PBI-Colombia attends Festival of Memory in Indigenous So Bia Drua humanitarian area
The Festival of Memory recently took place in So Bia Drua, a territory threatened by illegal armed actors seeking control of the lands.
So Bia Drua is a humanitarian area in the Uradá Jiguamiandó Indigenous Reserve situated about 145 kilometres northwest of Medellin.
In this PBI-Colombia article, Arianna Francescato and Aurore Choquet write, “In this Festival, there was an important focus on environmental issues and the protection of the surrounding area. Walks were organised to get to know and connect with the territories, a symbol of the resistance of these communities.”
Arianna and Aurore add, “The environmental walk took the participants right to the Cerro Cara de Perro, which is called JaiKatumá in the indigenous language of the Embera People, a sacred site where their spirits rest and the source of the rivers which bathe their territories and feed life in the communities.”
And they note, “Places which have witnessed brave resistance against the Muriel Mining Corporation which in 2005 was granted a concession to mine 16,000 hectares of land for the exploration and exploitation of copper, gold and other minerals. For several months more than 1,000 indigenous and afro-descendant people occupied the summit of the sacred mountain day and night, to stop the company’s helicopters from landing there.”
Arianna and Aurore highlight, “The aim of this Festival was not only to recover memory, but also truth, which contributes to building memory.”
To read their article in full, please click on Alto Guayabal Resists.
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