The Role of Indigenous Women in Preserving the Memories of a Difficult Past and Present: The Case of the Colombian Arhuaco Community

The current armed conflict in Colombia represents only one of the many violent processes that have threatened, for hundreds of years, the survival of indigenous peoples. The slow deterioration of their culture, languages and traditions, adds to the permanent threat against physical extermination, turning them into one of the Colombian communities most vulnerable to human rights violations. In the current process of transition to a more peaceful society and dealing with the past, the Colombian State has been carrying out consultation processes with indigenous peoples, to ensure that the Transitional Justice mechanisms recognize their rights and work with an integral, inclusive and differential manner. However, the challenges that result from the implementation of such measures with an inclusive ethnic approach should ideally precede of a process of participatory construction with the same communities, which respects their autonomy and their own laws, and responds to their needs, without threatening their integrity and survival. This article will address symbolic reparation, contemplated as a component of the Colombian transitional justice process, from the perspective of the impact that collecting and recovering human rights related documentation and archives has, by presenting an experience carried out mainly by the women belonging to the Arhuaco community of the Sierra Nevada in this matter. This process, led by the Tairona Indigenous Confederation (CIT) and advised by the National Centre for Historical Memory (CNMH) since 2014, is a pioneer in the field, due to its integral approach. It involves the mapping of documentary repositories, the conformation, recovery and protection of human rights and collective memory related archives, as well as the strengthening of technical capacities within the community. As these are key elements to ensure comprehensive and transformative reparation processes, the work is carried out taking into account the importance of strengthening the organizational and cultural processes of the community, facilitate their access to justice and truth, and boost processes of collective memory, where their narratives are the protagonists.