Still Processing
Ciudad Perdida was more than a hike and more than a place where I nearly lost Bill.
It was also our first encounter with indigenous groups of people who have had very little contact with the outside world for about 600 years. Persecuted by the Spaniards, they fled into the hills of the Sierra Madre Mountains.
Remember, the only way to their villages are three days of heavy mountain trekking or on horse back or mule.
I will try and describe the Tayrona People in two ways: objectively and subjectively.
Objectively, their stature is on the small side, about five feet in height and both male and females wear their black hair long and rather ragged. They have brown skin, a bit darker than our own indigenous people in Canada, and have more pronounced hooked noses. Men, women and children all dress the same; white heavy cotton smocks and white pants and gumboots. Both sexes and including children wear a hemp bag. The only thing differentiating males from females is that women wear several beaded necklaces and some of the men carry machetes. Men and women were very difficult to tell apart.
Ojbectively, their clothing is very, very dirty. The Tayrona people live in grass huts and seem to subsist on some sparse agriculture of corn, yucca, and plantain. They husband swine although some families seem to have mules and donkeys.
Objectively, they did not speak to us, did not really acknowledge us except to stare with blank expressions. Sending a smile or small greeting such as Hello or Buenos Dias did not crack the impassive expressions. Children were also expressionless, although did speak the words,
"Tiene dulce" Do you have candy?
Dental carries was observed in both the young and old and people obviously in childbearing years appeared much older.
Subjectively, it was so weird not to have people acknowledge you in a friendly sort of way. It was hard to surmise what happened with the elderly or the disabled in such a remote place. We were told the community eschewed medical help despite the very high infant mortality rate (20%) and schools consisted of learning traditional ways of being.
As white folks hiking in the Sierras, we all found ourselves discussing how persecution must have left them isolated and paranoid of others, yet how as one hiker said, they are now "making a living out of white people walking around". How much were they making at the end of a long economic chain of marketing, office expenses, office staff, vehicles, pack horses, cooks, guides, was a mystery to us all. But, I bet they didn't get much. It was also curious that they did not wash their clothing, as water was plentiful.
It seemed as though colonialism still exists. One family allowed their picture to be taken for a can of beer and the camp staff were approached by some of the families for food. Camp staff seemed to hand out food to some of the families and candy to the children. Dependance seemed to be created, right there under our eyes.
It was all a bit mystifying, disturbing and as well,challenged our own ethnocentric attitudes of education, opportunity, health care, rights of children, and social norms. I am still trying to process all this.
It was also our first encounter with indigenous groups of people who have had very little contact with the outside world for about 600 years. Persecuted by the Spaniards, they fled into the hills of the Sierra Madre Mountains.
Remember, the only way to their villages are three days of heavy mountain trekking or on horse back or mule.
I will try and describe the Tayrona People in two ways: objectively and subjectively.
Objectively, their stature is on the small side, about five feet in height and both male and females wear their black hair long and rather ragged. They have brown skin, a bit darker than our own indigenous people in Canada, and have more pronounced hooked noses. Men, women and children all dress the same; white heavy cotton smocks and white pants and gumboots. Both sexes and including children wear a hemp bag. The only thing differentiating males from females is that women wear several beaded necklaces and some of the men carry machetes. Men and women were very difficult to tell apart.
Ojbectively, their clothing is very, very dirty. The Tayrona people live in grass huts and seem to subsist on some sparse agriculture of corn, yucca, and plantain. They husband swine although some families seem to have mules and donkeys.
Objectively, they did not speak to us, did not really acknowledge us except to stare with blank expressions. Sending a smile or small greeting such as Hello or Buenos Dias did not crack the impassive expressions. Children were also expressionless, although did speak the words,
"Tiene dulce" Do you have candy?
Dental carries was observed in both the young and old and people obviously in childbearing years appeared much older.
Subjectively, it was so weird not to have people acknowledge you in a friendly sort of way. It was hard to surmise what happened with the elderly or the disabled in such a remote place. We were told the community eschewed medical help despite the very high infant mortality rate (20%) and schools consisted of learning traditional ways of being.
As white folks hiking in the Sierras, we all found ourselves discussing how persecution must have left them isolated and paranoid of others, yet how as one hiker said, they are now "making a living out of white people walking around". How much were they making at the end of a long economic chain of marketing, office expenses, office staff, vehicles, pack horses, cooks, guides, was a mystery to us all. But, I bet they didn't get much. It was also curious that they did not wash their clothing, as water was plentiful.
It seemed as though colonialism still exists. One family allowed their picture to be taken for a can of beer and the camp staff were approached by some of the families for food. Camp staff seemed to hand out food to some of the families and candy to the children. Dependance seemed to be created, right there under our eyes.
It was all a bit mystifying, disturbing and as well,challenged our own ethnocentric attitudes of education, opportunity, health care, rights of children, and social norms. I am still trying to process all this.
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