Arhuaco Indigenous Colombians on First Official Visit to Greece

The Arhuaco, an indigenous people of Colombia, will make an official visit to Greece to promote a solar energy program in cooperation with Greenwood Energy.

Greenwood Energy is the Latin American renewable energy subsidiary of the Greek-owned Libra Group. In collaboration with the Confederación Indígena Tayrona (CIT), the organization of the Arhuaco people from Colombia, Greenwood Energy has created a utility-scale solar project in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range.

The project was the establishment of three unique renewable energy-sustainable villages with 150 houses for the Arhuaco indigenous community. There is also access to solar energy and storage systems, sustainable agricultural farms, schools, and health facilities.

Moreover, the Terra Initiative created opportunities for the Arhuaco people through the availability of green energy jobs and skills training.

Meeting of two cultures

Now, Greenwood Energy is coming to Greece along with a group from the Arhuaco community. They will present the Terra Initiative. Noel Torres Izquierdo, the secretary of the Arhuaco people, is enthusiastic about his first visit to Greece.

His traditional name, as recognized by the spiritual fathers and mothers of the Arhuaco, is Sellabico. “We are currently in Ati Arrunke,” he says. “The entire area is called Ati Kwakumuke known by the external society, the non-indigenous society, as Pueblo Bello in the Region of Cesar.”

As an Arhuaco member, he is commissioned by the elder Mamos (mothers) as their secretary, “but I am also in charge of cooperation with institutions for the development of the Terra project for the energy transition they are proposing,” he adds.

Thus far, they have promoted the project along with Greenwood Energy in Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, and Canada.

“This time we are going to Greece,” Izquierdo says. “We have a special invitation. They want to know our cosmogony, our philosophy. We are going to share knowledge and wisdom with the Greeks. We also plan to visit many sites in Greece to understand how knowledge, thought, and philosophy begin, but we also want to know where society in general thinks it’s heading.”

Exchange of knowledge

Izquierdo spoke about similarities of his people with the ancient Greeks:

In the Arhuaco vision, we are polytheistic, as were the ancient Greeks. We have many gods. We not only speak of gods but also of father and mother. Many members have traveled abroad, but in Greece, in Athens, it is the first time that the Mamos and Arhuaco authorities will be present.

The Arhuaco member said he considers the visit to Greece important for the work they are promoting in terms of energy transition and the exchange of philosophy and knowledge.

“It’s important that Greenwood Energy and Libra have understood the philosophy of the Arhuaco people, and we have been adapting and understanding each other,” he said.

In explaining the meaning behind the name, Izquierdo says: “Terra is a Latin term but we call it Nikuma, or the morning star. Morning star is a philosophy, a vision. Nikuma is the organization. The inspiration came from the morning star which is light.”

According to the Arhuaco secretary, the energy transition proposed by them is bringing modernity together with ancestry, as per the indigenous vision. The ultimate goal in the generation of energy for the indigenous Arhuaco people of Colombia is to do as little harm to the Earth as possible.