The Siona people are an indigenous people who live on the banks of the Putumayo River, between Colombia and Ecuador. They designate themselves as Gâ’tɨya pâín, the people of the white cane river. They speak a language from the Tukano family and have a culture based on the ritual use of yajé and contact with the different levels of the universe.
In the department of Putumayo, the Siona live in 12 communities, distributed in the municipalities of Puerto Asís and Puerto Leguízamo. Their territory covers more than 13,000 hectares of jungle, where they practice shifting agriculture, fishing, hunting and crafts. However, its population and its ancestral tradition have been threatened by colonization, the exploitation of natural resources, armed violence and disease.
In 2009, the Constitutional Court of Colombia declared the Siona people “on the verge of physical and cultural extinction” due to the threats they face from illegal armed groups, oil exploitation and deforestation and ordered protection measures to guarantee their survival. . Since then, the Siona have fought to defend their territory and their culture, forming an indigenous guard, strengthening their ancestral practices and working with National Natural Parks to conserve their biodiversity.
The councils of the Siona people in the department of Putumayo are 12, which correspond to the following communities¹:
White water
Good view
October twelve
Pleasure
The Tiger
The Chorrera
White Pinecone
Puerto Asís
Puerto Leguizamo
San Francisco
Santa Rosa de Sucumbíos
Yarinal
These councils are part of the Association of Indigenous Councils of the Siona People (ACIPS), which seeks to strengthen the culture, autonomy and protection of the Siona territory. The councils also have an indigenous guard called cuiracua, which is responsible for verification, defense and training of new generations.