photo by goldmanprize.org
A trip to El Cocuy would not be complete without understanding the land’s history and people. The U’wa tribes are the local indigenous people that are keepers of the land in El Cocuy. To them, the land is sacred and their top priority is to sustain the natural resources protecting both mother earth and their traditional way of life. Many travellers agree that there is an ethereal beauty that is emitted from this area incomparable to any others in the world. So before you book your El Cocuy adventure with the Colombian tour experts be sure to brush up on your history of the area and be prepared to blown away by the gorgeous scenery.
photo by Petruss
U’Wa People’s Way of Life
The U’wa people, or cloud people, reside in the cloud forests in El Cocuy. These indigenous people are considered to be the guardians of the land and their core belief is to maintain balance between earth, water, oil, mountains and sky. And they pass down these traditions and beliefs through song as they do not have a written language.
Traditionally, houses were made out of nature elements including branches, sticks and rocks with mud used as an adhesive. However, today, the tribe is more modernized and just like us, they use dry wall bricks, shingles and tiles to build their homes. Food, however, remains strictly traditional as the diet includes bark, roots, beans, tubers and berries – basically anything from Mother Nature’s garden makes its way into the diet.
As far as religious tradition, during the summer months they gather and “sing the world into being.” It is also important to note that the U’wa believe those who are not in their tribe are impure which makes contact with foreigners more difficult. However, it is possible with the proper purification rituals.
So how do they dress? Very much like us, actually. Women wear white T-shirts paired with blue skirts and men mostly wear brown shirts with traditional necklaces made up of natural elements like beads, animal teeth and feathers. They also pair this with brown trousers.
photo by Chester Zoo (via Creative Commons)
U’Wa In The News
The U’wa people have been making headlines since the 1990s. This is because big name oil companies and corporations have exercised repeated attempts to come into the El Cocuy territory and drill for oil, minerals and take natural resources from the land. Since the U’wa people are literally part of the land through their religion and beliefs, this of course has posed problems and have made some headlines.
Today, the U’wa people are working diligently with the Colombian government in regards to what parts of El Cocuy will be open to outsiders and which parts are to remain blocked off. An interesting note to pocket is that parts of the land are blocked off even to the U’wa people as their belief in conservation is so strong that they do not want to pollute any of the land.
So what can you do in this cause? If you’re visiting El Cocuy, make sure to be respectful of your surroundings and leave the beautiful nature as you found it – your knowledgeable adventure tour guide will also give you other tips on how to keep the land pure. This way, perhaps in the future, more places will be open to outsiders to explore but this can only happen through mutual respect and understanding.