Page 20 - Demo

20As one of about 43 distinct indigenous peoples in the whole of Colombia%u2019s Amazon region, the Carijona (a.k.a. The Karijona) are also historically known as %u201cThe Jaguar People%u201d, a proud indigenous people with an ancient lineage. Chiribiquete has been the ancestral territory of the Kana%u2019s Carijona people for generations. Historical anthropological texts describe the Carijonas as living in a %u201cregion of extensive rock formations and tepuis%u201d, somewhat different from other indigenous peoples of the Colombian Amazon.Like most of Chiribiquete%u2019s local indigenous communities, the Carijona have largely practiced a sustainable way of life for thousands of years. Theirs is a culture of nature in balance, a world where people are an integral part of their environment. The Carijona understand the interconnectedness between their way of life and the forest%u2019s health. For thousands of years the Carijona have learned to only take what Chiribiquete%u2019s rivers and forests can afford. Without change, the Carijona could live thousands more, in what is a sustainable and circular way of life. The Carijona understand their place in this continuous cycle as a journey of growth and transformation. This a cyclical understanding of everything is plain to see in the natural rhythms of the forest. In nature there is always birth, life, death and transformation.Central to the Carijona%u2019s way of life are the society%u2019s shamans. They are living libraries of ancient knowledge, custodians of cultural memories and keepers of the old ways. It takes a shaman many years of learning, and practise to interpret and converse with the Carijona%u2019s deities in search of wisdom and guidance. The Celestial Overseer, is considered the deity who watches over Chiribiquete from the heavens. His gaze is said to be reflected in the patterns of the stars and the movements of celestial bodies that influence the land below.One of the reasons humans have been attracted to Chiribiquete for thousands of years is due the unique and strange cosmic phenomena visible in the skies above. This profound oddity of nature leads to a conclusion of divine presence .THE CARIJONA: %u2018The Jaguar People%u2019 Carijona by Riou from a photograph, vintage engraved illustration. Le Tour du Monde, Travel Journal, 1881.