Ashaninka Cushmas
Traditional clothing worn by the Ashaninka
These traditional Ashaninka cotton robes, or cushmas, are woven by the Ashaninka women for the men of their tribe. The organic cotton is grown in small forest gardens within Amazon rainforest. The natural dyes used to colour the cushmas are produced by trees and plants collected from the natural environment. Cushmas are an Ashaninka's most prized possession and there is a very long tradition of giving and exchanging cushmas and cloth with nyomparis (or trading partners) which linked distant Ashaninka villages into cycles of meetings, collaboration and resource sharing. Cushmas, for instance, are made from cotton which does not grow so well in all eco-niches occupied by the Ashaninka. Because of this, it is a truly special exchange gift for Ashaninka who depend on tree bark for their cushmas because they live high up above the valley floor, where the climate does not favour cotton. On the other hand, the bark cloth Ashaninka might grow good tobacco which can be exchanged for cushmas or cotton cloth.
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