6th Regional Encounter Children of Mother Earth: study the ancestral knowledge
With the purpose of promoting and studying ancestral knowledge, the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP) in Colombia held the 6th Regional Encounter of the Children of Mother Earth in Tame, department of Arauca.
The educational institution Guahibo Betoy, in Betoyes, was the place where 175 indigenous representatives of the indigenous people gathered to participate in the event, where the following communities attended:
- U’wa,
- Betoy,
- Makaguan,
- Sikuani,
- Inga and
- Kichwa
The national coordinator of the GEAP, David Peluffo, was present, along with 100 Activists and Guardians for Peace, who during January held meetings with the Saravena, Cubara and Villavicencio ethnic organizations.
The activity began with a ceremony of harmonization by the Taita governors of the Inga people and the presentation of the group Guagua Guaira (children of the wind), event that allowed them to show their cultural values as part of their ancestral identity.
Ancestral culture
Luis Cedeño, coordinator of the Commission of Indigenous Education of Arauca, stated in his lecture:
“Peace is a bag where unity, dignity, liberty, happiness, harmony, equilibrium between the human family and humanity with nature, that is why we are children of Mother Earth. Peace is life.”
David Peluffo in his lecture spoke of the Children of Mother Earth and of the promotion of the ancestral culture of the indigenous people of Mother Earth for a sustainable development, one of the action areas of this project of the GEAP.
11 work tables
The Encounter opened a space of dialogue and reflection through 11 work tables that developed the following subjects:
- The conservation and restoration of water sources, earth, biodiversity and the way to counteract the effects of climate change.
- The prevention of cultural genocide, as well as the rescue and divulgation of the cultural values and ancestral music.
- The vision of women and youths of our indigenous people for the strengthening of their identity.
- The restoration of ancestral food and medicine
- The Inter-American Environmental Charter
- The way to achieve peace and integral happiness of the Children of Mother Earth.
In the plenary, environmental proposals were presented for the Orinoquia zone, and then they were delivered by the coordinators of the GEAP to be socialized in different national and supranational instances, educational centers, communities and means of communication.
Connected with Mother Earth
For the indigenous communities of this region of the country, the greatest issue is the reduction of their territory and overcrowding, adding to the situation of housing and drinking water.
Manuel Jajoy, a representative of the table, spoke on the subject of conserving and restoring Mother Earth. He said:
“For us, Earth is life, it is education, spirituality, knowledge. Territory is housing (…) where we connect with Mother Earth, Pachamama, and that is how we leave our legacy.”
On her part, Ana Uncacia, representing the work table that developed the proposals from the vision of the women of the indigenous people, expressed:
“Indigenous women are the motor that moves the conservation of nature, and thus, the environment (…) we are the ones that share with our children the teachings of our ancestors.”
According to Andres Prada, general secretary of Ascatidar (Association of Traditional Indigenous Councils and Authorities of Arauca) which represent around 7,000 indigenous people, which are mostly communities that conserve their language. The Betoy and Makaguan have already lost it and are in the process of adopting the Sikuani language.
