TEDx Talks - Cuerpo, territorio y saber. El buen vivir un paradigma alternativo | Ati Quigua | TEDxESAP
The speaker, from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, shares her deep connection with water, rooted in her indigenous heritage. She highlights the significance of water in her culture, where it is seen as a sacred element and a source of life. Her family has been guardians of water for generations, and she has dedicated her life to translating this cosmology into public policies. She has been elected multiple times as a councilor in Bogotá, where she has worked on integrating indigenous knowledge into urban planning and water management policies. The speaker stresses the need for cities like Bogotá to align with natural water cycles, especially in the face of climate change. She advocates for a shift in paradigm towards sustainable development, emphasizing the importance of cultural and biological diversity. The speaker also calls for political spaces free of violence, particularly for indigenous women, and highlights the need for their voices in decision-making processes related to environmental and cultural preservation.
Key Points:
- Integrate indigenous water cosmology into public policy for sustainable urban planning.
- Recognize the importance of cultural and biological diversity in sustainable development.
- Advocate for political spaces free of violence for indigenous women.
- Align urban planning with natural water cycles to address climate change impacts.
- Promote the concept of 'Buen Vivir' as an alternative development model.
Details:
1. 🌿 Ancestral Roots and Cultural Heritage
- The speaker emphasizes a strong connection to their ancestral roots from Yurua, located in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, drawing cultural ties from the teachings and traditions of their mother and grandmother.
- Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta stands as the highest point in Colombia at 5700 meters above sea level, underscoring its importance not only geographically but also as a cultural heritage site.
- The region's altitude and location contribute to its unique cultural practices, influenced by the indigenous communities that have resided there for generations.
- Specific traditions passed down through generations are highlighted, such as traditional storytelling and communal gatherings, which reinforce cultural identity and continuity.
2. 💧 Sacred Connection with Water and Nature
- The speaker was raised by two grandmothers who emphasized the connection between a woman's body and Mother Earth, highlighting their cultural belief in women as stewards of nature.
- Belonging to the 'tana' lineage, the speaker and her family are recognized as knowledge caretakers, with a specific focus on safeguarding water resources.
- Their cultural cosmology places a significant emphasis on the sacredness of water, viewing it as a central element of spiritual and daily life.
- From a young age, the speaker's great-grandmother instilled a deep, personal connection to water through teachings about a sacred lagoon near perpetual snow, which is considered their natural mother.
- The teachings are not just theoretical but are applied in everyday life, influencing how the community interacts with and respects natural water sources.
3. 👩🎓 Generational Knowledge and Advocacy for Water
- A legacy of advocacy for water conservation is evident through four generations within the family.
- The speaker's mother was a trailblazer as the first Arhuaca woman to attend university in the 1980s.
- This advocacy is carried forward by the speaker's daughter, who is studying international relations.
- The family's commitment to water is tied to a broader mission of reconciling territories, knowledge, bodies, and cultures with the natural water cycle.
4. 🌊 Water Cosmology and National Significance
- The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta's indigenous communities, including the Cogis, Iguas, Arhuacos, and Cancamos, view the sea as the original mother and spirit of everything to come. This belief highlights the deep spiritual connection these communities have with water, viewing it as a source of life and creation.
- Colombia, being bordered by both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, places immense national significance on its water bodies. With 11 million Colombians residing in major river basins, these water resources are crucial for the country's ecosystem and livelihoods.
- The Magdalena River, often referred to as the soul of Colombia, plays a vital role in the country's identity. It serves as a major waterway that supports agriculture, transportation, and industry, ultimately flowing into the Caribbean Sea, which is revered as the matrix or origin of Colombian waters.
5. 📜 Policy Contributions and Environmental Advocacy
- The speaker has translated the cosmology of water and women's relationship with water into public policies, emphasizing the importance of professional spaces in policy formulation.
- More than 60 courses, over 10 semesters, and 5 years of education contributed to the speaker's ability to influence public policy.
- The speaker was elected three times as a councilor in Bogotá, indicating a strong political influence and leadership in environmental advocacy.
- The speaker left Bogotá with its first public water policy, Agreement 347, showcasing a tangible achievement in policy contribution.
6. 🏞️ Territorial Heritage and Ecological Planning
- Communities in Sierra have a historical relationship with the territory, dating back to pre-Hispanic times.
- Rituals related to water, such as offerings to the mother lagoons like Guatavita and Chisac, have been practiced for at least 7000 years.
- The archaeological finding in Usme indicates uninterrupted water rituals over millennia, emphasizing the profound cultural memory associated with water.
- The intangible heritage of these amphibious cultures contributes to territorial planning proposals, underlining the importance of cultural insights in ecological planning.
7. 🌧️ Urban Challenges and Climate Resilience
- Bogotá is a unique city due to its surrounding ecosystems, particularly hosting the world's largest páramo, a type of high-altitude wetland that plays a crucial role in water supply.
- The city's geography and its connection to the Amazon through atmospheric waters highlight the importance of natural water cycles in urban planning.
- Public administrators are encouraged to reassess city planning with a focus on integrating natural and cultural heritage, emphasizing climate resilience.
- Specific challenges faced by Bogotá include managing water resources sustainably and protecting its natural ecosystems from urban expansion.
- Initiatives to enhance climate resilience include the implementation of green infrastructure and policies aimed at preserving the páramo while accommodating urban growth.
8. 🔄 Political Representation and Indigenous Leadership
8.1. Environmental Challenges and Indigenous Perspectives
8.2. Political Representation and Systemic Barriers
9. 🔍 Indigenous Rights and Cultural Leadership
- Indigenous ideas are being integrated into democratic systems like the Bogotá Council, aiming to address systemic issues in both indigenous territories and urban areas.
- Urban planning examples from cities like Chicago and London show a growing recognition of aligning human settlement patterns with natural water cycles.
- In Bogotá and Barranquilla, the misalignment between urban development and natural water cycles contributes to recurring flooding issues, highlighting the need for new approaches.
- Indigenous perspectives advocate for harmonizing human activities with nature, opposing the traditional dominance over it.
- Sacred sites and natural landscapes are viewed as interconnected and essential for ecological balance.
- There is a call to move away from anthropocentric political and administrative boundaries, recognizing our interdependence with the earth.
- Environmental changes in regions like the Sierra or the Amazon have global impacts, underscoring the interconnectedness of ecosystems.
- Legal pluralism is needed to replace colonial legal structures with systems that respect indigenous knowledge and sacred sites.
- Current territorial planning tools in Colombia are outdated and inherited from colonial times, failing to address contemporary environmental challenges.
- There is an advocacy for recognizing intangible cultural heritage as a foundation for territorial planning and environmental management.