On the 17th of January 2025, we had the honor of hosting anthropologist Cynthia Cárdenas Palacios to share with us her experience with the Matsigenka women from the community of Timpía, Bajo Urubamba, Cusco in respect to the techniques of masato making, addressing the different moments in the transformation of yuca and 'the relationships between women, women and plants and non-humans, as well as the agency of objects.'

Throughout the presentation, Cynthia would embody her words, for the majority of her time is spent working in the field. As you listen to her stories, what she really conveys is her experience of living with the people. She has become an expert in the elaboration of masato from the transformation of the yuca to its elaboration, all this due to the bond she has developed during her visits and the openness of the women who have taught her their secrets around this symbol of togetherness and hospitality.

Cynthia shared with us about how the jokes that constantly emerged from the women who transferred their knowledge to her, were of an endearing nature, and that amidst the laughter a deeper relationship had been developing.

Masato generates relationships between women, networks of reciprocity, spaces for encounters, and circles of conversation. After the transmission, masato is learned by preparing it alone, it is a challenge that leads one to their resoluteness, to find the unique alchemy since each masato is distinct. Cynthia, like every woman who has reached this level of mastery, has been a leader in promoting the social encounter around masato, a potent and nourishing ancestral drink that makes visible the interdependence ‘between women, women and plants and non-humans, as well as the agency of objects’.

Thanks to everyone who attended this special event and to Cynthia for sharing her knowledge and intimate experiences around this ancestral practice. Thanks to Luzmeri Vargas for preparing her personal batch of masato for this gathering. And thank you to Luisa Evira Belaunde for introducing us to the work of Cynthia Cárdenas.

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BIOGRAPHY | Cynthia Cárdenas Palacios

Cynthia Cárdenas holds a Master's degree in Anthropology from the Universidad Federal do Pará (UFPA) and a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM). Since 2006 she has worked mainly with federations and local communities of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP), which has allowed her to be in contact and work with different Indigenous peoples, especially with the Awajún and currently with the Matsigenka. Since the beginning of her career, her research interests have focused on Indigenous health, education, intercultural education, Indigenous thought, public policy and gender from the perspective of the Indigenous peoples themselves. Currently, she is interested in collaborating with Indigenous thinkers and promoting the creation of spaces for the co-production of knowledge.

She has published "Have you ever heard this? Storytelling by the Matsigenka women of the Timpía community, Bajo Urubamba, Cusco" (2021) and co-authored with the Indigenous professor Never Tuesta the book "Kaja Atiamu - Desatando la Visión. Power and Awajún knowledge" (2022).

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