By Claire Odland
During the Field Museum’s conservation project in Peru’s Cordillera Azul National Park, Claire was invited to join an expedition to the upper Amazon to collect traditional textiles. How could she possibly refuse? This invitation sparked the story she will share with us – the adventure, the people on the river, their art and way of life – illustrated by a documentary film, Shipibo: The Making of our Memories.
Claire has spent many years traveling and has wondered why people in some cultures, like parts of Mexico, Bhutan, or India, continue to wear distinctive, and often costly, styles of dress. Her curiosity led her to volunteer, eventually becoming a Research Associate at Chicago’s Field Museum. Over the span of 25 years, with three books, two films, and five journeys to the Amazon, Claire says, “I can truly say it was the most rewarding work of my life.”
