Much has happened since the first English version of Watunna was published nearly twenty years ago. In the preface to that edition, I expressed the hope that, although "written," it would retain the force of the oral and inspire new, even richer tellings. And indeed, several radio adaptations have been produced, at least one of them performed on National Public Radio. An animated film version also premiered in 1989. Created by Stacey Steers, it won a handful of festival prizes. Then on the

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... anniversary of its publication, North Point Press reissued Watunna in a new edition. Throughout this period I continued working with the Makiritare or, as I preferred to call them, Yekuana. Prior to the publication of Watunna, very little about them had been published, either in Spanish or in English. It seemed an opportune moment, therefore, to adopt the name they used for themselves. Fortunately, "Makiritare," which is Arawak, is not offensive to the Yekuana. It is also nearly identical in meaning to their own Carib-derived name, which can be translated as "Canoe" or "River People." Both emphasize the salient characteristic that has enabled this upper Orinoco group to survive as successfully as it has into the present. For their unique ability to navigate the rapids and waterfalls of the mountainous rain forests of southern Venezuela has permitted them to dominate the homeland they call Ihuruña, the Headwater Place. This does not mean that there are no threats to their world. Illegal miners searching for gold and diamonds continue to invade their lands, wreaking havoc wherever they go. There is also talk of reviving the giant Caura dam project in the very center of their territory. For the moment, however, the Yekuana remain in control of their environment, and their population has stabilized at 3,100.