FROM BOGOTA WITH LOVE

After working in Colombia over the last year and a half I feel I am only now starting to get a sense of how incredibly diverse and rich Indigenous cultures are in this country.

Daniel Meastre, who is Kankuamo as well as a committed and perceptive videomaker, told me yesterday that the government recognizes ninety-four different Indigenous peoples, and eight more are seeking recognition. So according to Indigenous organizations the number is one-hundred and two. About 1.3 million people.

I grew up in Bogota, where I lived until I was seventeen, thinking the "indians" had all but vanished in Colombia. Actually sixty-four native languages are still spoken here, and Indigenous peoples are making their voices heard now more than ever in the country's history.

But Daniel also gave me some alarming figures. Thirty groups are now considered to be in danger of disappearing. Eighteen of them have populations of less than five-hundred, they live in areas of intense conflict, and are being killed and pushed out of their land.

An emblematic case is that of the Nukak Maku, who 30 years ago numbered 1,800 and are now down to 400, of which 40% have been displaced.

Rosana Fuentes, Daniel's friend, is also a Kankuama videomaker. She is now finishing a project about how violence and displacement have affected her community. Self-representation through video and other media is important to young leaders like Daniel and Rosana, who are dedicated to producing relevant works and helping other communities learn how to use these tools.

Cineminga's mission is to further the efforts of those who, like them, are in the best position to tell their stories. Part of the reason we've started this blog is to reach out to the filmmaking community.

While Rosana still lives in the Sierra Nevada and is active in a community media project, Daniel was forced to move to Bogota. The Kankuamo people have been hit the hardest by drug war violence over the last decade, and many local leaders have been threatened and murdered.

Daniel has a small camera, but he needs a Mac to edit (Rosana is already working with FCP). If you have any equipment you can donate, let us know. They'll put it to good use.

Over the last six months Cineminga has collected two laptops, four camcorders, and five still cameras from individual donors. Thank you donors! The equipment has been used for workshops here in Colombia, and is now in the hands of our friends in the Nasa community.

Indigenous territories in Colombia in yellow.