At the request of the Mamos, the spiritual guides of the Sierra Nevada, please share this message far and wide.
From the mist-shrouded peaks of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, I’m witnessing an unprecedented gathering of Indigenous leaders and environmental defenders who have come together from five continents to protect a river sacred to one of South America’s most emblematic Indigenous territories. The “Nuwiaka Declaration,” issued today from Arhuaco and Kogui ancestral territories, calls for an immediate halt to the proposed Los Besotes dam on the Guatapurí River — a waterway that’s an essential lifeline to the peoples of this region.
The declaration weaves together traditional ecological knowledge with emerging environmental rights, drawing on ancient indigenous water laws (Je Zukunsamu) while embracing the growing global movement to grant legal personhood to rivers. As Colombia grapples with severe drought warnings, this gathering highlights the tension between large-scale development projects and indigenous-led conservation efforts in the Sierra Nevada — a UNESCO-recognized biodiversity hotspot that is a cultural and spiritual treasure for the entire world.
Nuwiaka Declaration, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
We, the people of the Defend the Sacred Alliance, have come from five continents to stand in solidarity with the Arhuaco and Kogui communities in defense of the water, rivers and ways of life of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. We call on water defense movements around the world, and in particular those in Colombia, to recognize the right of the Guatapurí River to flow in its natural state of purity and to express and act for its protection. Thus, it will be able to continue providing life, health and sustenance to the riverside communities and all beings that feed from it.
We reject the construction of the “Los Besotes” dam and reservoir and oppose mining in the mountains, the deforestation of the watersheds, and the destruction that the proposed project would cause in the communities.
Para leer esta historia en Español, ir a Declaración de Nuwiaka, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta – Colombia
We respect the ancient indigenous traditions of the land expressed in Je Zukunsamu, the Law of Water, 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 – Law of Air, which govern these elements and are the Law of Origin for the four indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Kogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa and Kankuamo). These traditions have been recognized in the current legal system of the Colombian State, which should support them, 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 land, we make the following declaration:
The immediate suspension of the dam project on the Guatapurí River, along with the suspension of the “Los Besotes” reservoir.
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 recognized as having rights, and the Guatapurí River, and all other rivers in Colombia, must be given legal protections against pollution, encroachment and dams.
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 priority right to the waters, as any alteration will cause forced displacement, economic impoverishment, destruction of biodiversity, violence in society and will rob these communities of their right to life.
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.
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the water source of the thirsty 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. For these reasons, the cosmologies and knowledge for care for water must be respected by the Colombian State as a basis for territorial planning.
The Sierra has also been recognized by the scientific community as a unique and unrepeatable 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 ecocide and ecological terrorism.
WE DEMAND
- An independent socioeconomic and environmental assessment, with consultation with the riparian communities, to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts, especially in the context of climate change and the impact on biodiversity.
- The Guatapurí River, its watershed area and tributaries should be declared a protected area and given legal rights. A management board with legal powers and representatives of the riparian communities should be formed to care for the river.
- All contracts that profit from the exploitation of the river ecosystem should be suspended, and a moratorium should be placed on all future contracts.
- The rights of riparian communities to fish and subsist should be respected and legally protected.
- A decentralized, community-driven water management program must be implemented to ensure the water sovereignty of riparian communities, while maintaining consistency with spiritual, cultural and economic interests.
- We want legal recognition of Seykutunumaku (the “Black Line”) and all sacred sites of the indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada.
We endorse this statement and call on the government of Colombia, government officials, embassies and concerned citizens around the world to support 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.