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November 11, 2022

Indigenous Reserve in the Colombian Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Expanded by 23,313 Acres

Photo © Ricardo Rey Londoño

By Megan MacDowell
Arhuaco youth among the valleys of the Guatapurí River. Photograph taken in February 2020 during the Population Census for the Expansion of the Arhuaco Resguardo ©Ricardo Rey Londoño

Update: On December 22, 2023, the Arhuaco Indigenous Reserve was expanded by 2,434 acres (985 ha) bringing the total size to 25,747 acres (10,419 ha).

Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the expansion of the Arhuaco Indigenous Reserve, also known as a Resguardo, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region along the Colombian Caribbean in the department of Cesar. Through the expansion process as well as land tenure clarification and a cartographic adjustment to the original territory’s limits, the Arhuaco Reserve was expanded by a total of 23,313 acres (9,434 ha) with its formal registration on March 16, 2022.

Arhuaco children enter a traditional village in the Guatapurí river basin. Photograph taken in February 2020 during the Population Census for the Expansion of the Arhuaco Resguardo. ©Ricardo Rey Londoño

The expansion will help to ensure the preservation of the cultural integrity, ancestral knowledge, and sacred sites of the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa, and Kankuamo Indigenous Peoples, along with the biodiversity and ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta; known for its mountainous and densely forested landscape. 

This was the first phase of expansions to the reserve supported by the Andes Amazon Fund, with another expansion anticipated soon.

Arhuaco leaders in the process of collecting demographic information for the population census in the Arhuaco Resguardo. ©Ricardo Rey Londoño
Arhuaco community in the Guatapurí river basin with their traditional authorities. ©Ricardo Rey Londoño

Acknowledgements

AAF would like to congratulate the Amazon Conservation Team, Colombian National Land Agency, and the local Indigenous communities for this fantastic achievement. Additional financial support was provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Posted in Colombia, Indigenous Cultures, News
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