Anniversary celebration at Inti Pakari school and Emmett's encounter with a toxic caterpillar

Emmett and Annalise's school, Inti Pakari, celebrated its 14th anniversary on Friday.   The day included dancing, singing and a sacred ceremony with burning incense and a blessing with oil.     Below is an opening circle of flowers, sugar cane and fruits, which was the focus of the ceremony.    To me, the ceremony recognized the blessings of our natural world and how we all belong to a holy and interdependent earth.  Speaking of interdependence and healing, Emmett encountered a toxic Giant Silkworm caterpillar.  As he was walking back from climbing a tree, his arm brushed up against a leaf with the caterpillar underneath.    He immediately felt pain on his arm and developed hives where the caterpillar touched him.   I had heard of these caterpillars, "Lonomia", which can be very dangerous with larger exposures due to their anticoagulant toxins.   Emmett had a stiff upper lip but clearly was in pain.   None of the adults seemed too alarmed about the incident.   Fortunately, one of the dads evidently knew about a local remedy for Emmett's exposure to the toxins.   He gathered the caterpillar and extracted a gelatinous green sack and rubbed it on Emmett's arm.  Emmett immediately felt better and the hives subsided. 

Annalise and schoolmates making noisemakers out of old bottle caps for the cultural dance 

A Saraguro elder at the school 

Many of the mothers and grandmothers helped cook lunch at the school

Emmett climbing a tree shortly before brushing up against a leaf with the giant silkworm caterpillar 

a local man extracted a green gelatinous sack out of the caterpillar to rub on Emmett's hives

The caterpillar, which was about three inches long. 

The ceremony at school. 

Annalise received a blessing of aromatic oil, which then she rubbed on her face. 

Cultural dance 

Annalise having soup with her classmates