A Story about the Beating Heart of the Nasa Yuwe Language

Via her fellowship task, Vergara held space in bridging discussion with Elders of the community with the more youthful generation. These interactions enriched intercultural discussion and promoted mutual understanding and count on between the generations. Different creative tasks were executed through songs and dancing to involve and conjure up authentic link to the society and language. The room likewise served as a knowing facility in the Paniquitá Book and ended up being a location where participants of the area might proactively exchange knowledge, keeping to life the oral practices, customs, and values of the Nasa Peoples.

Witnessing exactly how the Planet generously attends to the source of income of her Peoples, Vergara became enthusiastic about recouping the social identification of Nasa Peoples and enhancing their quality of life by giving alternative methods to reconnect to the land. She came to be deeply rooted to the lands and water supply, which assisted her to see the significance of giving Standard Knowledge to more youthful generations. “This connection triggered me to hand down all that I have actually discovered and experienced to the people around me. My disposition is specifically focused on the youth, as I consider them to be the seed of the future. My interest lies in fighting relentlessly for their civil liberties, especially in the field of education and learning, where I work hard to aid young people gain access to university opportunities with numerous scholarships,” she says.

Vergara dealt with a variety of obstacles while implementing her task, specifically the existence of illegal armed teams such as the National Liberation Military (ELN), which has actually been plaguing Colombia for over 60 years. This scenario minimal access to the work area and created delays in recommended tasks. Vergara was figured out as part of the UNESCO statement of the International Years of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032), “leaving no one behind, no one exterior.” In spite of the obstacles, Vergara handled to satisfy all the objectives set for the fellowship and demonstrated her commitment and dedication to enhancing her native tongue. The production of these areas is a crucial milestone in the Nasa Peoples’ struggle to preserve and reinforce the Nasa Yuwe language.

The research disclosed useful data on the Nasa Yuwe language, where distinctions of speakers were identified between villages. The group recognized a difference of the spoken form of Nasa Yuwe in Paniquitá from the other villages, where the language was identified as Naywen. The study also paved the method for local community members to understand the benefits of strengthening and advertising the Nasa Yuwe language, as well as the execution of reliable methods in institutions and the promo of neighborhood initiatives to strengthen the cultural identity of the Nasa Peoples.

Her fellowship job, “Ukwesx Laakwe Piyaka Naywe” (Strengthening the Nasa Yuwe Through Play), focused on play-oriented activities for children and young people to reinforce their social identity and strengthen their connection to the Nasa Yuwe language. Vergara and her team carried out investigative research on the Nasa Yuwe language in her homeland of Paniquitá. The research study also led the way for local community participants to recognize the benefits of reinforcing and promoting the Nasa Yuwe language, as well as the execution of reliable techniques in colleges and the promo of community campaigns to reinforce the cultural identity of the Nasa Peoples. With her fellowship task, Vergara collaborated with 3 mixed country institutions located in the center of the Paniquitá Get to include culturally suitable approach and Nasa Yuwe language material right into the educational program to enhance the connection amongst children and young people to their cultural identification and promote the indispensable development of the pupils, preparing them for a promising future. The creation of these rooms is a crucial milestone in the Nasa Peoples’ battle to maintain and reinforce the Nasa Yuwe language.

In 2023, Vergara was awarded a Social Survival Native Young people Fellowship to reinforce the capability and leadership of Native youth. Her fellowship project, “Ukwesx Laakwe Piyaka Naywe” (Strengthening the Nasa Yuwe Through Play), focused on play-oriented activities for children and youth to reinforce their cultural identification and grow their connection to the Nasa Yuwe language. Linguistic and cultural diversity is one of one of the most precious heritages of mankind. In every corner of the world, languages are the vehicle of practices, expertise, and life ways that have been created over generations. Native languages play a necessary role, as they personify an integral part of the identification and social techniques of Indigenous areas, adjoined with the material of rivers, ecosystems, and landscapes.

Through her fellowship task, Vergara teamed up with 3 combined country schools located in the facility of the Paniquitá Get to incorporate culturally appropriate approach and Nasa Yuwe language material right into the curriculum to strengthen the connection amongst youngsters and young people to their cultural identification and advertise the indispensable growth of the trainees, preparing them for an encouraging future. These activities, besides being fun, have a cultural and symbolic value that enables us to transmit and enhance the identification of the Nasa Peoples. This leads to an awakening of interest in continuing to speak Nasa Yuwe, keeping to life the fire of our cultural heritage,” states Vergara.

“This is only the beginning; we will remain to function relentlessly to make certain that our mother tongue lives and thriving for future generations. Our language is the heart of our society, and we are committed to keeping that heart whipping clear and solid permanently,” Vergara claims.

Catalina Vergara Realpe (Nasa) hails from the southwestern part of Colombia. Although her origins are linked to the region of the Nasa Individuals of Valle del Cauca, division of Cauca, she spent a lot of her childhood in Ecuador. Her experiences maturing opened her eyes to the diversity of cultures and their partnership to landscapes, which deepened her appreciation for nature and its inextricable connection to human presence. This awareness motivated her to go back to the genealogical lands of her people, and she ultimately worked out in the Indigenous Reserve of Paniquitá in the division of Cauca.

“With every word that is talked, with every story that is informed, the Nasa Yuwe language lives on, linking our area to its past, its present, and its future,” Vergara says. The training of the Nasa Yuwe language can have a favorable impact on the education and learning of Native kids and young people, as it allows them to much better recognize the concepts and values of their society and environment.”

Vergara and her team performed investigative research study on the Nasa Yuwe language in her homeland of Paniquitá. The group covered a location of greater than 80 square kilometers, encompassing 11 villages: Buenavista, La Estela, Campo Alegre, El Diviso, Royal Residence, Hato Viejo, San Antonio, La Palma, Paniquitá Centro, La Primavera, and La Rivera. The research was conducted with the energetic involvement of the Elders of the community to comprehend the distribution and etymological proficiency in the area and just how to include it into academic systems.