Comuna History

Many years ago founders of our comuna discovered a tree on a river island. The leaves of this tree when crushed and boiled produced a burgandy liquid that could be used to dye string bags and clothes. The tree is called Sani (purple in Kichwa) and the founders took this name for the comuna, Sani Isla Comuna (Purple tree Island Community). So, later the lodge became Sani Lodge and our logo is the Sani Garza or Roseatte Spoonbill. Actually one of the best places to see the Roseatte Spoonbill is in the entrance to Sani Lodge.

Kichwa is the language spoken by the local members of the Sani Isla Comuna, as well as Spanish. Kichwa has also become known as an indigenous ethnic group, and is a composite of various other indigenous groups.

There are over 400 members of the comuna who make their living by subsistence agriculture and hunting as well as working for Sani Lodge, other lodges in the area and oil companies. They lived for many years in the Amazon Jungle an along the banks of the Rio Napo, accumulating experience and knowledge in forest living. They have an incredible knowledge of medicine plants, trees and lianas as well as wild life in the forest.

Sani Lodge History

During the past 15 years, members of the Sani Isla community have been working as guides, canoe men, chefs, and others for first class lodges in the Napo Area.  About six years ago, a community member, Don Orlando Gualinga, began a dream about a project of their own.  Given that the community had such intimate knowledge of the forest and jungle lodges, in addition to 37,000 hectares of pristine forest, he started searching for external help to start building this project. The first step was to hire qualified management and organize the financing.

Funding to start the construction of 4 cabañas, the bar and the dining room, was provided by an oil company who made an agreement with the community, and after things got started, the Lodge reinvested money to build 6 more cabañas and improve services. Nowadays, management has passed to other hands and we are still reinvesting in our lodge to achieve and sustain a first class level.

This ecotourism based project, has other advantages for the community other than economic benefits.  "Sani Isla" has developed a sense of pride for their forest and their culture.  The lowland Kichwa culture is one tied directly to the jungle.  Their creation stories, medicinal remedies and sources of food and fun, are all based in living closely with the forest and loss of the forest, will result in  the loss of their culture.