Agua Blanca Community
Machalilla National Park has a land area of 55,095 ha, where the ecosystem of tropical dry forest is protected, and a marine area, including Salango and La Plata islands. The most populated area of the park corresponds to the Agua Blanca community, which has archaeological sites, museums and the lagoon that has medicinal properties due to its sulphurous waters (Endere at al. 2015).
In the archaeological site, there are stone foundations of several thousand structures which are visible from about 4 km2. There are archeological artifacts which are attributable to the cultures of Valdivia, Machalilla, Chorrera, Bahía, Guangala and Manteña. Agua Blanca community has small interpretation centers with models that provide shelter for shade and relaxation during the visit. The museum has a thematic exhibition where a synthesis of the archeology of the site and the region is presented, including maps and models. Ceramic, lithic, and bone material, and certain minerals such as turquoise are displayed. There is a section where the local people shows the physiological relations between the current population with their indigenous ancestors. It has been proved through archaeological research that between the years 800 and 1532 BP (coinciding with the arrival of the Spaniards), the region was densely populated, it had important ceremonial centers corresponding to the Manteña culture and vast sea and land commercial networks driven by the exchange of red Spondylus conch princeps shaped as chaquiras (Ewan, 1995; Norton, 1992; Hidrovo Quiñonez, 2005).
The arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century marked the decline of the settlement of Agua Blanca. The seventeen and nineteenth century were stages that have been erased in the coast history. There is difficult find further information besides basic information. In the late nineteenth century, the territory began to be coveted for the exploitation of the Phytelephas macrocarpa and its commercialization in the port of Machalilla. The Machalilla Park was created in 1979, (Endere at al. 2015).
The community has had many projects, but its archeology project is one of the most important because has marked the history of the community in recent years. This was in large part due to the special relationship established with archaeologists. In 1978, Colin Mc Ewan went to the site for the first time and returned a year later to excavate for his doctoral thesis. Colin McEwan (Scotsman) and Maria Isabel Silva (Ecuadorian) lived in the community uninterruptedly between 1985 and 1990. They investigated what they qualified as “participatory archeology” with the community (Silva and MC Ewan 1989; MC Ewan, 1995 and Endere, 2015). The villagers were hired and trained to dig, draw topographic maps and process the post excavation material. The main strategic decisions were discussed and agreed with the community. After this process the Agua Blanca local community began to lead their own development process. Turning life and its context into an object of tourism implies thinking about it, reflecting on it and ultimately appropriating it (Ruiz, 2010). In this case the development goes beyond. It does not represent just the monetary income but the cultural identity appropriation and empowering by the local actors. At the end of the years 2000, the local actors in Agua Blanca community decided to create community tourism. Where the villagers allow that tourists access on their houses and life together through their costumes and life style. In 2008, the center received the National Award Hernán Crespo Toral. In addition, in recent decades, the community and the park have kept an informal but stable alliance. Local tour guides are considered honorary rangers and the community enjoys the park infrastructure. According to Esteban Ruiz (2010) the community tourism is the main source of monetary income in Agua Blanca (24.5% of total monetary income), followed by the Phytelephas macrocarpa picking (20% of the total).
Bibliography:
Endere M. Zulaica M. (2015) Socio-Cultural Sustainability and “Buen Vivir” (good living) at Heritage Sites: Assessment of the Agua Blanca case, Ecuador. Quito
Ruiz, B (2010) TURISMO COMUNITARIO EN ECUADOR: Desarrollo y sostenibilidad social. Abya Yala. Quito, 333 pp.