Kamëntsà people
The Kamëntsá people, also known as Camsá, are an indigenous American ethnic group living in the departments of Putumayo and Nariño, Colombia, a region of extraordinary natural wealth where the Amazon meets the Andes mountains.
The Kamëntsá identify themselves as the biya —"unique speakers of the language of the great people"—, the Tabanoy. The word Kamëntsá is composed of the words -ca, meaning "same," and -mëntza, meaning "thus, here"; the word "Kamëntsá" could be translated as "those from here."
COSMOGONY
In the ancestral memory of the people, their origin goes back to remote times, a time they call "raw time," before the conquest; during that period, the Supreme Being allowed them the possibility of converting from human beings to animals—and vice versa. Thus, they possess the ability to speak with nature, Mother Earth (tsabatsán mama).
“To know the art of weaving, one must know the perfect measure; to have the perfect measure, one must know how to begin.”
Narcisa Chindoy de Muchavisoy.
JOB
Agriculture is the main economic activity in the area, with crops such as corn, beans, cabbage, broad beans, lulo, peas, potatoes, and other tubers and vegetables. Their gardens feature medicinal plants, used by the taitas (shamans) who employ yajé to guide healing and connect with the magical world. Corn, or šboacha', is the staple food and plays a central role in traditional celebrations, such as Bësnate or Big Day.
Economic activities are supplemented by the creation of handicrafts, such as baskets, wood carvings, textiles, and other products.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Kamentsa art holds a vast heritage of ancestral creativity. For example, master woodcarvers, since ancient times, have created faces in which the spirit of life is manifested. These artists carefully observed the expressions of every human being and imagined the face of supernatural beings; thus, joy, sadness, loneliness, anger, the cry of man, of the rainbow, among many others, are manifested in a mask whose features are carefully carved.
Fabric is also a way of imprinting feelings; it is like writing symbols of life on objects. All textiles made by the Kamentsa people have a meaning and a use, and during special periods, they take on even greater importance.
Traditional men's attire includes a long black sayo —or poncho— or a white one with blue or red stripes, tied with a white belt. Women wear a single-colored blouse, a black skirt wrapped twice, and a wide band —chumbe— with green or red patterns on a white background. Both men and women wear multi-strand necklaces, and men also wear feather crowns.
The Kamëntsà are known for their skills as musicians,
crafting curious instruments that replicate the sounds of their natural surroundings.
Music is a fundamental element in Kamëntsá culture, accompanying moments of daily life and sacred rituals.
Sources: Fundación Universidad de América, ONIC, Artesanías de Colombia.
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