KIPHARA TE
Embera tourist ethnovillage.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
“KIPHARA TE”1, is a project property of the indigenous community Embera
Phusabidara2 “Boca de Jagua”, which has a population of 380 making up 75
families. The community has to its head a local Council, which operates in
association with the Superior Indigenous Council of the Pacific Coast –
CAMIZCOP, which is a subsidiary of the Association of Indigenous Councils
ASOREWA, which is part of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia -
ONIC.
It has 3 “tambos”3 or house of accommodation, each with a capacity of 8 people,
for a total of 24 visitors accommodated in beds and one greater tambo which can
house up to 60 visitors accommodated in tents, for a total capacity of 84 visitors.
In the service area, the project offers a tambo for hosting, a tambo for gifts and
souvenirs, a tambo for kitchen, one greater tambo for meetings, gatherings and
presentations, an electrically powered health tambo for toilets and two tambos for
dialogue. In total Kiphará te, consists of 10 tambos. Additionally, it has a small
tambo for the administration of the solar power system and a structure for
collecting rainwater, which supplies the system of the ethnovillage.
Associated with the initiative of tourist services, there are various products on offer:
5 eco trails with differents scenic attractions, two waterfall-spa, two viewpoints and
a traditional Embera crop. 5 living room products: two ritual body-painting
experiences and health therapies, and three shows of traditional dance, music and
1 Houseofthejagua.
2 Inhabitantofthecoast.
3 . Embera Traditional housing, bohio roun-shaped and without divisions.
1
arts made with natural fibers and wood carving. In addition, there are entertainment
products such as the Embera’s children's games, competences in management of
water transport, practices in the handling of hunting gear (the Emberara have been
one of the hunting peoples of Colombia); finally, we offer crafts and traditional
foods of the Embera ethnic people. All products are designed to be shared with
visitors, the traditions and concepts of the Embera in relation to their vital
environment.
PROJECT ON ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
The location of the ethnovillage is the national park of Utría and it is a decision of
the community of “Boca de Jagua” to declare preserved under the ethnic autonomy
all areas involving the operation of the ethnovillage tourist products.
The locating of the conglomerate and the ethnovillage was done with the criteria of
prevention of natural phenomena that may be linked to climate change such as
tsunami, tidal waves or increase of the level of the ocean tides, since the Nuqui
zone is declared at risk of such events.
The productive traditional Embera activities are realized with cropping of different
species of different use on a rotating basis, which enables the ecological
connectivity, the maintenance of the biodiversity with the permanence of the
vegetation cover soil and the preservation of its dynamics.
2
LOCATION
The project is located in the community of “Boca de Jagua”, in the lower part of the
river Chori, municipality of Nuqui, Department of Chocó, Colombia.
Boca de Jagua, is a community that is reached easily. Nuquí is accessed from
anywhere in the country by air. There are direct flights to Bahía Solano4 or Nuqui
coming daily from Medellin and Quibdo.
The Chocó Pacific region has beautiful places that have evolved without
transformations; in addition, during five months of the year - between June and
November – the Yubarta whales visit, which provides a beautiful show with their
jumps. There is currently a considerable number of providers of tourist services in
the area receiving national and foreign visitors throughout the year.
4 MunicipalitylocatedinthenorthofthetownofNuqui.
CONTEXT
The project arises in the context of searches for answers to the crisis of the
traditional production system by communities and institutions, some of which were
linked in the execution of the project "Incorporation of traditional knowledge
associated with agro-biodiversity in Colombian agroecosystems", sponsored by the
GEF, managed by the PNUD, directed by the MADS5 and executed by various
regional and local entities, in the case of the pilot of the Tribugá Gulf, the IIAP6,
CAMIZCOP7 y RISCALES8. One of the effects of this project was the evaluation
and reactivation of mechanisms for the protection of traditional knowledge
associated to agrobiodiversity.
The national government with the implementation of the “Covenant by prosperity
(Pacto por la prosperidad)” number 45 approved the project presented by the
community of Boca de Jagua, which was supported by the Vice Minister of tourism,
to building the tourist etnoaldea, now called Kiphara Te.
The community received the ethnovillage and formed an Association for its
operation, which was in charge of formalizing the company with the support of the
Chamber of Commerce of Quibdo.
The IIAP invited a group of entities to form a coalition of friends of Kiphara Te,
among which are the Technological University of Choco - UTCH, the Claretian
University Foundation - UNICLARETIANA, the National Training Service - SENA
Quibdó, the Chamber of Commerce of Quibdó, the Corporation Society and
Development - CDS, the Foundation for Biodiversity and Life - FBV. This group of
entities is committed to strengthening the social capital of Kiphara Te and have
done days of identification and development of tourism products associated with
the ethnovillage.
