About the People in the Jungle

The People in the Esmeraldas Forest are the Chachi , Awa, and the Afro-Ecuadorians. Chachi is a tribe of indigenous Ecuadorians as are the Awa. The Afro Ecuadorians came to Ecuador during the slave trade. It is said a couple of ships capsized and the slaves were able to escape by swimming to shore and running into the jungle. They were permitted to stay in the jungle by the Awa and Chachi. The indigenous communities gave them an area of the jungle to hide and live in and in exchange the then African slaves taught the indigenous the military tactics and weaponry of the Spaniards. With this unified front only the Esmeraldas forest remained unconquered by the Spaniards while the rest of Ecuador fell under spanish rule.