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Soraida Chindoy: the Indigenous guardian defending the sacred Putumayo mountains

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On May 9, 1983, Soraida Chindoy Buesaquillo’s placenta was planted in the mountains of Putumayo, where Colombia’s Amazon rainforest meets the Andes. Her mother, Concepción Buesaquillo, was a midwife by trade and spoke of the importance of this Indigenous Inga ritual, which, according to tradition, ensures a connection between the newborn and Mother Earth. Mother Earth will then guide the child for the rest of their life, allowing them to grow as strong and sure as a mighty tree. The eighth of ten children, Soraida’s eyes are as black as her hair, which she wears in a ponytail that reaches her waist and down to her chumbe, the pink belt that forms part of her traditional dress. She never leaves home without taking mambe — a powder made from coca leaf and other substances used by her community for spiritual and medicinal purposes — and a necklace made with caimo (Pouteria caimito), whose seeds imitate the sound of a flowing river. She plays with the necklace when she sings in her native language to Mother Earth. Growing up, Soraida Chindoy was taught to make good use of the land, to plant, fish, and harvest, but also to take care of it. She did so from the time she was born until she was a teenager living in the Condagua Indigenous Reserve, in the south of the country. Heading off in search of work, she later moved to Mocoa, the capital of the Putumayo department, a 30-minute motorcycle ride from the…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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