Esteban Lusitande

In July 2005, the world lost a good and gentle man. Esteban Lusitande was a shaman, nature guide, hunter, farmer, father, grandfather. He was a friend who shared his home, his humor, his knowledge, and his kindness with many. Sadly and horribly, he was murdered last July as he traveled to a nearby village to perform a curing ceremony. We miss him greatly.

Esteban was born to a Cofan-Siona family in Colombia, where he was trained as a Shaman. As a young man, he and his Siona wife settled in the Secoya community on the Aguarico River. Here, under the influence of evangelical missionaries, he abandoned shamanism for many years. He returned to healing five years ago, after seeing a nephew die suddenly from a strange illness and feeling powerless to save him. His killer is believed to be someone from the village he was visiting, motivated by jealousy and a misplaced fear of his power, and possibly addled by alcohol. Esteban’s death is a loss for his people and for us all.  

If you would like to offer support to Esteban’s widow, or help pay the costs for the investigation into his murder, please Email us for more information. We would also like to hear from those who knew Esteban and wish to share their memories of him.