BriBri Tribal Leader – Wood carver – Cultural Preservationist
Shulú Mè̱kichawak lives in the village of Kachabri, deep within the indigenous reserve. He is a woodcarver, a poet and a writer of stories. He has written books of the history and stories of his people, and also guides to local medicinal plants and wildlife.
Shulú also translates stories; both from BriBri to Spanish and vice-versa. He is responsible for translating the childrens classic “The Little Prince” into BriBri!
Shulú the artist
Here is Shulú at work on one of his beautiful carvings. Believe it or not, he does almost all the carving by machete. He’s hoping that by selling a few of his pieces, he’ll be able to purchase some more appropriate wood carving tools.
Shulú’s Microloan Project
This cone-shaped hut in Shulú’s village is called an Useré. The Useré is a BriBri spiritual center, and is used in ceremonial practices. The structure of the hut is symbolic of the structure of the universe, according to BriBri tradition.
The Useré in Kachabri is in currently in need of repair. El Puente provided a loan of $500 to Shulú. He will use these funds to repair his village’s ceremonial center. He has a plan to repay the loan within a period of 18 months.
How you can help
Here is one of Shulú’s completed pieces. He did all the carving by machete, and painted it beautifully. This piece is currently on display at El Puente. We are looking for someone who might want to buy this piece at the price of $200. We can have it shipped to you, or you could donate it as a permanent display at El Puente! Proceeds will go towards Shulú’s goal of buying his own woodcarving tools. Click the ‘donate’ button in the header or if you’d like to purchase this piece send us an email!