5 Ministryofenvironment,housingandsocialdevelopment.
6 Institute of environmental research in the Pacific.
7 GreatestindigenouscabildoofthePacificCoast.
8 CommunityGeneralCouncilofblackcommunitiesofNuqui.
INNOVATIVE ELEMENTS
Design and construction: held in the dialogue of knowledges among wise
traditional connoisseurs of how to build their houses "Te" in Emberá, "Tambo" or
“Bohío” in Spanish with the architects and engineers, arriving at a proposal for
improvement of the traditional structure in its resistance to the frequent
earthquakes in the area which lies on the geological fault Utría; in its durability by
the improvement of the slope of the roof, resulting in the resistance of the "Palm of
bitter and cuchilleja"9 used for this purpose.
Ecology. The construction was done using timber crops with treatment of
warrantable immunization materials for up to 30 years. Wild extraction materials
were minimal and exploited with measures of thinning that ensures the survival of
seed reserves. The palms of bitter and cuchillejas were exploited only with the
pruning of leaves, leaving the plants to continue their life cycles. The tourist
services offered will be used according to their capacity to prevent alterations of
ecological resilience.
Culture. Kiphara Te is a proposal that is part of life plans and preservation of the
9 Palm in the middle, which is used for roofing the dwellings of the Embera indigenous communities.
Embera people considered by the Constitutional Court of Colombia in danger of
extinction, particularly because of the weakness of its traditional production system
based on hunting, the environmental supply and handling of cultivations in the
middle of the forest. A demanding system on workmanship, which decreases with
the absence of opportunities for basic and essential services, and as a result of an
education that is forming people for professional exercises that does not exists in
the community.
Offers the share forms of management of the environment and the embera
Cosmology concepts: from the way of accommodation in beds that resemble the
traditional “damagua”10 to rest, bathrooms and sinks carved in fine wood by
craftsmen traditional housing with the structure of the worlds listed in the embera
cosmology, products developed from the combination of attractives places and
cultural expressions, all for sharing the traditions of vitally important and part of the
embera language as body-painting and mechanisms of management of culture and
arts of hunting, fishing and water transport.
Kiphara Te is also an answer to a history of political and ethnic conflicts that have
settled the unit of the afro people and embera recruitment of young people for the
10 Extracted bark of the Poulsenia armata (Miq) Standl, used by the indigenous communities as a rest
material.
war, selective deaths by betrayal and mistrust. Thus, the project innovates in an
alternative way of preparing for the post-conflict political trading in Colombia. It
articulates the interests of the neighboring Jurubira community11, which also offers
tourist services. In addition, the providers of tourist services in the area will have
new destinations for their activities.
Kiphare Te innovates in the region and in Colombia to introduce a new modality of
administering the gods of the Community through a partnership composed of
members of the community that exercise the management of the etnoaldea and its
functions ensuring the generate of employment, increase the income of the families
of the communities involved in tourism in the area, benefit from a responsible
culture environmental resources and ecosystem services.
Corporate imaginary. For the embera in the area, the concept of enterprise within
the market economy is unknown, for them is a novelty the appropriation of the
concept and of course will be marked by elements who have culturally had their
traditional practices of exchange of services.
Income generation. In the Embera communities exists the occupation, not the
employment, this initiative innovates with the creation of the concept of
employment, is expected at this early stage to be around 10 direct jobs and
achieved a balance business to double this number. In addition, different
mechanisms of marketing products that will increase the income of the Embera
and Afro families associated to the activities of Kiphara Te will be created. Crafts,
food, transportation, guides, among others, will be the scenarios of generation of
goods and services marketables around the activities of the etnoaldea.
11 Rural area of the municipality of inhabited by Afrocolombian population. Nuquí,
CRITERIA
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KIPHARA TE
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Impact
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Community
leadership
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The initiative arises and is led by the Boca de Jagua community with
the leadership of their Local Cabildo in partnership with CAMIZCOP,
zonal Council and ASOREWA12, regional organization.
A business organization was created like a Corporation for the management of the services of the etnoaldea, under the control and supervision of the local political authority and support from the zonal and regional area. |
Associations
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Kiphara Te is created under strategic alliances:
INTRAETHNIC: with the Embera Phusabidara communities of the area, linked through the Greater Cabildo - CAMIZCOP. With the Councils of the region of the Chocó department through the Association of Cabildos ASOREWA and linked with Aboriginal organizations on the national agenda through the ONIC. INTERETHNIC: with the Local Council of black communities of Jurubira and with the General Community Council the RISCALES. INSTITUCIONAL: on the national agenda with the Ministry of Commerce, the Industry of Tourism, and the Vice-Ministry of Tourism; regional with the IIAP, UTCH, CCQ, UNICLARETIANA, CSD, CBV, SENA, CODECHOCO ACDIVOCA; zonal with the municipality of Nuqui, Utría Natural National Park and the Tourism inter-institutional table. All certifiable |
Innovation and
transfer
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Innovate in the model: first initiative of this kind with the Embera
people of Colombia and in the Chocó region of Colombia.
