The Awá, which literally means “people” in Awapit, live in mountainous rainforest regions of the south-west of Colombia and the north-west of Ecuador. For decades, the Awá have been targeted by narcotraffickers because their ancestral land is especially fertile for large coca harvests. They live in a crossfire between rival armed groups and receive little to no support from the Colombian government. Still, the Awá have not surrendered; they remain unwavering in their commitment to maintain their rich history and culture.
AWAPIT, A DYING LANGUAGE
Mario Antonio Pai is a survivor of the conflict who works with Heartland Alliance International (HAI) as a community agent, delivering mental health support to other Indigenous survivors like himself. Mario works with HAI in Piedra Sellada—a shared territory with 26,000 inhabitants living in Colombia and 5,000 in Ecuador. All have been affected by the armed conflict.
“I am 36 years old and I am a teacher. In 2005, I was governor of Piedra Sellada and in 2006, I began to teach and give classes in the Awá school. Teaching our children is a great way to support my community; I teach in Spanish and Awapit, our ancestral language, because it is slowly being lost. I’ve also served as an education counselor promoting research about our history, language, and origins.”
“Learning to manage outside influence has been quite a challenge for us. Our young people are often compelled by the outside world and they tend to forget what is ours. Our hope is to preserve our culture and ensure that our language is not lost. We promote our culture in schools by requiring teachers to teach in both languages, and at home by encouraging parents to speak Awapit every day. However, the elderly are the ones who speak Awapit the most. They are the guardians of the traditions we have left.”
WHY DO LANGUAGES DISAPPEAR?
According to the United Nations, the majority of languages in danger of extinction are spoken by Indigenous groups. It is estimated that every two weeks, an Indigenous language dies, putting at risk its respective culture and the systems of knowledge.
Languages disappear for many reasons. Processes of linguistic transmission may be interrupted by the Westernization of communities, and further exacerbated by poverty, conflict, ‘brain drain’ or migration of younger people, and persecution. These factors also lead to deeper challenges within Indigenous communities, including mental health disease and increased rates of suicide. According to Awá community records, they have the fourth highest suicide rate among Indigenous groups in their region. In fact, since 2007 there have been nine deaths by suicide and two attempts.
MENTAL HEALTH FOR INDIGENOUS GROUPS
The HAI team has worked with the Piedra Sellada community since 2018 delivering mental health and psychosocial support services. One of the primary themes is suicide prevention.
Alexander Botina, community liaison for HAI, explained that Piedra Sellada has many needs. “They have few resources, their land is difficult to access, they cannot sell their harvest for fair prices, and there is no high school, which forces people to relocate. On top of that, young people are dissatisfied with their culture. The community has approximately 400 inhabitants, so nine deaths by suicide and two attempts in recent years is a very high rate.”
When asked what mental health means to him, Mario Antonio says, “For us, a good life is being with family, having control over our land and resources, and being able to provide for the whole community. But this isn’t our current reality and I’ve seen how that’s impacting everyone’s mental health. This work teaches us to cope and communicate our struggles.”
“The services HAI provides are critical because they are based on prevention, on understanding the changes in our surroundings, and learning to accept new realities. The group sessions help us talk about important issues, like strengthening our Indigenous guard, preventing accidents in mines, and learning to live on our land under the current conditions.”
The Constitutional Court of Colombia warned that the Awá community is in grave danger of being exterminated physically and culturally because of the ongoing internal conflict, and the government’s failure to protect Indigenous groups. In response, HAI works alongside Colombia’s Indigenous peoples, delivering mental health and other social services that build healthier and more resilient communities. We believe survivors deserve to heal, lead, and thrive.
The work of Heartland Alliance International in Colombia is possible thanks to the support of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
