Combat in the Reservation

Text and images - Daisuke Shibata

In the southern part of Colombia, there is an Awá indigenous community called Magüi. It is in Ricaurte municipality, Nariño, near the Ecuadorian border.

This area is the site of a conflict that has gotten worse since the late 1990s. I met the people of Magüi for the first time in Ecuador, where they were living as refugees. Since last year, after their return, I have been visiting them back in Magüi reservation.

I've heard many stories of people being injured or killed in this conflict. When I came to visit the community for the first time, I was impressed by the beauty of its forest and pure water. I especially remember the sight of the mountains at dawn.

I remember what one old refugee man told me “There is no other place with such fertile soil, where we can grow all our crops.”

The conflict has continued, sometimes quietly and sometimes with violence, as if it would never end. This year, clashes between the guerrilla and army have gotten worse in and around Magüi.

With explosions, overflights and shots sounding off in the distance, we are staring this blog from the INKAL AWA school. It is a first step in an effort to make the life and thoughts of the people of Magüi visible to the outside world. As soon as this current clash subsides and the school year can begin, we have planned a photography and blog workshop with the students.

This blog project is a MINGA (collaboration) between the Awá community of Magüi and Cineminga.

Daisuke Shibata is an independent photojournalist from Ibaragi, Japan, collaborating with Cineminga on this project. He has worked with indigenous communities in Mexico and Colombia since 2007.