Ciudad e identidad cultural. ¿Cómo se relacionan con lo urbano los indígenas amazónicos peruanos en el siglo XXI*?

Abstract

In recent decades the number of indigenous Amazonian people living in cities has grown exponentially. This new phenomenon implies the revision and modification of ancestral practices and brings with it the immediate consequence of the question about the source of indigenous societies. In the present article some of the progress is presented of an ongoing project of investigation on indigenous Amazonian peoples of Peru and their relation with the cities and urban life. The form in which anthropology on the Amazon has dealt with the theme of modernization and urbanization in relation to cultural identity of indigenous communities is discussed. In addition, some of the preliminary results on the case of cities of Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado are presented, as is the urban experience of the Shipibo-Conibo and Ashninka. Finally, the role of the indigenous youth is highlighted as the decisive factor in determining the future of the Amazonian peoples of the 21st century.