Marcelino Sánchez Noé is an Indigenous leader and representative of the Ticuna People from the Colombian Amazon. He is the former general secretary and legal representative of the CIMTAR (Cabildo Indígena Mayor de Tarapacá) Association and has served as an Ethnoeducator in the Indigenous community of Caña Brava along the Cotuhue River, where he currently resides. This beautiful territory is deep in the Amazon Rainforest within the Putumayo River Basin, and near the border with Brazil. Since 2021 he has served as a senior advisor of the Greater Indigenous Council of Tarapacá and has participated in various intercultural collaborations with the Colombian State and with non-governmental organizations. His professional background is as a teacher and technician in comprehensive early childhood care, with a degree from SENA.

In our Interdialogue we spoke about the beautiful culture and ancestral territory of the Tikuna, and how they have recently been roped into Colombia’s ongoing conflict, especially in relation to illegal gold mining.

We then spoke about the central role of the “Chagra” (traditional rotational agriculture) for the Ticuna, and how circular bioeconomics focused on the Chagra and Non-timber forest products, as well as an appropriate integration of Western science and technology, can create sustainable livelihoods for the Ticuna. We also focused our conversation on the vital importance of autonomy and mutually respectful intercultural dialogue and collaborations, in order preserve both traditional cultures and the wider Andes-Amazon ecoregion.

Note: This Interdialogue was recorded in Spanish and is subtitled in English.

Timestamps

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:07:41 – Ancestral territory of the Ticuna and its place in Colombia’s ongoing conflict

00:11:53 – The importance of traditional knowledge, language and autonomous governance

00:16:52 – Bioeconomics, sustainable livelihoods and the central role of the “Chagra”

00:24:17 – Water, energy, communication, and the importance of weaving together science, technology and traditional knowledge

00:30:14 – The collective nature of Ticuna culture: the role of women, artisans and the “Minga”

00:32:07 – The vital importance of Intercultural dialogue and mutual respect for building sustainable projects

00:45:26 – The Ticuna Cosmovision: origins and the six levels of the World