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Floresmiro Rodríguez Mazabel, Colombian and native of the Yalcón ethnic group,
returns after more than 40 years to the places where he was born and grew up,
to transmit his memory to his son Nabil, who has always lived in the city of Bogotá.
The purpose of us coming here
to do the "pow-wow" today, the celebration,... the dance,... remember? - yes
is to remember the "paisanos".
The Yalcón Dance
Magdalena River Valley, Colombia, South America
Pijao Indigenous Reserve Totarco Dinde, Tolima
Is the "chicha" tasty?
This one is very tasty!
Coca, saffron and tobacco...
- and tobacco, and garlic. - Ah, and garlic.
- It's like four... - Four plants.
And rub them, take them and rub them
in the very morning...
Do you use much tobacco here?
Well, almost not anymore.
- Not anymore? - No, almost not anymore.
- My father is from Purificación - Yes?
- Mi father of Pijao origin. - Yes?
And I from Huila, I’m Yalcón.
My mother is descendant of "La Cacica Gaitana"
of "La Gaitana". I don’t know if you had ever heard about her?
A "cacica" that lived long time ago, and was a very strong woman.
- Yes? - She lived in Timaná, a town over there.
And she... like...
- She was the chief of all the "paisanos" over there.
Like let's say a Governor they elect.
Exactly
Yes, "that's what I'll understand from you".
Mmh, like a Governor... but this woman...
She... so what? Did she already die?
Yes, that was when the Spanish came.
...ah, that when the priests "franciscanes" were coming
the priests "I don't know what", I'm informed
they were coming to baptise all the people.
Then the people would say "No, they are coming to kill us. "
"Let's hide, let's dig holes in the ground,"
"let's dig holes in the hills"
"to hide, because that's not to baptise us. "
"That's to kill. "
- So they died asphyxiated. - Yes
- And why did they die asphyxiated? - Because the air couldn't get there.
Monument to "La Gaitana". Rodrigo Arenas Betancur
La Gaitana (indigenous tribe)
We are a subjugated people.
We don't have to listen to what some white people say.
Let's protect our tribe. Take your weapons and "fight".
Many years ago, in the time when
some people that were from Europe came,
they were called the Spanish,
they arrived to these lands by the Magdalena River.
And afterwards, they decided to come further
into a territory called "Tamá" or "Timaná".
And in Timaná lived this woman called "La Gaitana".
Then, the sons of La Gaitana said
that they were not going to pay to some foreigners
because they were natives from that place, and they didn't want to pay that,
because those lands belonged to them.
Here they fished,... What else? What do you think they did?
Hunting,... they made handcrafts,...
Tatacoa desert, Huila
Look, I am painting.
- And what's the ceiba? - The ceiba is that tree, look at it. Look at it carefully.
That's the ceiba tree.
And look, little birds live there.
What's "guacharo"?
"Guacharo" is a large bird that lives around here in Huila
and belonged to the Yalcones.
- And this is... Huila? - Yes, this is Huila.
From this one, salt is taken out, salt for eating.
And how is the salt taken out?
The leaves are crushed, and then burnt.
- And how is it crushed? - It is crushed like this...
- This leaf is bitter. - Bitter? - Yes.
Can you eat bitter ones?
No, not the bitter ones. The sweet ones are those you can eat.
And why not these ones?
Because these... Look, this one also. This one is smelly.
- And can you eat this one? - You can bathe with this one.
And those, what are they for?
These leaves, for example, this one is called "escoba"
This one is... look.
Do you want to smell?
And what is Pericongo?
Pericongo is a place where
La Gaitana and many paisanos used to make rituals, they made dances
and they danced and played drums. - And why did they use to play drums?
They made rituals... and they danced with strength,
so that their body and their legs would be strong.
And why did they do that?
They danced like that to have lots of strength to run through the mountains.
- And why through the mountains? - Because they lived there, on the mountains.
And they carried lots of maize,
they carried honey, plenty of food,
so they had to be very strong.
...and La Gaitana also travelled by the rivers.
Yes, she travelled in rafts by the river, the Magdalena River.
She used to jump from a very high place.
She swam there, emerged by swimming, because it is very deep,
and she emerged to the land where there were many trees.
Did you see?
"Welcome to Timaná. Land of La Gaitana"
"Timaná, in its 450th anniversary, to La Gaitana".
- And is this the village where she lived? - This is the village where she lived.
- And why is she remembered? - Because she did many good things for the people.
She helped them very much.
And where are her sons?
Her sons are us.
Is she the grandmother?
She is the major grandmother.