Pitcairn

- where the descendants of the mutineers of the HMS Bounty are living

On 17th  and 18th march I was at the pitcairn islands with the Expeditioncruiseship MS Hanseatic. On 17 th we made ​​a boat tour along the coast of Ducie Island and on the 18 th March we went to Pitcairn. The Pitcairn Islands officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory. The four islands – named Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno – are spread over several hundred miles of ocean and have a total land area of about 18 square miles (47 km²). Only Pitcairn, the second largest and measuring about 2 miles (3.2 km) across, is inhabited.

The islands are best known as home of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians (or Polynesians), who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films.

• Among the links on this blog you will find explanations from Wikipedia and links to other websites
• Explorers journal from National Geographic
• Here you can read all Pitcairn Islands Expedition Blogs from National Geographic
• Mutiny of the Bounty / Wikipedia 

News from Pitcairn (Text Tourism Quarterly III)

The world renown National Geographic Society and the Pew Environment Group’s Global Ocean Legacy project are working in collaboration with the Pitcairn community to assess the condition of Pitcairn Islands’ marine life and to help conservation of its resources. 

In March -April 2012 a National Geographic Expedition to the Pitcairn Islands, including remote Ducie and Oeno - picture perfect coral atolls with turquoise lagoons - and Pitcairn’s World Heritage site, Henderson Island, a got underway.

 

The expedition is in partnership with the Pew Environment Group’s Global Ocean Legacy to explore, survey and help protect Pitcairn Islands' pristine waters, one of the last wild places in the ocean. 

The 13 person team of scientists and filmmakers visited each island, scuba diving in the shallows and use cutting-edge cameras to explore the deep. High definition cameras and a futuristic mini-helicopter, built by National Geographic's remote imaging department, have already provided incredible previously unseen images of one of the most unique and untouched marine environments in the world. 

The Pew Environment Group’s Global Ocean Legacy and National Geographic are currently working with the people of Pitcairn to help them assess the science and marine health of Pitcairn's waters and the potential costs and benefits of establishing a vast marine reserve in Pitcairn waters. 

Pitcairn Islands Tourism Coordinator, Heather Menzies, considers this work to be incredibly valuable, "We have increasing enquiries about our other islands. With the Pew Environment Group’s Global Ocean Legacy Project and National Geo-graphic’s assistance we will be better placed in carefully balancing sustainable island heritage tourism with conservation and economic development. We hope to be able to offer limited trips to the outer islands in the not too distant future. For now we are focusing on establishing Pitcairn Island itself as the gateway to our less accessible islands."

Thank you, Heather, for the permission to use the text for my blog.

This informations and more you can read at the Tourism Quarterly. You want also informations about this wonderful island? 

For the Tourism Quarterly sent an email to tourism@pitcairn.pn
 

Have a great day 
© Constanze Hoffmann

Shamanism

Drumdance demonstration in Cambridge Bay/ Nunavut/ Canada

• Among the links in this blog you will find the explanations of Wikipedia and also links to other websites
• Shamanism - Wikipedia engl.
• Schamanismus - Wikipedia german

 

Shamanism comprises a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world. It is a prominent term in anthropological research. A practitioner of shamanism is known as a shaman.
There are many variations of shamanism throughout the world, but several common beliefs are shared by all forms of shamanism. Shamans are intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds. They can treat illness and are capable of entering supernatural realms to obtain answers to the problems of their community.
The Shamans act as "mediators" in their culture.
The way shamans get sustenance and take part in everyday life varies among cultures. In many Eskimo groups, they provide services for the community and get a "due payment" (some cultures believe the payment is given to the helping spirits), but these goods are only "welcome addenda."

  

On of the distinct types of shaman is Don Pedro Guerra Gonzales, he lives in the Peruvian Amazon jungle. Don Pedro is a descendent of an ancient healer family like his father before him (Don Jose Guerra). Pedro is a "Palero", a tree shaman. 

In this blog I wrote 2009 august 3 rd about a project to reforest mediacal plants. On his side you can read, that since old times the people of the Amazon have lived without western medicine. And even today the western medicine is only accessible to a minority. On his website you can read more about the fantastic amazon area and the project, this link will show you the different medical trees. The amazon rainforest - lungs of our planet.

Your help is welcome!

Waldwelt, Verein zum Erhalt der Wälder dieser Welt
Projekt "Medizinbäume des Amazonas"

IBAN AT811700000180067116,
BIC: BFKKAT2K


Have a great day
mustangconny

The moon wished to marry the sun

As she realized that she would never be able to unite with him, she shed huge, yellow tears. These tears are the origin of the Amazon River. (Ancient Amazon myth)

The element water is a determinating factor in the myths and legends of the people who live on the Amazon. Many curanderos tell tales of mysterious under water worlds that may be visited both in the visions an in real life. It is told that the ancient magicians of the Amazon could live under water as long as they pleased. They lived in the underwater world with their water-wives, the "sirenas" or the "yacu-warmis" (yacu = water, warmi=woman). When they would return, after weeks or months, they would leave the river with dry clothes.

So it is told that Don Pedro's uncle, Don Eleuthenio Guerra, had these special powers. He was a "sumi". This is the title of the Amazon shamans that have the capacity of remaining under Water as long as they whish. He was married to two women, one of whom was a Yacuwarmi, a sirena of the Amazon River. At the age of 107 he took his leave and went to live with his sirena for good. The water-spirits are called by the curanderos during the ceremonies, by means of the icaros.

   >> Hear an icaro against snake bites from Don Pedro



Informations about the world of the great mother of the water and more you will found on Don Pedro Guerra Gonzales. The shaman Don Pedro Guerra Gonzales lives in the Peruvian Amazon jungle. He is a descendent of an ancient healer family. Like his father before him (Don Jose Guerra), Pedro is a "Palero", a tree shaman.
Don Pedro Guerra Gonzales is one of the most renowned shamans of the Amazon.

The german text you will find here

Don't forget! 
Don Pedro will return to Europe from April 28th to May 8th, 2011
Ask for information

Next date for group travel to Camp Don Pedro:
Monday 28 February to Wednesday 16 March 2011 More

  
Best wishes!
Constanze Hoffmann