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The people of the Sierra Nevada believe that it is the center of the universe, that its rivers, rocks and plants are part of a living body — and see it as their job to protect their balance.
Under the shade of a sacred tree, indigenous sages chew coca leaves to ward off threats to their homes amid the melting, snow-capped peaks of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
At a meeting of dozens of indigenous people from different communities, a man said in the Iku language that “as a result of human actions, it’s slowly getting warmer, more every year,” according to an interpreter.
The inhabitants of the Sierra Nevada range in northern Colombia believe that it is the center of the universe, its rivers, rocks and plants part of a living body. They see it as their job to protect their balance.
In 2022, UNESCO recognized the ancient knowledge of four indigenous groups in the region as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage, and essential to the care of “Mother Nature, humanity and the planet”.
But here in Earth’s highest coastal mountain system, at 5,775 meters (19,000 feet) above sea level, the natural harmony is being disrupted as record heat waves melt the snowy peaks and ruin their crops. Gives
In a form of active meditation, Arhwaku’s spiritual leaders or “mamooz” hold a wooden stick in their mouth before removing it and rubbing it around the gourd – transferring their thoughts to the hollow fruit.
Seydin Ati Rosado, a leader in Nabosimek, a town of 8,000 people, said it used to be too cold to grow the coffee, bananas and cassava they now plant.
“We are here to live in peace, in harmony. To believe otherwise leads to global warming,” says one local leader.
“Man is going to destroy himself by thinking himself too intelligent because of his inventions.”
Out of 14 Tropical glaciers Of those that existed in Colombia at the beginning of the 20th century, only six remain, according to official figures.
According to the state weather agency, the Sierra Nevada’s snow cover has shrunk from 82 square kilometers (32 square miles) in the mid-19th century to just 5.3 kilometers in 2022.
Glaciers ‘disappear’
The Arhuaco live in the Sierra Nevada with the Kankwamo, Kogoi, and Viva people, who are separate but related communities.
They wear white tunics and handmade white straw hats. When greeting each other, they exchange handfuls of toasted coca leaves which they chew with lime to release stimulating alkaloids.
In a form of active meditation, Arhuaco’s ‘mamos’ spiritual leaders hold a wooden stick in their mouth before removing it and rubbing it around the gourd — shifting their thoughts to the hollow fruit.
His concerns about a changing climate are shared by Leonor Zalabata, the first indigenous person to represent Colombia at the United Nations.
“All the glaciers that used to be in the Sierra Nevada are disappearing,” she warns.
Seydin Ati Rosado, a leader in Nabosimek, a town of 8,000 people, said it used to be too cold to grow the coffee, bananas and cassava they now plant.
In January, environmental officials set a record Record temperature 40 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in Santa Marta, a seaside town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
The swing between morning frost and afternoon heat destroyed the residents’ corn crops.
Arhuaco hopes the weather extremes for growing beans, cabbage and corn will moderate by March.
“It’s a response to what we as humans have given to Mother Earth,” Rosado said, as she made a bag.
“This is our past, our present, and our future. When I create, I talk and think about my children. Everything is here, listed in the bag,” she said.
While they maintain their traditional clothing and beliefs, the Arhuaco carry cell phones in their woven bags, and use solar panels to power their mud huts.
‘Life Is Possible’
One of the tenets of the community worldview — which he believes can help the world deal with climate change — is collective thinking.
“There’s only one man, only one woman. So if something happens to a man, wherever he is, he’s connected to everyone. The same with women,” explains Rosado.
“We are not alone, nor separate from other human beings, nor from animals, nor from anything else on earth.”
In addition to his deep connection with nature, Arhuaco also emphasizes the importance of balance.
While they maintain their traditional clothing and beliefs, they carry cell phones in their woven bags, and use solar panels to power their mud huts.
They learn Spanish from childhood and some families send their children to study in public universities in neighboring cities.
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A map of Colombia showing the town of Nabusimake and Pico Colon, the country’s highest peak at 5,775 meters above sea level in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
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In 2022, UNESCO recognized the ancient knowledge of four indigenous groups living in the Sierra Nevada as intangible cultural heritage, and essential to the care of ‘Mother Nature, humanity and the planet’.
“We believe that life is possible, as long as there is balance,” said Zalabata’s son Iroquin Torres.
“So we insist that we can’t change the environment any more.”
But climate change isn’t the only threat to Aruwako’s environment.
Due to its rugged geography and proximity to the coast, this sacred mountain has been a haven and transit point for drug traffickers for decades.
Torres has also warned of an increase in paramilitary activity in the region as peace talks between armed groups and the government of President Gustavo Petro have stalled.
“This crisis (of violence) is coming again. That’s why we demand the government to resume talks,” he said.
© 2024 AFP
Reference: Indigenous Colombians fret over melting of Sacred Mountain glaciers (2024, February 21) Retrieved February 21, 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-02-indigenous-colombians-fret-sacred-mountain.html has been
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