Inga people
The Inga people live mainly in the Putumayo region, having arrived with the expansion of the Inca Empire, from which they are descended.
The indigenous Inga people live primarily in the department of Putumayo, at an altitude of approximately 2,200 meters above sea level. Descendants of the Incas, they speak the Inga Quechua language (Ingano) and are distributed across several regions of Colombia, including Putumayo, Nariño, and Caquetá. According to the 2005 DANE census, approximately 15,450 people self-identified as belonging to the Inga people
Medicine
The Inga people have a deep connection to nature and the spiritual world. Their ancestral knowledge is passed down through the use of Yagé, a sacred plant used in shamanic rituals to connect with the spiritual world and gain wisdom. For the Inga, Yagé is a bridge between the visible and the invisible, a tool for knowledge and healing. The rituals are led by the Taitas, the community's wise men and healers, who guide people through ceremonies to understand their life's path.
The Inga people share many traits in common with the neighboring Kamëntsá people, with whom they have centuries-old ties. The Inga arrived in Putumayo during the Inca imperial expansion from Peru.
Economy
The Inga economy is mainly based on agriculture, with the cultivation of corn, beans, potatoes, vegetables and fruit trees. They also practice livestock farming and milk trading, contributing to the supply of other regions, particularly the department of Nariño. Trade has always played a key role in the community's survival, which has been able to adapt to territorial dispersion while maintaining its connection to its ancestral territory.
Craftsmanship
The Inga are known for their craftsmanship, which includes the production of textiles, jewelry, and decorative objects made from local materials. Their artifacts often reflect symbols and figures related to the indigenous worldview, passing down traditions and stories through each weave and decoration. In addition to textiles, they produce musical instruments, wooden objects, and ceramics, strengthening their cultural identity through art.
For the Inga people, weaving is more than just a craft; it is a form of memory and the transmission of ancestral knowledge.
Textiles represent the connection to the land, family, and life experiences.
Textile motifs incorporate elements of nature and symbols that evoke the community's spiritual connection with the cosmos and the history of their people.
The Inga people continue to keep their traditions alive, despite the challenges of modernity, reaffirming their cultural identity through spirituality, trade, and craftsmanship.
Sources: ONIC, Artesanias de Colombia, DANE, Giovanna María Aldana Barahona, Alfredo Sánchez Carballo.
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