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12 Association of Embera Indigenous Cabildos Indígenas, Wounaan, Katío, Chamí y Tules of the Chocó
department.
CRITERIA
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KIPHARA TE
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Impact
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Innovate in the culture: is an innovative way of strengthening the
cultural and territorial roots in the Emberá people, threatened by
increasing migration, particularly of the young people in search of
employment opportunities.
Innovate in the versatile: is an initiative that enables different
production activities: transport, guide, accommodation, meals,
handicrafts, marketing, management, folklore, traditions, among
others.
Innovate in conservation: protect, recover and restore nature and
culture.
Transfer technology: The construction of the etnoaldea was made
in the dialogue of knowledge (traditional and technical); the
strengthening of food security plan will include exchanges that lead
to the improvement of technological traditions.
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Empowerment of
women and
social inclusion
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The maximum leader of the community is a woman governor.
Women are the majority among operators of the etnoaldea.
The etnoaldea has reactivated the roofs, courtyard cultivation
structure managed by women.
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The resiliency,
adaptability and
self-sufficiency
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The initiative seeks to reduce the vulnerability of the community to
different risks, strengthening its self-sufficiency in the cultural and
territorial governance.
The pursuit for well-being is made both for visitors and members of
the community. The motto is share the wellness of the community of
Boca de Jagua with the visitors.
The development of tourism products is linked to the improvement of
the adaptability to climate change, exceeding the limits that this may
impose on the local population in productive, navigability, floods and
droughts of runways, changes in tides, etc.
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NEEDS
Security staffing
The Vice-Ministry of tourism gave endowment of mattresses, but without beds,
linen and kitchen implements, but without shelves to conserve them, solar panels
require enclosure, the kitchen and handicrafts made in wood require a coating to
achieve the international standards of asepsis that provide security in the handling
of food and drinking water; lingerie washing requires a washing machine and a
system of accumulation and supply of rain water, because the river is murky and
stain the fabric. These needs require an investment of approximately $100.000.000
(one hundred million pesos), equivalent to 34.000 Euros
Furnishing of tourist products
Trails, scenic sightings, creeks, waterfalls points required to be conditioned with
safety railings, pedestrian bridges, rest houses and sighting towers of biodiversity
in trees and maritime landscapes and forest. These needs require an investment of
approximately $90.000.000 (ninety million pesos), equivalent to 30.000 Euros
Social capital formation for the enterprise
The Embera requires productive alternatives that lead them to recover food
sovereignty and security and also to bring them to rescue young people who have
studied and not having opportunities to exercise their professions have had to
emigrate, diminishing more and more labor and brains for the strengthening of the
economy and the defence of culture and territory.
Kiphara Te is a project that can have the characteristics to meet the above needs,
however, to make this possible requires an accompaniment for the appropriation of
certain cultural values that do not exist or are very weak in the community
traditions. Among them, the communication because it is necessary that young
people learn better the Spanish and have notions of other languages with potential
visitors such as English, French, Italian, etc.; the handling and preparation of food,
the embera have an important gastronomy, however it is necessary that they
appropriate management practices and presentation standards of hospitality;
attention to the client, the embera do not have practices in reception of visitors. In
addition, these are a series of behaviors of the discipline of tourism that is not only
required the transmission of knowledge, but accompanying that gradually leads to
properly take these values from their own culture.
To respond to these needs, the Local Council of Boca de Jagua has made
agreements with institutions that can ordinarily dictate courses, but is difficult for
them the continuous support for seasons, so it is necessary to invite national and
international entities that have potential in these areas to provide internships,
theses simple accompaniment with agreed goals. The community can only provide
accommodation and part of the alimentation with the products generated in the
area. It must be a prior consultation with the authorities of the Etnoaldea and the
community. We consider an excellent opportunity for foreign or domestic students
and professionals who wish to exercise an act of solidarity with a noble cause and
which, in turn, serve them holiday entertainment and cultural shared.
Comfort and well-being of tourists
The etnoaldea in this aspect has a few requirements ranging from advertising and
marketing with editing videos, mounting of promotion and marketing plans,
provision of means of transport, training in the maritime and fluvial transport,
construction and endowment of a health centre, training of paramedical personnel
and regular visits to the preventive basic and specialized health care, provision of a
team of capturing sounds and videos that serve as inputs to renew the etnoaldea,
training a team embera and afro to produce sound-slide shows or presentations
and manage the media. To respond to these needs and others needs related with
the community authorities and the Kiphara Te make a call to national and
international entities who can establish relationships (via agreements, letters of
intent, twinning of processes, projects, or others) to support one or more aspects in
limited or prolonged periods.
