Carnaval de los Indigenas -- Sibundoy, Putumayo

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This weekend there is a special celebration to be held in Sibundoy, Putumayo, one that will be declared part of Colombia's national cultural heritage this next year. It is known as the Carnaval del Perdon (Indigenous Carnaval of Forgiveness).

The Carnaval includes a parade where the leaders of the tribe are dressed in the traditional poncho called the kusma (or cusma), black pants (traditional) or jeans (modern) and a crown of feathers. The women are dressed in a skirt and blouse made of linen, dyed with a seed called the curiguasca. The blouse is tied at the waist with a large band of colors. All of these clothing items are hand woven by the Kamsá.

They, both the men and the women, will also wear numerous necklaces of bright vibrant colors, called chaquiras. Some will also paint their faces with red dots or lines.

The parade will also include music made from traditional pan flutes and other instruments, as well as sightings of some of the famous wooden masks made in the region. As seen here:

If this group of Indigenous people interests you, I highly recommend that you look at the pictures from the following 2 resources. You can see a picture of the parade and read an article (in Spanish) about it here:


and see pictures of it here:

Comments

Natalie said…
Hi my husband and I are adopting from Colombia and we just found out today our region is Putumayo. My husband is Colombian but he knows nothing about this region. Im just wondering if you have heard of anyone adoptiong from there. I have been searching the web for anyone who has been placed in this region and right now I feel like we are the only ones. My husband has even called his family still living in Colombia and they have all said this is a dangerous place. Im starting to get a little nervous now.
March 8, 2011 at 7:24 PM
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