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| Ingas wave the Colombian flag in front of Congress this afternoon. |
Inga indigenous people from Putumayo Department paraded across Plaza Bolivar today as part of their annual Carnaval del Perdón, which they celebrate together with the neighboring Catmëntsa people. Despite its name, the carnaval seems to be more of a celebration of the peoples' traditions, cultures and languages. Perhaps the pardon refers to peace between the peoples, who may have once made war on each other.
The Inga were once part of the Inca Empire. Today, they live by farming, hunting and gathering and trade, both in Putumayo and Colombia's cities. But the Putumayo region has suffered from Colombia's drug-financed internal conflict, and indigenous people in particular have been driven off of their land, seen their children recruited by armed groups and lost their culture and traditions.
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| An Inga man plays the flute. |
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| Little Inga drummer girl. |
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| Mixing the traditional and virtual: Inga people with a smartphone. |
By Mike Ceaser, of
Bogotá Bike Tours
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