the sáparas have been fishers, hunters, gatherers and farmers. during the 1940’s, the sáparas started to move to cities for study and work. at the same time, sápara men were drafted into the army. they also left their communities to work for the shell oil company and large plantations. around 2007, men used to go to the ecuadorian coast to work for construction companies. meanwhile, women stayed in the villages taking care of the children, keeping the house and farming. as a result of such migration, most sápara men have learned spanish.