Wealth of the Wild: How Indigenous Animals Have Brought Many Cultures to Prosperity

Various cultures throughout the world still hold on to ancient traditions, practices and artistry as a way to bring prosperity to their people and their community. Those ancient techniques and materials are considered sacred, not only because of the history and the fact that these artistic practices have been passed down for tens of thousands of years, but also because of the wealth that these traditions have brought to those cultures, especially throughout South America.

You might not realize but chances are, many of the gorgeous fabrics in your home and your closet are the product of ancient artistic traditions using fabric from indigenous animals in South America. That heavenly throw blanket you’re snuggling? Alpacas from Peru. That deliciously soft and delicate sweater you adore on a cool day? Llamas from Bolivia. From blankets to upholstery to sweaters, ponchos, tapestries, shoes and more, indigenous animals have brought many cultures to prosperity over the years, and continue to do so, both giving back to their communities and giving consumers handcrafted, luxurious fabrics and goods that cannot be manufactured anywhere else.  

2Vicuña are More Valuable than Gold, and are Valuable to South American Cultures

vicuna indigenous animals BELatina
Photo Credit www.animalesargentinos.com.ar/vicuna.php

Once upon a time vicuña, a cousin of the llama and a member of the camelid family of mammals, were considered more valuable than gold, primarily used for their silky fiber coats. There were millions of vicuña inhabiting the chilly Andean plateaus throughout Peru and South America, but over time, because these animals were hunted for their fleece (a fabric so grand it was reserved only for royalty) they became endangered and hunting them was banned by the Peruvian government.

There were only about 5,000 vicuñas left in the Andes, and as the animals became more and more scarce there was an embargo placed on all trade and exports of vicuña wool. It wasn’t until several years later that the well-known luxury Italian fashion company Loro Piana stepped in to reintroduce vicuña to the commercial world in an ethically sourced and environmentally responsible way. They invested in nature reserves and preservation initiatives throughout the 1980s and 90s, working to help regrow the vicuña population and find ways to safely and ethical shear the animals for their fleece, without harming the animals at all. Today Loro Piana has control over most of the world’s vicuña market — in 2008 it opened a 2,000-hectare Dr. Franco Loro Piana Reserva in Peru where vicuña are bred and raised with an emphasis on conservation. This investment in the animals’ well-being and the industry of producing vicuña fibers for luxury goods brings jobs to Peru and the surrounding region, and has helped bolster the population of the species in the wild.

Dr. Cristián Bonacic, a Chilean conservation scientist, agrees that the humane shearing of vicuñas “presents a real opportunity to bring economic gain to indigenous communities whilst presenting an alternative to the domestic livestock that overgraze the high altitude plateaus.” His research and work has helped to develop ways to ethically manage the vicuña population in a way that benefits both the local communities across the Andes as well as the businesses of exporting these goods around the world.