Remember My Name

THE TAWNA COLLECTIVE WAS BORN while sailing a canoe. We decided to form it because we believe that the stories of the territory are not built alone. We are all close friends. We come from different backgrounds and work across mediums, such as photography, filmmaking, art direction and production. Our goal is to amplify stories from indigenous territories in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. In 2017, production on our films Vestimenta Sapara (Sapara Clothing) and Piatúa Resiste (Piatúa Resists) brought together filmmakers, communicators and artists across cultures. We shared a common vision: to narrate and defend the Amazonian territories from within. We seek to highlight the defence of indigenous territories, strengthen cultural legacies and support young people in the Amazon to learn audiovisual communication.

When we work collectively, we are stronger. We bridge each other’s works together and, from a place of reciprocity, integrate them into a larger vision that decolonises traditional forms of storytelling. The tawna, a tool that propels a canoe forward, is our symbol because we share the same purpose: to connect, unite and create bonds between communities, territories, and national and international audiences.

This project delves into the lineage of one of Tawna’s founders, Sani Montahuano, and her and her sisters’ legacy as indigenous Sapara women. Ñuka Shuti Man—What is my name?—is the question their mother asked herself after transcending into the spiritual world. Carmelina Ushigua was born a nomadic Sapara. Growing up, she was forced to marry and leave her community. We grew up hearing where she came from. Her desire to return to her territory was great, but her nine children held her back. Five of us are now telling our mother’s story.