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Pitt in Ecuador May 30-June 26, 2021 Summer Application Deadline January Apply
Academics
All students take 2 classes for (6 credits):
Morning
ANTH 1713: Health and Nutrition of the Kichwa People
The June Session is designed to give you cross cultural skills you can use anywhere, but especially in the Health field.
1. Learn skills for interviewing patients in a cross-cultural setting.
2. Gain a comparative understanding of a very different national health care model.
3. Learn to understand basic concepts of indigenous thinking on causes of disease and illness.
4. Learn some key principles of alternative medicine.
5. Learn how indigenous and western medicine are being integrated in the Ecuadorian healthcare system.
6. Learn skills for helping patients and medical professionals make decisions when cultures clash.
Afternoon
ANTH 1548 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning
1. A chance to work with some of the most traditional and skilled indigenous ceramic artists in the Americas to make pottery in Amazonian style.
2. Satisfies Foreign Culture Regional and Non-western requirement and 2nd level course in Literature, Arts, or Creative Expression for Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.
3. Learn to think comparatively about beauty.
4. Learn to understand how indigenous American theories of art and design differ from those of Europe and Asia.
5. Learn how native cultures of the Americas use art as a way of seeing nature and connecting with it emotionally.
6. No previous experience with art or skill level is required.
The class frequently goes out into the forest with native artists to study designs and gather materials. While working with these remarkable women you will also learn a great deal about native Amazonian, religion, music, and storytelling.
Instructor: Tod D. Swanson.
Cost
Cost (2018) : In-State; $4,900; Out-of-State: $5,100 (Includes lodging, 3 meals per day 6 credits of tuition in country travel and excursions).
View from the Hotel Real Audiencia of the historic Santo Domingo Church built in 1540.
Program Itinerary (tentative)
Saturday May 30
11:30 PM Arrive in Quito Shuttle to Real Audiencia
Sunday, May 31
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Tour colonial Quito (founded 1535)
12:00 Lunch At Hotel Real Audiencia
1:PM Bus to Andes and Amazon Field School
2:30 PM Bathe in volcanic hot springs
6:30 PM Arrive at the Andes and Amazon Field School
7:00 PM Dinner
Monday, June 1
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Swanson, Introduction to Ecuador's history and Environment. Plenary Lecture in thatched dining room.
1:00 Lunch
7:00 Dinner
Tuesday, June 2
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Amazonian Health and Nutrition
1:00 Lunch
2-5 – Amazonian Arts Making and Meaning
Introduction to Amazonian Arts class. Dig clay in the forest. Observe a traditional Quichua potters prayer to the Mother of Clay.
7:00 Dinner
2-5 – Health class
7:00 Dinner
Wednesday June 3
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Visit to the Tena Hospital
“Quichua understanding of the (shared) body: Implications for Illness and Healing.” Swanson, Plenary Lecture in thatched dining room.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Amazonian Arts Making and Meaning
Readings: Swanson and Reddekop, "Looking Like the Land: Beauty and Aesthetics in Amazonian Quichua Philosophy and Practice." Journal of the American Academy of Religion, September 2017.
Parkes, Graham
2011 "Japanese Aesthetics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2011 Edition), Edward
7:00 Dinner
Thursday, June 4
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning Students begin working on forming vessels: mucawa and tinaja. Whitten 1998, Canelos Quichua People, pp. 14-29.
Due: Journal on first week observations with comments on readings. make traditional Amazonian ceramic bowls.
1:00 Lunch 2-5 “Quichua Shamanism: Implications for Community Health.” Plenary Lecture in thatched dining room.
7:00 Dinner
Friday June 5
9 AM Interview with Delicia and Eulodia Dagua on wanduk and ayawaska halucinogenic medicines. Students analyze interview in small groups.
1:00 Lunch
Afternoon free for travel or study
Saturday June 6 Free Day. No Class.
Sunday June 7 Free Day. No class.
Monday June 8
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Visit to the Tena Hospital
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Lecture on Quichua Aesthetics
Readings: Swanson and Reddekop, "Looking Like the Land: Beauty and Aesthetics in Amazonian Quichua Philosophy and Practice." Journal of the American Academy of Religion, September 2017.
Parkes, Graham
2011 "Japanese Aesthetics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2011 Edition), Edward
7:00 Dinner
8:00-10:00 Visit to shaman
Tuesday June 9
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Hike in the forest with potters to look at patterns and hear stories.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning
Continue forming vessels. Make brushes so that students can paint when they have time on Wednesday and Thursday. Minar and Crown 2001, Learning and Craft Production: An Introduction
7:00 Dinner
Wednesday, June 10
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Dr. William Waters, Plenary Lecture in thatched dining room.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Dr. William Waters, Plenary Lecture in thatched dining room.
7:00 Dinner
Thursday, June 11
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Class Dr. William Waters, Plenary Lecture in thatched dining room.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Dr. William Waters, Plenary Lecture in thatched dining room.
7:00 Dinner
Friday, June 12
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Amazonian Arts Making and Meaning
Swanson, Lecture and short videos on the meaning of designs painted on ceramic vessels. Finish painting, Firing
Due: Journal on second week observations with comments on readings.
1:00 Lunch
Afternoon: Free for travel or study
7:00 Dinner
Saturday June 13 Free Day. No Class.
Sunday June 14 Free Day. No Class.
Monday June 15
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Class Visit to Chonta Punta
1:00 Lunch
2-5 All day trip to Chonta Punta Quichua indigenous community with government public health team.
7:00 Dinner
Tuesday June 16
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Work with Quichua women in traditional manioc gardens to study sources of local diet.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Forming second set of vessels; Plan questions for Native potter interviews.
Bowser and Patton 2008, Women’s Life Histories and Communities of Practice in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
7:00 Dinner
Wednesday, June 17
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Make chicha and traditional foods.
2-5 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning
Forming, polishing; Interview life histories of the Quichua artists.
7:00 Dinner
Thursday, June 18
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Medical Pluralism and Culturally Appropriate Care . Lecture in thatched dining room.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning
Swanson, Lecture and videos on Amazonian Quichua face paint design. Paint faces of students.
7:00 Dinner
Friday, June 19
8:00 Breakfast . Eulodia Dagua, Delicia Dagua
9-12 Eulodia Dagua, Delicia Dagua, and Carmen on pregnanacy and traditional care of children.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Free Afternoon
7:00 Dinner
Saturday June 20 Free Day. No Class.
Sunday June 21 Free Day. No Class.
Monday June 22
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 All day trip to Amopakin-Quichua midwives co-operative.
1:00 Lunch
2-5
7:00 Dinner
Tuesday June 23
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 Students interview Amazonian Quichua families in their homes on questions of health.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning
Discussion of interview results. Final Essay assigned.
7:00 Dinner
Wednesday, June 24
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 In class processing of Health interviews.
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning
Oral exam on student vessels and designs.
7:00 Dinner
8:00 Breakfast
9-12
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning
Course discussion and evaluation.
7:00 Dinner
Thursday June 25
8:00 Breakfast
9-12
1:00 Lunch
2-5 Amazonian Arts: Making and Meaning
Course discussion and evaluation.
7:00 Dinner
Friday June 26
Course wind up
8-10 Quichua Dance and Despedida
Saturday June 27 Travel to the airport.
