Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Politics of Autonomy of Indigenous Peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia: A Process of Relational Indigenous Autonomy

2011; Routledge; Volume: 6; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/17442222.2011.543874

1744-2230

Astrid Ulloa,

History and Politics in Latin America

Abstract This paper focuses on the demands for autonomy of the Kogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa and Kankwamo peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with regard to control over their territories, self-determination, indigenous legal jurisdiction, management of the environment, food sovereignty, and political control through their own authorities. The main argument is that the autonomy of indigenous peoples is being influenced by the current context of local, national and international conflicts and other specific circumstances in the region in such a way as to require viewing autonomy as a complex process that transcends national and supranational legal frameworks. Indigenous autonomy is articulated within local, national and international dynamics and within processes of recognition of, and disregard for, indigenous rights – obliging us to understand it as a relational indigenous autonomy. It is relational because it is expressed in different ways depending on the interactions among different social actors and the specificities of the historical contexts. Keywords: Colombiaindigenous peoplesrelational indigenous autonomySierra Nevada de Santa MartaKogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa and Kankwamo peoples Acknowledgements This work was translated from Spanish by Katharine Henrikson. The author is also grateful to Julio Barragán, Arregocés Conchacala, Carlos Zambrano and Mauricio Chavarro, as well as the external referees, for their comments and suggestions. Notes Notes [1] The CTC – I will use the abbreviated name in Spanish in all cases – is an indigenous organization formed among the four indigenous groups of the Sierra Nevada to coordinate the dialogue between the indigenous peoples and the Colombian state and society. [2] These names are the most commonly used in anthropological discourse. However, these groups call themselves as follows: Kagabba (Kogui), Wintukua (Arhuaco), Sanka (Wiwa) and Kakatukwa (Kankwamo). [3] Indigenous peoples consider themselves to be the 'elder brothers' who inhabit the heart of the world and therefore bear responsibility for the world's equilibrium. Accordingly, indigenous who do not inhabit the Sierra Nevada, and all non-indigenous peoples, are considered 'youngest brothers'. [4] This agreement was signed on 10 December 2003 between indigenous authorities (through the CTC) and the government: the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development (MAVDT), the National Planning Department (Departamento de Planeación Nacional), the Ministry of the Interior and Justice (Ministerio de Interior y Justicia), and the Special Administrative Unit of National Natural Parks (UAESPNN). [5] The Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) is an archaeological site in the Sierra Nevada discovered in 1976. It is considered one of the most important prehispanic monuments on the continent because of its entangled network of tiled roads, terraces and small circular plazas supported by walls on the steeper mountains. The city was also strategically located. Therefore, its inhabitants could live within a variety of climates, which ranged from the tropical to the temperate to the alpine. Consequently, they had access to a great variety of agricultural resources and hunting grounds. [6] The construction of these towns is a strategy for indigenous territorial consolidation by forming communities on the lowest frontiers of their territory. This strategy responds to demands of the mamas. [7] The governmental and local organizations that run the project are the High Commissioner for Peace (Alto Comisionado para la Paz), Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (Departamento Administrativo Presidencia de la República), Fund for Special Programs for Peace (Fondo de Programas Especiales para la Paz), Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation (La Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación Internacional), Pro Sierra Foundation, and several indigenous organizations. [8] 'False positives' refers to the intentional murder of civilians by the Colombian army in order to present them as guerrilla members killed in combat and show greater success in the counter-insurgency war. [9] A tutela is an expedited legal action available under the 1991 Constitution when fundamental rights are being violated.