A Territory Called Pë’këya

A Territory Called Pë’këya is a visual and auditory journey that revives the ancestral memory of the Siekopai nation, displaced for more than eight decades due to violence and displacement from their territory in the Amazon region between Ecuador and Peru.

Through the voice of Milena Piaguaje, a young Siekopai woman from the Secoya Remolino community, and her community, this project documents the deep longing to return to their sacred territory, Pë’këya—which in Paicoca means “lizard lagoon”—a place where the waters and roots keep the history and identity of their nationality alive.

Through stories, illustrations, and songs, a narrative is woven that defies oblivion and reclaims the right to territory as an act of cultural and spiritual resistance.

🌐 A Territory Called Pë’këya
• Team:
• Coordination, interview, video & audio: Michelle Gachet
• Photography: Michelle Gachet & Milena Piaguaje
• Design: Omar T. Bobadilla
• Illustrations: Joffre Piaguaje
• Format: Web published by media outlet
• Place of production: Ecuador
• Organization: Amazon Frontlines
• Year: 2024
• Link: amazonfrontlines.org/es/chronicles/un-territorio-llamado-pekeya

🌍 A Territory Called Pë’këya is a visual and sound journey that revives the ancestral memory of the Siekopai nation, displaced for over eight decades by violence in the Amazon along the Ecuador–Peru border. Through the voice of Milena Piaguaje and her community, the project documents the deep longing to return to their sacred territory, Pë’këya —which in Paicoca means “alligator lagoon.” Through stories, illustrations, and songs, it weaves a narrative that defies oblivion and reclaims the right to territory as an act of cultural and spiritual resistance.