Ucayali-Yurua Asheninka in Peru


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua are one of the least reached of the Ashéninka people groups in the Peruvian Amazon. Historically, they have had tense interactions with outsiders, suffering enslavement and devastating epidemics during the 20th century rubber boom.

The Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua have had some exposure to the gospel since Peruvian churches and foreign mission agencies began working among them in the 1920s. Since then, the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and Modern Day have translated the New Testament into the Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua dialect. In the last 10 years there have been various mission agencies working among the people with limited results. As such, there are very few believers and no known evangelical churches among the Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua.


Where Are they Located?

The Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua live in the central jungle of Peru from the Ucayali River to the Yurua River along the border with Brazil.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua are semi-nomadic, as they often travel to visit family for several months at a time. As a river people, much of their culture and vocabulary center around rivers. They have tenaciously held onto their language and culture in a country that is quick to absorb indigenous peoples in the larger mestizo culture.

They prefer small family units to large communities and live in simple homes with a thatch roof, no walls, and a dirt floor. Their principal crop is manioc, and they also raise plantains, rice, maize, and sweet potatoes. Men also provide food through hunting and fishing. Their traditional clothing is a long cotton dress with vertical stripes for men and horizontal stripes for women, and red face paint is common.


The remoteness of this people group and the fact they need physical protection from the diseases of outsiders, places potential missionaries in a dilemma.
What Are Their Beliefs?

The Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua hold to animistic views that seek to discover spiritual causes for life problems and resolve them through shamanistic rituals. In their worldview, shamans are specialists gifted at helping people understand the spirit world and heal sicknesses. The Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua believe inanimate objects and animals can have spirits that affect daily life. They fear their dead relatives, whom they believe could cause them sickness or death.


What Are Their Needs?

The greatest need of the Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua is to understand that they are sinful and in need of redemption. Because their community holds a higher standard than surrounding tribes in regards to stealing, lying, and work ethic, the Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua struggle to see themselves as in need of a Savior.

They also need a lifestyle that offers them an alternative to being controlled by alcohol. Their culture revolves around growing manioc, making a fermented manioc drink, and becoming drunk at parties that often last several days. These parties are often wild and even violent as they vent what their typically stoic culture will not allow on any other occasion.


Prayer Points

Please pray that the Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua will have softened hearts to receive the gospel.
Pray that the Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua will feel dissatisfaction with their current worldview and cycling between a high morality and wild drunkenness.
Pray for true repentance and changed lives to take the place of nominal acceptance of Christ.
Pray that the Ashéninka Ucayali-Yurua will develop a value for literacy and actively participate in new literacy workshops provided by mission agencies.


Scripture Prayers for the Asheninka, Ucayali-Yurua in Peru.


Profile Source:   Modern Day and Pioneers  

People Name General Asheninka, Ucayali-Yurua
People Name in Country Asheninka, Ucayali-Yurua
Natural Name Ucayali-Yurua Asheninka
Pronunciation oo-kah-YAH-lee yoo-ROO-ah ah-SHEN-eeng-kah
Alternate Names Asheninca Ucayali-yurua; Asheninca-Kampa; Campa; Kampa; Ucayali-yurua Asheninca Campa; Ucayali-Yurua Ashninca Campa
Population this Country 9,100
Population all Countries 10,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 15681
ROP3 Code 110353
ROP25 Code 300529
ROP25 Name Asheninca
Country Peru
Region America, Latin
Continent South America
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Huanuco and Ucayali regions: Arruya, Cohengua, Inuya, Shahuaya, Sheshea rivers, Ucayali river tributaries of Pachitea, Yurúa river.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Peru
Region America, Latin
Continent South America
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Huanuco and Ucayali regions: Arruya, Cohengua, Inuya, Shahuaya, Sheshea rivers, Ucayali river tributaries of Pachitea, Yurúa river..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Map of Asheninka, Ucayali-Yurua in Peru
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.30 %)
2.50 %
Ethnic Religions
97.50 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Asheninka, Ucayali-Yurua (9,100 speakers)
Language Code cpb   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Asheninka, Ucayali-Yurua (9,100 speakers)
Language Code cpb   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Asheninka, Ucayali-Yurua
Photo Source Ministerio de Defensa del Perú - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Modern Day and Pioneers 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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