Indigenous Jiw group has a
population around two thousand persons, and they live on the basin of Guaviare
river. They belong to a linguistic Guahibo’s family. Archeologists have not
been able to discover where Jiw people come from, in spite of this, legend
stories have replaced what archeologists have not found: a way to explain the
Jiw’s origin. In the beginning, when humanity was one only race and had the same language all over the world, they used to live in Monserrate, the famous
mountain located in Bogotá. Suddenly, an endless rain fell on flooding all over the earth,
Jiw’s people built canoes and were over the water for thousands of years waiting
for the rain to stop and get a place to stay.
When rain stopped and flood went down they found themselves in the basin of
three rivers: Guayabero, Guaviare and Ariari. These are the same areas where they
live today.
I know this story would sound
something like a fairy tale to any scholar familiarized to believe that all
stories around indigenous are just unrealistic myths to amuse anthropologist.
Some others would analyze the influence of judeo christian
stories in indigenous believes. Instead of accepting myths and legends to explain social and natural events,
scientists since the nineteenth century has adopted evolution theory like a
possible way to explain any kind of phenomena. Despite the abscense of proofs
they would like, evolutionists built big theories that demonstrate logically
where any kind of living being came from, including humans.
When
I was in Tarapaca Amazonas, I met Gilberto, a guy from the indigenous Tikuna’s
group. He is a young man really involved into the search of traditional
indigenous knowledge. Once he was arguing how much arrogant is the western
scientific vision of the world. He told me a conversation he had with a French
biologist who took a long time explaining him about evolution and why men come
from apes. Gilberto said to me: “He talked long and long about the whole true
of humanity, he didn’t let any small piece out of a reasonable explanation. At
the end, I didn’t really understand much what he said... I just stayed wandering
which monkey I come from”.
