“Nuwiaka Declaration” – Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
Our co-founder Sabine Lichtenfels is in Colombia with a delegation of the “Defend the Sacred Alliance.” At the moment, they’re visiting the Arhuaco people in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a territory of enormous biodiversity and ecological richness which its Indigenous inhabitants consider to be the sacred heart of the world. But the area is acutely threatened by plans for “development,” including a large reservoir dam, mining and deforestation. The Nuwiaka Declaration, co-signed by the alliance members present in Colombia, urgently calls on the Colombian government to protect the ecosystems and waterways of the Sierra Nevada.
By the Defend the Sacred Alliance, 19/11/24
Our long-term friend and partner Ati Quigua, a former Bogotá City Councillor and member of the Arhuaco people, calls on water protectors around the world to stand with them in protecting their indigenous homeland and its water ways.
We, the people of the Defend the Sacred Alliance, have arrived from the five continents to stand in solidarity with the Arhuaco and Kogi communities in the defense of water, rivers and ways of life in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. We call on movements from around the world for the defense of water, and in particular of Colombia, to recognize the right of Guatapurí River to flow in her natural state of purity and to express themselves and act for her protection. So it can continue to give life, health and sustenance to riverine communities and all beings that are nourished by it. We are against the dam and creation of Reservoir “Los Besotes”, we oppose the mining of mountains, we oppose the deforestation of catchments areas, and the destruction of Arhuaco communities from the proposed project.
We respect the ancient indigenous traditions of the land expressed in Je Zukunsamu, the Water Law, which regulates the guidelines for caring for and maintaining the kunsamu of water. We evoke the Ka’gumu Zukunsamu – Law of the Earth, Kunsamu Geyzey – Law of Fire, Buntikunu Zukunsamu – Air Law, which govern these elements and which are Law of Origin for the four indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Kogi, Arhuaco, Wiwa and Kankuamo). These traditions have been recognised in the current legal system of the Colombian State, so it should support this struggle, since rivers are the guiding force of nature and transform seeds into forests and human life and nature in all its diversity. By virtue of these laws and the indigenous wisdom of the earth, we make the following statement:
1. All rivers have inalienable rights, we declare the Guatapurí River as a living legal being. From the Whanganui River in New Zealand to the 23 rivers in Colombia, all have been recognised with rights, and the Guatapurí River must receive legal protections against pollution, encroachment and dams.
2. Rivers are living beings in spiritual traditions around the world and also provide vital energy to riparian communities, therefore, all riparian communities must have the first right over the waters, since any disruption will cause forced displacement, economic impoverishment, destruction of biodiversity, violence in society and will steal the right to life of these communities.
3. Water is a bearer of peace and a source of prosperity and dignity for civilizations. The health of rivers, humans, biodiversity and civilizations are intrinsically linked. It is time to reconcile territories, communities, cities and cultures with the natural water cycle. This is how we understand the path of peace with nature.
4. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a water source of the Colombian Caribbean region and was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1979. The knowledge system of the four indigenous peoples of the Sierra has also been recognized as intangible and cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO since 2022. Therefore, indigenous culture and knowledge to take care of water must be respected by the Colombian State as the basis of territorial planning.
5. The Sierra has also been recognized by the scientific community as a unique ecosystem of global biodiversity, so no corporation should be authorized to exploit, deforest or build dams in this region, since any environmentally negative action constitutes to ecocide and ecological terrorism.
We demand:
• The immediate suspension of the dam project in the Guatapurí River, along with the suspension of the “Los Besotes” reservoir.
• An independent socioeconomic and environmental assessment, with consultations with riparian communities, to assess economic and environmental impacts, especially in the context of climate change and the impact on biodiversity.
• The Guatapurí River, its basin area and tributaries must be declared a protected area and receive legal rights. A board of directors must be formed with legal powers and representatives of the riverside communities for the care of the river.
• All contracts that make profits from the exploitation of the river ecosystem must be suspended, and a moratorium must be established on all future contracts.
• The rights of riparian communities to fish and subsist must be respected and legally protected.
• A decentralized water management program, driven by the community, must be implemented to ensure the sovereignty of the water of the riparian communities, maintaining consistency with spiritual, cultural and economic interests of indigenous communities.
• We want the legal recognition of Seykutunumaku (the “Black Line”) and all the sacred sites of the indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada.
We support this statement and ask the Colombian government, government officials, embassies and concerned citizens around the world to support this struggle for the defense of the Guatapurí River, so that the indigenous peoples and other communities of the Sierra Nevada can preserve their dignity and their lives.