Bridges Across Borders is looking for resources to buy a few hectares of land in order to establish community and heal the territory that the Indigenous peoples (Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa, and Kankuamo) of la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, call THE HEART OF THE WORLD from armed violence, illegal settlers and habitat destruction.
My name is Margarita Acosta, I’ve been a member of Bridges across Borders for a few years. I am originally from Colombia, but have been living in Arizona with my partner for over thirty years. A few weeks ago, while attending a vigil at the Mexican American border of Nogales, I had the opportunity to meet an Arhuaco Medicine Man and Spiritual Leader, Mamo Ambrosio Torres, and his daughter, Gunkeywia. They had come all the way from the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the north of Colombia to support and heal the hearts of families who have suffered violence and death at the international border throughout the years.
The purpose of Mamo Ambrosio and Gunkeywia’s project to purchase a few hectares of land on which to build a Kankurwa (Ceremonial House in which spiritual work can be done) is not only to heal the territory and the hearts of the people who in ignorance and greed are destroying it, but to preserve the knowledge that is being lost and prepare a new generation of people who will understand how to cherish and preserve the territory, bringing joy and happiness to themselves and their families. The section of land that Mamo Ambrosio and his daughter are aiming to purchase is Wiwa land in need of a Mamo who can preserve the knowledge and pass it on, land high up on the mountain which can be protected and enable the lands below to also flourish.
The Indigenous groups in the Sierra Nevada can buy and sell land to each other, but not to outsiders. The Wiwa family has been patient in waiting for compensation for this section of their land, so if we can raise the funds, they will be able to tend to their needs and care for their families who are being impacted by the violence that is occurring in their homeland. Part of the money will also go to cover the expenses for the traveling that Mamo Ambrosio and his daughter Gunkeywia have undertaken in their efforts to receive funding and support from the international community.
Mamo Ambrosio only speaks his native language and just a little bit of Spanish, so his daughter Gunkeywia serves as an interpreter. His message was not new for me; I had seen the documentary of Alan Ereira from the BBC in the 1970s when the Kogui Indians sent out a warning to the world, to the “younger brother,” as they call us: “Younger brother, please be aware of the damage you are causing, everything is suffering because of your actions, stop the destruction!”
Five decades later … violence, militarization, drug cartels, paramilitaries, government policies, and common thugs have made the situation in Colombia for indigenous communities very dangerous. Even today, December 1st, 2024, part of the family has not been able to access the land because of armed confrontations happening there right now, between rival groups who hide behind the coffee plants, making it difficult for the indigenous people to move freely, tend to and harvest their plants, and care for their families and crops.
We have to remember that in 2022, the Ancestral System of Knowledge of the Arhuaco, Kankuamo, Kogui, and Wiwa peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta became part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognized by UNESCO. Their sacred mandates keep the existence of these four peoples in harmony with the physical and spiritual universe. Through many years of dedication, the knowledgeable men (Mamos) and women (Sagas) acquire the necessary skills and sensitivity to communicate with the snow-capped peaks, connect with the knowledge of the rivers, and decipher the messages of nature.
Based on the Law of Origin, a philosophy that governs human relationships to nature and the universe, the Ancestral System of Knowledge entails caring for Sacred Sites, rituals, traditional songs and dances, and retributions or offerings to spiritual powers. This ancestral wisdom is believed to play a fundamental role in protecting not only the Sierra Nevada ecosystem, but the whole world. The Ancestral System of Knowledge is transmitted from generation to generation through cultural practice, community activities, the use of the indigenous language, and the implementation of the sacred mandates. The transmission process includes the understanding of physical and spiritual relationships with Mother Nature and Sacred Sites.
The vision of Mamo Ambrosio is a territory with clean, abundant water and food, plants and trees growing, and people … including foreigners and locals, military and paramilitary, other armed groups, tourists, settlers … learning to live harmoniously in community: teaching, passing the knowledge, and bringing back those in the community who, due to violence and threats, are being dispersed and frightened.
We must help indigenous peoples who are willing to risk their lives in order to offer healing to the land and to the people around them who cannot yet understand the significance of the beauty that surrounds and sustains them.
Mamo Ambrosio Torres is willing to continue to risk his life and the lives of his family in order to pass his knowledge and teach us how to take care of the Earth wherever we are. He wants to open his home to people who are willing to learn the simple task of preserving all the goodness and beauty that we already have — stop the destruction, the pollution, the greed — and cultivate kindness and responsibility in caring for this beautiful planet, Mother Earth.
Donations for this project can be mailed to Bridges Across Borders c/o Margarita Acosta P.O.Box 808 Pearce, AZ 85625