Language and Cultural Maintenance through the ‘Communication and Connectivity’ Program

By Amanda Appasamy, 2nd year MDP student

The Amazonian Indigenous Cofán of Zábalo, located in the province of Sucumbíos in Northeast Ecuador are proud of speaking and maintaining their language, A’ingae, from generation to generation. A’ingae is the main language of communication in the community. During my field placement with the Fundación de Sobrevivencía Cofán (FSC), I had the honour of visiting the primary school where grade one to six students are taught in A’ingae. However, education in Indigenous communities was taken over by the Ecuadorian government in the late 1970s and bilingual education was approved in 1980. 

Inside a Cofán classroom with teacher and pupils

Even though the educational system is not based on traditional Cofán instructions, books used in the school are written in A’ingae and teachings are immersed in the community context with Cofán themes and materials; whereby students learn about medicinal plants amongst others. The advantage of having a Cofán school in the community is that children do not have to travel long distances or reside away from their family and community in order to attend school. 

Nevertheless, as successful leaders, advocates, innovators and protectors of their traditional lands and territories, the Cofán recognize the importance of also educating their young people both in Spanish and English in order to create tri-cultural leaders who can speak and work for themselves and advocate for the protection of their land and territory at national and international levels instead of having the government or multi-national NGOs do it on their behalf. 

Cofán primary school book in A'ingae language

Hence, part of an Education Project initiated by the FSC has allowed some young Cofán to attend English-speaking and others, Spanish-speaking schools in the country’s capital permitting them to acquire diverse abilities and take over Cofán representation and leadership. However, the risks as viewed by some Cofán are sociocultural transformation; losing or abandoning Cofán customs. 

In order to counteract this cultural change, I worked with the FSC on a grant application for the implementation of a ‘Communication and Connectivity Program’ in Zábalo, where there are currently no basic communication systems. In other words, there is no land line, cell phone or internet connection.

An adequate communication system will therefore allow for diverse educational opportunities, on-line jobs, access to financial systems and most importantly, young students can continue their education from home. Additionally, young trained Cofán can work from home and do not have to migrate to other cities to seek employment. This will allow young people to maintain their culture and traditional lifestyle in their territories.

Items in the classroom: medicinal plants, seeds, leaves from forest plants

Remediating Environmental Damage through Traditional Knowledge Use and Indigenous Peoples’ Leadership

By Amanda Appasamy, 2nd year MDP student

My host family: Edilma Queta, Lionel Yiyoguaje, Anjeli, & Baker (2 months old)

What drew my attention to the Fundacíon de Sobrevivencia Cofán, is the victory of the Cofán People, one of the oldest surviving Indigenous groups in the north eastern Ecuadorian Amazon, in securing the legal rights to actively manage and protect over one million acres of their ancestral territory.

Co-management and cooperation agreements with the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment have been achieved along with the transfer of federally-protected lands which have now been placed under the official custody of the Cofán; hence, honouring the role of land-based stewardship and conservation by Indigenous Peoples. The protection of these ancestral lands are crucial to maintaining the rich traditional knowledge, culture and traditions of the Cofán which concurrently have critical implications for climate change adaptation. 

Amongst other achievements of the Cofán people are:

• In 1978, they were the first Indigenous People in the world to develop community-based ecotourism projects.

• Between 1991-1994, the Cofán of Zábalo are the first Indigenous People to be victorious over oil company invasion in their territory in Ecuador.

• In 1992, the Cofán are the first Indigenous Nation in Ecuador to negotiate treaties for the recovery of ancestral lands within national protected areas.

• In 1993, the Cofán developed the first community-based conservation management plans without outside intervention.

• The Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve is the first national protected area that was lobbied for and administered by an Indigenous People in Ecuador.

• First time, Indigenous park guards and conservation workers have acquired equal recognition as government park guards with same legal powers and jurisdiction across all Cofán territories.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have travelled to the Cofán territory in Zábalo, Amazon to meet the outstanding people and help promote the long-term sustainability of a community-led conservation program of the vulnerable Amazon river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis), a sacred species for the Cofán.

The Amazon river turtle also known as Charapa

The turtle repopulation program began in 1991 by the Cofán in response to overexploitation and illegal commercialization of turtle eggs. Over 25 years later, they have successfully generated a natural over-production of the turtle population without destroying the environment or the species.

However, relying on outside funding for the continuation of this conservation program is not viable. In order to achieve long term sustainability, the Cofán have decided to embark on an eco-tourism project that involves raising donations for the release of baby turtles in Amazon basin rivers. Visitors will have the opportunity to partake in responsible conservation of a vulnerable species led by local guides allowing the Cofán to be economically self-sustainable.

This form of bio-trade establishes possibilities for the responsible use of natural resources. It provides a different perspective on the management of biological diversity, shifting the paradigm of maintaining a protected intact area without it generating its own resources to economically benefitting Indigenous nations.

For more information on these efforts, please visit the Cofán Survival Fund web page here.

The whole community participates as egg guardians including women & children in the process of collecting the eggs from the beach, transferring them to artificial pools & caring for the babies until they are about 6 months old & healthy for release into the wild.