English Essays
The indigenous history is getting in the past and it is being forgotten through the years and time. This is bad, because we can lose our traditions and culture. Also, the history of our own country, community, society and the same indigenous people themselves, and if we lose them, we lose it all literally, because they are part of all our knowledge. This is some people’s point of view, because other people think that they are worthless, that if we lose them, we do not lose anything. So, what are we supposed to do? If we lose them, it would be our fault and nobody can change it.
In order to know how we were created, from where we come, and our roots, we have to first know our past to know our present. But, where do we start from? We should start from the colonial times, when the Spaniards came to America, because “America was not discovered, it was invented”, this is a phrase said by Maria, a teacher that studied Anthropology (the science of studying history). When Spaniards arrived to America in 1492, the communities were very apart from each other because of the condition of the terrain at the moment. And that caused that the communities could not communicate between them, which turned into something bad, because they could not expand, so they became isolated communities. When Spaniards found the indigenous villages, they dominated them. The most affected ones were the indigenous people, because the Spaniards brought diseases to them, so the number of population was decreasing. When the Spaniards saw that they were dying, they thought that they had to bring more people to work for them, and then they decided to bring the Africans as their slaves. So then when the Africans, indigenous and Spaniards mixed, the communities started to grow. In the places where there were these populations were Nariño, Cauca, and some other regions like, the “Andina” and “Caribe”. They started to plant many principal products of Colombia, like corn. Most of our culture is because of the Africans and Spanish influence on religion, music, art festivals, instruments, etc. In music, the “Vallenato”, “Bambuco”, and “Cumbia”, were influenced by them.
Some indigenous communities that we can find in our territories are, Maloka, NASA, Muisca, Wayu, and these communities have a vast, unique culture and history because, for example, the Muiscas had been in our country for many years. They created a lot of myths, and some other representative artifacts, for example the Wayu bags. They make them without a set pattern, using just their imagination. Another tradition is that a community made little sculptures of gold and other minerals, then they pull them into the river, as a ritual. Now, some of those precious sculptures are in a museum in Bogota. Another belief that some other cultures have is gods. For example, gods of water, soil, corn, sun, etc. They also have festivals, like the Sun and Moon Festival, which is a tradition of the Muisca community of Bosa. This Little traditions are key in our country, and what make our country unique and special.
Some people think that the loss of culture has been affected in the country. One thing that has really affected the communities is the displace, also the damage of the biodiversity affect the villages because when they plant and the land is contaminates, the product is damage. Also the same community, including all of us. The technology has a big impact in the ancestral culture, for example, the clothes now they use clothes like a citizen, also the electronic devices, before they communicate face to face, and now they use electronic devices. And all of this affects our environment, or society.
In conclusion, we have the responsibility of taking care of the indigenous and keep our culture and tradition. Think before act because maybe this could forget forever. Make whatever for keeping save the indigenous communities. Search solutions. Take care of it. The indigenous need us, we need them.
Loss of Ancestral Culture
By Ana Sofía Ossa Serrano