“Women are essential pillars in indigenous communities and peoples, playing a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge and practices.”. (UN).
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples / August 9
– Tribute to leader Felicia Barrientos Cuéllar –
Felicia Barrientos Cuéllar, a leader from the Guaraní Indigenous Territory of Charagua Iyambae, recounts that through the organization she founded, CIMCI (Central Intercomunal de Mujeres Capitanía Isoseña), a proposal was presented to establish a female captain in Isoso. This action enabled women to have their voices heard in assemblies and participate in communal decision-making. She states that it was not an easy task, having had to fight since the 1970s against the prevailing mindset of male captains who sought to limit women's roles to housework and childcare.
As the daughter of the Guarani leader Bonifacio Barrientos Iyambae –Great Shadow–, she had a greater opportunity to play a leading role in “elevating the voice of Guarani women,” a circumstance she seized from her place of origin and circumstances. Through CIMCI, she spearheaded projects that involved women and strengthened the knowledge inherited from their grandmothers, valuing their artisanal skills and the sustainable use of forest resources. These actions contributed to the family economy and promoted women's empowerment in Isoso. Thus, amidst challenges and difficulties, the women of CIMCI made history, and their achievements and lessons learned served as a model for subsequent local initiatives and those of other lowland cultures in Bolivia.
Upon the death of her father, who aspired to protect his territory, alongside her brother Bonifacio Barrientos Cuéllar (Boni Chico) and other leaders and families from Isos, plus the involvement of Chiquitanos and Ayoreos, the leader participated in promoting the creation of the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area, a space he calls “mba'eryru” referring to their language as the “jar that stores water”. Today, 27 years after its creation, the Protected Area is recognized as a SOURCE OF LIFE, safeguarding "the largest representative sample of the best-preserved tropical dry forest of the Chaco region in the entire Gran Chaco Americano ecoregion," and protecting representative, endemic, and threatened flora and fauna. Through CIMCI, Doña Felicia has been part of the Protected Area's Management Committee for many years, participating in inter-institutional decisions and actions to defend and preserve her territory.
On this special day, the Savia Association As a witness and supporter in various initiatives carried out by Mrs. Felicia, we pay tribute to her career as a tireless leader promoting the struggle to safeguard her culture, her identity and her biodiversity.
OUR ADMIRATION TO INDIGENOUS WOMEN DEFENDING TERRITORIES OF LIFE
Related reports:
https://www.pkfeyerabend.org/en/2015/11/24/felicia-barrientos-cuellar/
https://www.laregion.bo/lideresa-guarani-isosena-que-impulso-la-creacion-del-kaa-iya-necesita-ayuda/