A Space of Exclusion and Resilience: The ‘Jea’ as a Counter-Site in Achuar Communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon

Abstract

The Amazon region remains a contested space between competing visions of conservation and development (Duran-Fernandez and de Carvalho 2024). While international organizations invest in biodiversity preservation, they also support governments that promote extractive industries, exacerbating environmental degradation and Indigenous marginalization (Bebbington et al. 2018). The Achuar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon exemplify this paradox, experiencing multidimensional exclusion through geographic isolation and externally imposed economic, political, and cultural frameworks that disregard their intrinsic connection to nunkui (mother earth). Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopias—counter-sites reflecting or resisting dominant societal structures—this article explores the Achuar communities of Mashientz, Sharamentsa, and Pumpuentsa as sites of both exclusion and resistance. Their cultural practices, such as the construction of the Jea (traditional house), persist largely due to their spatial and ideological separation from external pressures. However, this vernacular architecture remains unrecognized as cultural heritage within Ecuadorian society, undermining local efforts to protect it from state-led development projects. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted from May to August 2024 and informed by Indigenous scholarship (Fast and Kovach 2019; Harjo 2019; Norwood 2022; Sakakibara 2008), this article centers firsthand narratives that reveal the tangible and intangible structures of exclusion the Achuar navigate daily. Their marginalization is reinforced through dependencies on external actors, including NGOs and government agencies, where access to basic services is often conditional on compliance with external expectations. This dynamic forces communities to navigate a precarious balance between autonomy and imposed dependence. Limited access to healthcare, infrastructure, and education further defines their exclusion, reinforcing the fragile boundary between the “protected” and the “excluded.” One key focus is the shift from traditional Achuar housing to Western-style housing models, illustrating how spatial practices embody both exclusionary pressures and cultural resilience. By examining the physical space of the house, the social space of the community, and the surrounding forest as both a spatial and spiritual entity, this study uncovers how Achuar cosmology shapes their experience of landscape and belonging. We argue that these dimensions collectively foster a unique heterotopia where the Achuar's marginalization is redefined through Indigenous resilience and advocacy. Ultimately, this paper argues that Achuar exclusion is not merely a consequence of physical remoteness but a broader societal positioning that pressures them to choose between cultural preservation and developmental inclusion. Rather than imposing external models of sustainability or progress, we encourage approaches rooted in Indigenous autonomy, amplifying Achuar voices and asserting that meaningful inclusion must emerge from communities themselves.