The Truman chapter of the Spanish Honorary Society (Sigma Delta Pi) and the Colombia Support Network of Kansas City together with the Global Issues Colloquium will present “Indigenous Survival in the 21st Century: A Look at the Embera-Chami Community” on Tuesday, November 1, at 7pm in the SUB Georgian Room B.
Ancizar Gutiérrez and Reynelio Yagari, leaders of the Indigenous Colombian community, the Embera-Chami, will speak about the state of Indigenous rights and the efforts to preserve their traditional way of life in the South American country of Colombia. Their presentation will include traditional music of the Embera-Chami. Gutiérrez and Yagari will discuss how their community has sought to survive amidst an ongoing civil war, widespread drug trafficking, and the pressures of industrial development on their lands.
Following their presentation, there will be a Q/A with the audience. They will be accompanied by Truman alumna Rachel Hogan (’09) of the Colombia Support Network. While at Truman, Rachel worked with Dr. Carol Marshall and Dr. Sergio Escobar to translate the cultural myths of this Indigenous group.