▁traditional ▁form ▁of ▁bur ial ▁for ▁the ▁Ach u ar ▁is ▁placing ▁the ▁dece ased ▁person ▁in ▁a ▁h ollow ed - out ▁log , ▁res emb ling ▁a ▁can oe . ▁During ▁the ▁fun eral ▁of ▁a ▁head ▁of ▁household , ▁the ▁can oe ▁is ▁buried ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁house ▁in ▁rem emb rance ▁of ▁the ▁continu ing ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁figure . ▁One ▁spiritual ▁belief ▁of ▁the ▁Ach u ar ▁regarding ▁death , ▁is ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁body ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁dead ▁body . ▁These ▁lim bs ▁ac quire ▁a ▁life ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁and ▁assume ▁the ▁bodies ▁of ▁certain ▁animals . ▁ ▁History ▁Ach u ar ▁were ▁first ▁written ▁about ▁by ▁Western ▁people ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 8 ; ▁however , ▁they ▁avoided ▁prolong ed ▁European ▁contact ▁until ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁Christian ▁mission aries ▁did ▁not ▁gain ▁a ▁fo oth old ▁in ▁Ach u ar ▁society ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁ ▁Non - Ind igen ous ▁influence ▁on ▁Ach u ar ▁people ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Amazon ▁Rain for est ▁the ▁Ach u ar ▁people ' s ▁numbers ▁and ▁liv elihood ▁has ▁been ▁decl ining . ▁When ▁oil ▁was ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁Amazon ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁oil ▁companies ▁began ▁to ▁make ▁claims ▁on ▁land ▁for ▁development ▁and ▁profit . ▁Such ▁claims , ▁their ▁development , ▁and ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁violent ▁attacks ▁on ▁oil