I was so talented painting. Won a contest organized by “Fe y Alegria”, so when I got graduated, one of thenun wanted to send me to a Concepcion de Chiquitos, to learn carving, but nun Ludmila from Urubicha, were already talk with Lorgio Vaca (famous artist) to work there as a pupil. With him I learned ceramic, and work in making some murals. Was a nice experience, but there were a friend who advice me wrong, so I left that job. For 5 years I been working here and there, with out finding a path formy life.

The knowledge
When I returned to Urubicha, priest Walter took care of me again and sent me to Muyurina, (boarding school) where I stayed 3 years, until I graduated as agricultural technician. There I met father Peletti, to whom I helped playing guitar during mass. He wanted I became priest too, but was not my vocation. So he encouraged me to join the army

When I got...