We had never seen the skin of a white person
Que yimóngo cojñotique aórique
Five missionaries looked for the Ayoréos:
We were told that five missionaries came to Bolivia long ago in the very beginning before the Ayoré had any contact with the non-Ayoré that we called cojñone. We hadn’t even seen their kind of skin. But we’re told that when those first missionaries heard about the people in the jungles of Bolivia, they had compassion on them because of how things were for them, and how the people were hunting them.
And they said, “Let’s go, let’s go and look for the Ayoré.”
But they didn’t think about how fierce we were. And so they went in search of the us. When they were in Santiago de Chiquitos they heard the news that there had been sightings of the Ayoré in the nearby jungles. Some people there told the missionaries that they had run into some of the Ayoré and that the Ayoré were afraid of them and must have thought they had wanted to kill them. After meeting up with those people, the missionaries decided to go looking for the Ayoré, but, we’re told they went back to their town first. Both groups, the people in Santiago and the missionaries decided to look for the Ayoré, but the missionaries went into the jungle first.
We were scared when we heard the news that five missionaries were looking for us:
For a long time we had been hearing that there were people looking for us. None of us Ayoré had any idea at that time that these were people that would be kind to us. That is why we were frightened when we heard that people were looking for us.
It was because of their wanting to be kind to us Ayoré that the missionaries kept going out to look for us. And they found signs of the Ayoré. And so they kept searching without giving much thought to the fact that the Ayoré might kill them. They were trusting in Dupade and felt that he could save them – even in Ayoré territory.
They left with a lot of stuff. They didn’t say to their wives, “We’ll be back soon.” They were determined to keep looking for us Ayoré until they found us and could tell us about Jesus. And now, in these days, we know Him, and that is because missionaries have gone all over the world, and, here in our country, they’ve told us how our sins could be forgiven.
The five missionaries came upon one of our camps:
And then it was that these five missionary men found an Ayoré village. One of the Ayoré leaders wanted to protect them, but no one listened to him for he was only one, and there were many who didn’t speak up for the missionaries. Later, on the day the missionaries arrived at that village, some Ayoré warriors confronted them on their way back to the village. As the missionaries were leaving, the warriors circled around them to shoot them with their arrows. One of them was shot first and soon all the missionaries were killed. These warriors didn’t know that these gringos, the five missionaries, would have helped them to make peace with the cojñone who were hunting them.
It’s told that we Ayoré used to want chiefs that would kill our cojñone enemies. But many of the cojñone wanted to make peace with the Ayoré, but we did not know this. The Ayoré chiefs also wanted to be praised for their generosity, for their compassion on the sick as they would blow on them to heal them. But the cojñone and the Ayoreos thought differently and this added to their misunderstandings.
Today we Ayoré have learned that nothing in this world is free. We also know that it is only Jesus who has true compassion on us when we are sick. If he thinks it’s best, he can save and heal us. But if it’s his will, he can allow us to be killed. We know that the five missionaries died at the hands of the Ayoré, but Dupade knew before it happened that they would be killed.
We ayoréos did not know that their intentions were good:
We know now that those missionaries felt sorry for us, but never got to show us how to go to heaven. But we Ayoré had no idea that was why they had come to find us. And that explains why no one defended them when they arrived, and why they were killed. After killing them, the Ayoré took their things. But fortunately, they buried the missionaries.
The people in the town of Santiago made up their minds to look for the five missionaries:
Some time later, the people in Santiago heard that the missionary men were missing. And that is when a leader in Santiago, we’re told, said, “Let’s go. Let’s look for those missing missionaries. The Ayoré have probably taken them.”
They searched for them but didn’t find them. All they found were some of their things – paraphernalia from their cameras and other things. But by this they knew they had been killed and buried, for it was the custom of the Ayoré to bury their victims.
Later we knew that the five missionaries felt sorry for us:
Little by little the news of the killing of the missionaries reached other groups of us Ayoré.
Those five men had felt sorry for us. They felt sorry for us because of our sin, and the kind of lives we were living. And because of them, other missionaries came, and we now know that there is someone, somewhere who loves us Ayoré – Dupade loves us. The kindness of Dupade is in some of the cojñone, also, and they are kind to us. Rich and poor people, of one mind, are reaching out to help us.
And it was like that with Jesus, wasn’t it? He came to this earth because he pitied us earth dwellers and wanted to look out for us. He wanted to show us his grace. I can truthfully say that we Ayoreos didn’t have many friends in this world at the time those first five missionaries came to us. And what I’ve told you about the ways of the Ayoré is also true. For very few of us Ayoré were even friendly with each other at that time.
Only Jesus made the difference. His teachings made it plain to us that there is One who is kind and compassionate to all of us, Ayoreos and cojñone, we all have the same compassionate Lord.
The people had taken one of our countrymen captive, and her name was Gutodaté:
It’s true what we’ve heard about Gutodaté who was taken captive by the cojñone. It was she, in the beginning, who first taught the missionaries our words. The Ayoreos and the missionaries couldn’t talk to each other for they didn’t understand each other. But we are so thankful that in these times we people, Ayoreos and cojñone, can communicate with each other everywhere. The missionaries know our language. Even among the humblest of the cojñone are those who have learned some of our words, and it’s so good that we Ayoré also now know their words (Spanish) and we can all communicate freely.
And there’s a reason for this. And that reason is, if you want to learn another language you have to listen to it. And now, there are books that teach our language. It’s very good in these days how we are interacting with each other; cojñone and Ayoreos are becoming more and more united in these days.
It’s true that, even when we are miles apart in understanding each other, Dupade knows what is in our hearts. He knows all about our sins. And he knows what we think about His Son, and whether our thoughts are good. For Dupade isn’t far off, he’s right here beside us wherever we are in this world. The end.
Jomoné – Puesto Paz, Bolivia – 1970.
Transcribed by: Faith Wyma.
Translated to English by: Maxine Morarie.
Jomoné, eating palm heart.
He grew up to be one of the
men who helped to translate
the New Testament.
