Regaining the lands within the Black Line
Mamo Gregorio Pérez
Kankurwa Mamingeka
When I began my training as a Mamo, I remember the struggles we held: I had
started to work with some governmental agencies, whose task was to attend to
the priorities manifested by the Mamos. We used to talk about regaining the
territories inside the Black or Scientific Line, and on that base we natives
started moving towards regaining our own ideology as well; since in olden days
there existed many powers that we might share with our younger brothers now.
During the last years the natives from La Sierra Nevada have been asking the
Government for solutions to our problems, even asking about their concept on
some other matters, but up to now we have not seen any positive results.
I am tired of asking, because the Government does not keep promises. Therefore,
the Mamos have to study other ways of fulfilling the unanswered claims we have
addressed to so many governmental agencies. Our main request is to regain our
territories within the Black Line. Otherwise, what can we do for the comming
generations and for the preservation of the environment? If the Government does
not want to answer the requests of the Mamos, it might as well finish us, anihilating
also the whole world through wars, catastrophes, the drying up of water sources,
and so on.
But, as an answer to our claim for the Black Line territories, the Government
has imposed on us health programs that disregard our ancestral medicine; educational
programs alien to to the Mamos thought; priests to preach the Christian gospel
to split our brothers from traditional authorty.
The measures the Government should take to fulfill the requests of the four
communities that for milennia have dwelt in our sacred abode of La Sierra Nevada
de Santa Marta, should include the official acknowledgment that this land is
a Mamo's heritage; and the recognition of the organic law which appoints the
natives of La Sierra as its authorities.
This is the main priority that we Mamos hold.
January 1996 |
