﻿968 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  Cuaiquer 
  River, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  major 
  affluents 
  of 
  the 
  Mira 
  River; 
  on 
  the 
  

   south, 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  River, 
  also 
  an 
  affluent 
  of 
  the 
  Mira, 
  

   to 
  the 
  region 
  called 
  Mayasquer; 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  west, 
  forming 
  a 
  

   kind 
  of 
  triangle, 
  the 
  regions 
  of 
  San 
  Martin 
  and 
  Miraflores 
  and 
  the 
  

   confluence 
  of 
  the 
  Guiza 
  and 
  the 
  Mira 
  Rivers. 
  This 
  territory, 
  which 
  

   is 
  considered 
  public 
  land, 
  has 
  an 
  approximate 
  area 
  of 
  about 
  3,000 
  

   miles 
  (5,000 
  km.). 
  The 
  Colombian 
  portion 
  of 
  it 
  is 
  inhabited 
  by 
  2,000 
  

   Indians, 
  the 
  Ecuadorean 
  part 
  by 
  200. 
  These 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  full-blood 
  

   Indians. 
  

  

  culture 
  

  

  The 
  Coaiquer 
  speak 
  the 
  Coaiquer 
  language, 
  which 
  belongs 
  to 
  the 
  

   Chibchan 
  family. 
  They 
  still 
  live 
  in 
  a 
  primitive 
  state 
  (Ortiz, 
  1937 
  d), 
  

   leading 
  an 
  independent, 
  almost 
  nomadic 
  existence, 
  preferring 
  the 
  life 
  

   of 
  the 
  forest; 
  few 
  are 
  settled 
  in 
  villages. 
  They 
  travel 
  without 
  beds 
  

   and 
  ask 
  hospitality 
  of 
  no 
  one, 
  not 
  even 
  acquaintances, 
  close 
  friends, 
  or 
  

   godparents. 
  They 
  curl 
  up 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  scarcely 
  even 
  protected 
  

   by 
  a 
  roof 
  and 
  undisturbed 
  by 
  the 
  inclemencies 
  of 
  the 
  weather. 
  

  

  They 
  always 
  cut 
  their 
  thick, 
  black 
  hair 
  to 
  the 
  nape 
  of 
  the 
  neck. 
  

   They 
  wear 
  cheap 
  linen 
  drawers 
  and 
  a 
  poncho 
  or 
  long 
  skirt 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   cloth 
  which 
  extends 
  halfway 
  to 
  the 
  ankles, 
  but 
  have 
  no 
  ornaments. 
  

   At 
  tribal 
  fiestas 
  some 
  individuals 
  paint 
  their 
  foreheads, 
  cheeks, 
  and 
  

   noses 
  with 
  bija 
  (bixa, 
  Bixa 
  orellana). 
  

  

  The 
  Coaiquer 
  marry 
  according 
  to 
  their 
  ancient 
  custom. 
  The 
  

   couple 
  first 
  lives 
  together 
  for 
  a 
  year 
  in 
  a 
  trial 
  marriage, 
  after 
  which 
  

   time 
  the 
  man 
  may 
  or 
  may 
  not 
  choose 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  union 
  confirmed. 
  

   If 
  he 
  refuses 
  permanent 
  wedlock, 
  the 
  woman 
  can 
  make 
  no 
  claim 
  on 
  

   him. 
  

  

  Habitual 
  use 
  of 
  coca 
  is 
  disappearing 
  among 
  the 
  present-day 
  Coai- 
  

   quer, 
  but 
  according 
  to 
  old 
  traditions, 
  these 
  people 
  once 
  chewed 
  coca 
  

   leaves 
  as 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  national 
  rite, 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  unclear. 
  

  

  In 
  their 
  funerals, 
  the 
  Coaiquer 
  preserve 
  in 
  part 
  their 
  ancient 
  customs. 
  

   The 
  corpse 
  is 
  arranged 
  in 
  the 
  house 
  and 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  favorite 
  food 
  

   of 
  the 
  deceased 
  placed 
  around 
  it, 
  after 
  which 
  an 
  all-night 
  watch 
  is 
  

   held 
  over 
  it. 
  

  

  Gutierrez 
  (1850) 
  states 
  that 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  epidemics 
  the 
  Coaiquer 
  

   establish 
  a 
  sanitary 
  cordon 
  to 
  isolate 
  themselves. 
  If 
  someone 
  falls 
  

   victim 
  to 
  the 
  disease, 
  they 
  destroy 
  the 
  bridges 
  and 
  go 
  away 
  to 
  more 
  

   open 
  spaces, 
  leaving 
  him 
  in 
  the 
  camp 
  in 
  the 
  care 
  of 
  a 
  person 
  who 
  has 
  

   already 
  had 
  the 
  illness. 
  

  

  