The indigenous wisdom Acquired from his first breath helped survive to the four children who spent 40 days lost in the jungles of Colombia. And he was also instrumental in the work seek, in which members of the original communities participate. In fact, it was an indigenous guardian who found them in a still unexplored area.
The little ones, 13, 9, 4 and 1 years old, They knew the terrain in which they wandered, their greatness Driven and be codesThey ate fruits, seeds, and roots they knew were edible. “Child survival is an example of knowledge about the natural environment that is taught in the womb,” said the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Colombia (OPIAC).
“They are children who grew up in the jungle, and their parents had a lot of experience in it, because the compatriot teaches the children the traditional upbringing. They go to school and at home they learn how to get along in the jungle through walking, which fruits are edible and everything related to survival,” explains Gilberto, one of the people involved in the search, reports El Espectador newspaper. From the age of five, children accompany their parents hunt and the girls learn it grow cassava.
For a few days, the “sons of the mountain” ate as their grandfather baptized them Farina (cassava flour) that was on board the crashed plane. They also ate some of the food that happened to be dropped from Army helicopters during the days that the search lasted. But they also consumed Seeds, fruits, roots and plants they were edible and knew they were edible, Luis Acosta, national chief of indigenous guards for the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), told AFP.
“spiritual power”
“They are indigenous children and know the jungle very well. They know what they can and cannot eat. Thanks to this and their ability, they were able to survive.” spiritual poweradds Acosta, who was involved in the searches.
“We have a special connection to nature“, sums up AFP Javier Betancourt, another ONIC leader. “The world needs this special relationship with nature to benefit those who, like indigenous peoples, They live in the jungle and take care of it“.
During the search, military and tribal peoples joined forces for about 20 days. President Gustavo Petro praised this “confluence of indigenous and military knowledge” for the “common good” and “respect for the jungle”. The army issued audio recordings from helicopters, in which the children’s grandmother questioned them verbally huitoto not to move and warned them that they were looking for them.
“We organize ourselves, we coordinate,” explained the ONIC director. About 84 volunteers, members of the indigenous guards of the departments of Caquetá, Putumayo, Meta and Amazonas, then joined the hundred commandos of Operation Hope.
Present in several departments, these indigenous guards, armed only with sticks and colored handkerchiefs, ensure the security of communities and surveillance of indigenous lands that face or live with numerous armed groups active in the country. His relations with the military are sometimes difficult.
Markings for orientation for children
The duo worked in the Guaviare jungle. Each day they compiled a joint report of the operations as the natives performed their own rituals for the “spirits” of the jungle, using their traditional rituals mom (a powder of coca leaves and ash) and Chirrinchia fermented drink.
The rescuers set off with machetes and spray cans Brands either small “traps” (logs cut or strategically placed) here and there to guide the kids.
Indigenous medical knowledge was also used to adapt to the difficult conditions of the jungle and to treat scratches, splinters, insect bites, exhaustion and physical pain.
The indigenous people “worked in the rain, in storms and in many difficult situations, but always with the hope and spiritual belief that they could find them,” Acosta said.