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Who
was Runcato
the rebel ?
Around 1740, a series of indigenous rebellions shook
up the Peruvian countryside. Famously, Jose Santos Atahualpa began his
revolution in 1745 in the mountainous jungles between the Amazon and the
Andes and in Tarma. Soon after in 1766, in the very heart of the
Amazonian rain forest a Shetebo Indian named Runcato arose to push the
Spanish and the Catholic Franciscans from his homeland. Although there
is no evidence suggesting that the two rebellions were directly related,
it is probable that Runcato would have heard of his predecessor from
within the region of Ucayali.
Backtracking a step, we know that 5 years before his uprising began,
Runcato had already made friendly contact with the Franciscan Order in
his region. It was almost universally the case that the original rebels
and revolutionaries of the time were found among those members of the
indigenous population who were in contact and communication with the
Spanish Catholic colonists. Runcato was no exception.
Runcato mobilized and unified the Shetebo, Shipibo, and Conibo Indians,
three tribes that had previously been in constant conflict with one
another. Later, the three tribes were fused into the Shipibo-Conibo of
today.
It would seem that the rebellion was born out of the deep fears of the
Pano (as the three tribes were called collectively) upon the arrival of
a great number of missionaries, colonists, and armies to the region.
There was an especially strong backlash against the Franciscan
missionaries. In the chronicles of the Franciscan Fathers we read that
Ignacio Torote, an Asháninka native and contemporary of Runcato, was
about to shoot an arrow at a Franciscan: "Then the Father Friar Manuel
Bajo in agony, feeling the arrows pass through his body, said to the
native chief, Ignacio, why do you kill us? And the chief responded,
Because you and your compatriots are killing us every single day with
your sermons and doctrines that take from us our freedom. You must
realize that we are the fathers now." (Amich, volume 1:131-132)
Today (in the year 2007) Runcato practically goes unrecognized in the
history of Peru that is taught in schools and even remains unknown to
the modern day Shipibo-Conibo Indians. Even so he is a hero of a
historical movement that he helped to start, a movement to rescue
indigenous culture and in fact indigenous lives-- native demographics of
the time were decimated by the introduction of illnesses brought on by
the Spanish, and entire tribal groups were enslaved in forced labor
programs. It was in such a dark and hopeless moment that Runcato rose
up.
RUNCATO is the name of this site and we hope this simple article serves
to help the people of Peru and abroad to acknowledge this mysterious
cultural figure, and especially to the native peoples of the Peruvian
jungles to remember a hero of their own.
Julio Nieves
2007
Based on the books :
"La merma mágica" by Jacques Tournon, 2002.
"Historia de las
Misiones franciscanas en el oriente del Peru" by P.Fr.
Bernardino Izaguirre, 2001.
Translated into english by Robin Van Loon from Camino
Verde.
See
spanish version below .
Acerca de Runcato
Apartir de 1940 una serie de rebeliones indígenas
estallan en el Peru, Jose Santos Atahualpa empieza su rebelión en 1745
en la ceja de Selva y Tarma , màs delante desde el corazon mismo de la
selva amazònica surge un Shetebo de nombre Runcato quien en en 1766 se
levanta contra los españoles de la orden de los franciscanos y los
expulsa de su territorio. Aunque no existen evidencias de que la
rebelión de Jose santos hubiera provocado directamente la de Runcato es
muy probable que se supiera en el Ucayali de ella.
Cabe resaltar que 5 años antes de este alzamiento Runcato ya habia
estado en contacto con los franciscanos siendo amistoso y es que a
menudo los que estàn màs en contacto con los colonizadores son quienes
se transforman en los primeros rebeldes.
Runcato unificò y movilizò a los Shetebo, Shipibo y Conibo, tres
poblaciones antes en conflicto constante y que posteriormente se etno-fusionaron
convirtiendose en los actuales Shipibo-Conibo. Este proceso empez’o con
los Shetebos fusionandose con los Shipibo y dese principios del siglo XX
entre los Shipibo y Conibos.
Al parecer la rebelión obedeciò al temor de los Pano (shetebos, shipibos
y conibos) a la llegada de tantos misioneros, españoles religiosos y
militares. Habia un rechazo a los misioneros asì, las crònicas de los
padres franciscanos cuentan que Ignacio Torote, indígena Ashàninka
contemporàneo de Runcato, està por flechar a un franciscano: ¿pues
estándo el padre Fray Manuel Bajo en las agonìas , atravesado su cuerpo
con las flechas, le dijo al curaca: ¿Pues Ignacio, porque nos matais?¿ Y
respondiò el curaca : ¿porque que tù y los tuyos nos estais matando
todos los dìas con vuestros sermones y doctrinas, quitàndonos nuestra
libertad. Predicad, pues , ahora, que ya nosotros somos los padres ¿ (Amich
tomo 1:131-132)
Hoy en dia (año 2007) Runcato es practicamente desconocido en la
historia que se imparte en las escuelas e inclusive por la mayoria de
los actuales Shipibo-Conibo sin embargo es un hèroe pues el movimiento
històrico que originò estaba relacionado con la recuperación cultural de
los indígenas asì como de su recuperaciòn demografica pues debido a
enfermedades traidas por los europeos asì como por los trabajos forzados
las poblaciones fueron diezmadas y ante este cuadro tan desfavorable
surgiò Runcato.
RUNCATO es el nombre de este sitio , este simple artìculo es para
devolver a la memoria de la gente y en especial a la de los pueblos de
la selva la figura de un hèroe propio.
Julio Nieves
2007
Basado en los libros :
"La merma mágica" by Jacques Tournon, 2002.
"Historia de las
Misiones franciscanas en el oriente del Peru" by P.Fr.
Bernardino Izaguirre, 2001.
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