Bogotá hosts Indigenous Peoples Festival with 30 cultural activities

From August 6 to 9, the Centro Nacional de las Artes in Bogotá became the hub for the fourth Encuentro de Pueblos Originarios Abya Yala, offering around 30 free activities that showcased the music, dance, crafts, languages and ceremonies of more than 25 Colombian indigenous communities. Organizers highlighted the theme “Semillas de Memoria, Cultura y Resistencia,” emphasizing the role of cultural transmission and spiritual connection to the land. Alexis Forero of the Misak people said, “Este es un espacio donde nos encontramos para, desde los diferentes saberes y las artes vivas presentes en nuestros territorios, aportar, pensar, conversar, dialogar, tejer y entrelazar esos conocimientos.”

The event coincided with the United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous People on August 9, a global observance established in 1982 to promote and protect indigenous rights and recognize their contributions worldwide.