Kuri Charik will speak at the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Upper Nyack, New York on Sunday, March 18 at 1:00 pm., imparting traditional wisdom of the Andes and addressing the marginalization of indigenous communities in South America. His presentation will include information about his Center of Ancestral Wisdom, which continues to evolve, a demonstration of his traditional instruments, and a question and answer session, sharing thoughts about the current climate of indigenous communities in South America.
Kuri Charik (known to many as Oscar Santillan) is a community leader, music healer, and teacher of traditional Andean wisdom from the Otavalo Kichwa Nation in Ecuador. An active member of indigenous organizations, he educates people about culture as well as sustainable development through Fair Trade practices and micro-financing. He is the former President of Agato, a small village of indigenous families in the Andes mountains, north of Otavalo, Ecuador.
A Kichwa speaker with a strong connection to the natural world, he has made many radio appearances to spread ancient Andean wisdom and culture. Along with his family, he has created the Pakarinka Sisari, or Center for Ancestral Wisdom, displaying sacred musical instruments, pre-Colombian bowls, and symbolic clay hands for guidance and protection. With the majestic mountain, Imbabura as the backdrop, the center is a place to learn about ancient Andean ways and connect with mother nature. He has appeared in two films directed by Iris Brooks and Jon H. Davis. In Languages Lost and Found, he speaks his native tongue and plays a 300-year old condor feather flute and for the new, interactive DVD, Awakening Languages: A Personal Exploration, Sharing, and Questioning, Kuri Charik (meaning “gold or sun in the heart”) is the subject of name identity in multi-lingual societies.
WATCH THE ACCOMPANYING VIDEO HERE
