Awas

Awas is a small Miskito (indigenous group of Nicaragua) community of about 200 people on the shores of the Pearl Lagoon. With the fishing and tourism during the Semana Santa as the main sources of incomes, Awas is by probably all standards very poor. However, these are not the only problems this community faces. Overfishing is a real concern as the stocks are already diminishing yet there is not enough support for a setting aside certain parts of the year as no fishing seasons. However, the main concern of the community is erosion of the sand banks next to the water. In the past four years, five or six feet have easily been lost to wind and water. Danila started a project of building rock walls along the water but only made down part of the coast before the funding was moved elsewhere. According to Miskito custom it is important to be close to the lagoon both for fishing and aesthetic purposes so moving to the inland savannah that the community own is not seen as a very appealing alternative.
Due to a recent storm which took the roof off the restaurant where we had intended to stay, we camped in the yard of Mr. Guillermo. His wife was incredible cook and made us our meals which included local specialties such as shrimp and gallo pinto with coconut milk. As exhausted as we were from missing a night’s sleep, we all went swimming in shallow lagoon and made an effort to socialize with the men working on repairing the restaurant. The owner of the restaurant was from Pearl Lagoon and it interesting to hear his perception of the local communities and how different he found Awas from the others due its Miskito population. Mr. Guillermo on the other hand seemed to see Awas and Pearl Lagoon as much more connected. In the evening, under an impressive showing of stars, we talked with two of the men of the community about the struggles and customs of Awas. May Day, New Years Day and a festival that includes a representation of a bull and the devil are among the most vibrant traditions. On New Year’s Day, the women chase the men out of town with whips unless they are provided with alcohol.
The following day we woke up early after a restless night filled with roosters crowing and microscopic biting bugs. By six o’clock, we were assembled and ready for our tour of the community. For some reason, I always find it striking when places of such beauty collide with poverty. Stretching out to the horizon, the lagoon stretched with white sand beaches and palm trees lining its edge; on land the wooden houses that one sees in a National Geographic article on poverty or the many sides of this and that country clustered together trying to evade the advancing shoreline. The only non-residential buildings were a restaurant (currently under repair), the church and a row of ocean front palm arbors awaiting the crowds of tourists that inevitably come during Semana Santa.
After breakfast, we took large canoe like boats upriver past mangroves and banks think with small palms and palmettos. The day before a 20 ft. alligator had been spotted in this river so we kept our eyes peeled but never saw the beast. After a bit, we arrived at the savannah which consisted of a large open plain dotted with palms and other scraggly growth that looked exactly like what I imagine Africa looks like. The soil was almost pure sand and the grass was short and prickly. This entire savannah is collectively owned by the Miskitos of Awas and should the ocean erode irreparably their community, they plan on moving to this land. Generally, they find this alternative very depressing as so much of their heritage is connected with living on the edge of the lagoon. After a walk through this surprising landscape, we returned to Awas and packed up for our trip to Little Corn Island.