Emberá Chamí PEOPLE
The Emberá people are the third largest indigenous ethnic group in Colombia, with around 196,115 people. Most of their communities inhabit the departments of Western Colombia.
The word "Emberá" means "people."
They are a socially complex and ethnically diverse people, divided into 7 different groups with their own dialect, territory, and mythology.
The Emberá preserve their native language, which belongs to the Chocó language family, which has ties to the Arawak, Karib, and Chibcha families, though it does not belong to any of them. The Emberá language, according to Mauricio Pardo and Daniel Aguirre Licht, is composed of a complex set of dialectal varieties, which can be mutually intelligible.
COSMOGONY
The Emberá universe is composed of several worlds: the world above humans, inhabited by Karagabí (the main cultural hero of the Emberá), the souls of the dead, and primordial beings; the world below the human one, where the jai, or essences, reside, and which is governed by Trutruika, who is opposed to Karagabí; and the human world, which is in constant conflict between primordial beings and the jai. The god Karagabí, according to his origin myth, was created from the saliva of a primordial male and female being, called Dachizeze or Ankore.
Karagabí created the Emberá, their world and the cosmos, and granted them access to water, fire, and food resources.
The Embera worldview is transmitted orally, so the core of their world revolves around the word: those responsible for the word are the elders and the tabarau, entrusted by the community with preserving this world. They represent the community and are chosen for their ability to transmit the word with wisdom and knowledge, gained through experience.
The Emberá people belong to the same linguistic family as the Wounaan. Both peoples share a common identity base and a cultural heritage supported by several similar creation theories.
TERRITORY
The Emberá also distinguish themselves as a people based on the geographical terrain they inhabit. The three main groups are: the Eyebida, "the mountain people," who live in the western mountain range of the Andes; the Dobida, "the river people," found in the department of Chocó; and the Pusabida, "the sea people," who live along the tributaries that flow into the Pacific Ocean. This clear territorial division determines the use of resources specific to each territory, and thus, also the cultural development of each group.
The Emberá share with their Wounaan neighbors a pre-Hispanic and colonial history of resistance against the conquerors until the 17th century, when many sought refuge in the forests. Their settlements spread along riverbanks, and their culture developed in close harmony with the ecosystem of the humid tropical forest.
The political organization of the Emberá is based on the cabildo (local council), although traditional authorities maintain an important role in social control.
The Jaibaná, male or female, plays a key role in managing their magical-religious life.
During colonization, the unified territory of the Emberá fragmented, but the various groups, despite being territorially divided (Katío, Chamí, Dobida, Eperara Siapidara), maintain a strong cultural identity. Among the elements that unite them are language, oral tradition, Jaibanism, and social organization.
The Emberá use face and body painting as one of their most important cultural manifestations; it represents and communicates social attitudes that develop from the individual towards the community and vice versa.
MEMBERSHIP CARDS
One of the most distinctive crafts of the Emberá people is beadwork, known as “Chaquiras.” The Emberá describe this work more as ancestral thought than as art. Mothers pass down weaving techniques, the meaning of each color, and the signs and designs to their daughters, generation after generation, creating an important cultural heritage through this practice.
One of the most prized pieces is the Okama, a necklace of high symbolic value reserved exclusively for women. The Okama, which means “path that encircles the neck,” confers distinction upon the woman who wears it, telling her story and her role within the community. Girls receive their first Okama with their first menstrual cycle.
Both men and women wear handcrafted pieces made with Chaquiras during ceremonies and in daily life. The complex and elaborate designs shaped into the jewelry represent symbols related to the Emberá worldview, nature, medicinal plants, Mother Earth, and their strong sense of community. Every detail, color, stroke, and design holds deep meaning for the Emberá people and their way of life.
Today, the Emberá people continue to suffer the devastating consequences of the colonization process. The presence of armed groups has led to new forced displacements, caused by murders, massacres, threats, and armed clashes. Several communities are at risk of extinction, both physical and cultural.
Sources: ONIC, minorityrights.org Photographs: Juan Pablo Nayasa Palacio. Umadamia Pájaro de Sol.