By Javier de Leon
Project Origins and Community
Nestled within the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon reside the Ese’eja people who comprise the native community of Infierno. It is here that a unique partnership was established in 1996 between the community and private company, Rainforest Expeditions, to jointly operate and run the soon-to-be-created Posada Amazonas ecolodge. This decision to partner with an external enterprise was not reached easily within the Ese’eja community. Many citizens were skeptical about the prospect of opening their doors to the outside world and suffering from a loss of culture and identity. Research from some anthropologists backed up these concerns but others argued that the contrary could also occur and “lead to a renaissance of native culture by instilling new pride in local communities.”[1] Ultimately, the community expressed its consent to the project and agreed to split revenue from the ecolodge with 60 percent going to the community and 40 percent to Rainforest Expeditions. [2] Day-to-day management of Posada Amazonas would be handled by citizens from Infierno while administrative duties such as tourism management, marketing, and providing financial capital would be overseen by Rainforest Expeditions.
A Sustainable Path Forward
As a result of this partnership, there have been several positive developments such as the creation of dozens of full-time positions that the community has exclusive access to and global recognition in the form of international awards, including the United Nation’s Equator Initiative Award, for the lodge’s efforts to bring the ideals of ecotourism to practice. [3] Additionally, the existence of Posada Amazonas simultaneously achieves two critical environmental objectives: spotlighting the damaging impacts on the region from illicit activities and ensuring that ecotourism can serve as an avenue for citizens to make a living through legitimate and less harmful means. According to investigative journalist and co-Founder of Ojo Publico, Nelly Luna, upwards of 90% of mining activity in the Madre de Dios region is done illegally, which is especially concerning due to it being one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.
Present-Day Challenges and Upcoming Obstacles
Conversely, there have been some challenges that have arisen as a result of the success of Posada Amazonas. In an internal discussion with tour guides from the lodge, they acknowledgedthat certain social aspects of the native community have shi]ed with the advent of the “no-strings-attached” revenue source for Ese’eja households. In particular, they noted that before the project, there was a greater sense of community, and it would be commonplace to fundraise for social events or medical incidents involving a community member. Nowadays, there appear to be more individualistic preferences with the belief that those situations should be covered by the revenue from the lodge. Furthermore, they noted a more existential challenge for Posada Amazonas which derives from the community’s inability to make the necessary internal preparations to transition full management and operations from Rainforest
Expeditions to the Ese’eja community. It is a critical imperative for community leaders to articulate the lodge’s importance and the necessity for citizens to attain the skills to assume operations going forward. Internally, it has become a vital revenue source for households and externally, it has become a shining example of sustainable development that showcases a path forward for coexisting with the environment.
Emulating Success
As the end of the existing contract with Rainforest Expedition nears in 2026, the Ese’eja community can look to the Xixuaú native community in Brazil for a model to emulate. The Xixuaú village which is on the Jauaperi River and about 400 km from Manaus, manages a 100% community-operated Amazon Ecolodge. [4] Founded in 2009, the Xixuaú Ecolodge’s objective is a sustainable livelihood for members of its community through “the preservation and protection of the forest.” The lodge provides revenue for more than 50 people from four communities of the Jauperi National Park, who all perform specific tasks in alignment with the priorities of the lodge. The Xixuaú Ecolodge is a result of international partnerships with organizations such as Trentino Insieme, who assisted in constructing the lodge and purchasing necessary equipment such as boats. Amazônia Onlus provided workforce training for locals to learn the operational components such as communicating with tourists, cultural mediation, and translation services. Amazon Charitable Trust and Fundação Vitoria Amazônica have assisted in establishing alternative business channels to ecotourism, including scientific research and the exportation of Brazil nuts and natural fibers. With Posada Amazonas being similar in many regards to the Xixuaú Ecolodge, the Ese’eja community can look forward to implementing aspects from their peers’ successful model and posiEon themselves for success in 2026 and onward.
References
[1] Stroza, Amanda Lee. “Through a New Mirror: Reflections of Tourism and Identity in the
Amazon.” Human Organization, vol. 67, no. 3, 2008.
[2] “Ese Eja Native Community of Infierno.” Rainforest Expeditions, 4 Apr. 2023,
www.rainforestexpeditions.com/ese-eja-native-community-of-infierno/.
[3] Stroza.
[4] “The Xixuaú Amazon Ecolodge. Ecotourism to Protect the Amazon Forest.” Amazon Trip, 11
Feb. 2023, www.amazontrip.info/web/en/who-we-are-the-xixuau-amazon-ecolodge/.