This Thanksgiving, we are extremely grateful all of you, our customers. Together, we are making a difference not only in the lives of the talented makers in Colombia but also in the lives of indigenous communities in Colombia who are working towards reclaiming, rescuing, and rebuilding native traditions. As a mestiza, I’ve always been very curious about my nameless indigenous ancestors - a culture and people listed as extinct in the history books. Tulia's is proud to fund projects in the areas of climate change, oral histories, traditional medicine for women's health, music, and language. We’ve given back to many of these projects and more because these threads of culture are what bind family together. You are invited to read about each project below.
With Gratitude,
💛💙❤️ -Karen
The Kogi live in a unique part of the world that contains all the climactic regions from sea level to snow-capped mountains. Their mission is to be guardians of the Earth and they see the Earth is dying. They want their voice and knowledge to be heard around the world and for people everywhere to take action to protect the planet that we share. The mission of the Trust is to magnify the voice of the Kogi people, for all the world to hear.
The Mhuysqa (commonly known as Muisca) community in Bosa is home to a training school for traditional medicine in women’s health. They have a group of 15 midwives who use their knowledge of traditional medicinal plants to care for women through all stages of life, from the 1st period through menopause. This grant will be used for meetings with mothers and girls who are preparing physically and mentally for their 1st period.
The Ambientalistas de Corazon or Environmentalists at Heart are focused on promoting the restoration, reforestation, and conservation of the different ecosystems around the traditional Mhuysqa territories of northern Cundinamarca. This grant will be used for their project “The Clay of the Children” where they will teach traditional and spiritual Mhuysqa knowledge through the art and science of working with clay and pottery making.
The Mhuysqa community in Cota, a suburb of Bogota, has a group of elders who would like to record their oral histories and knowledge of Mhuysqa myths, legends, and traditional beliefs. This grant will allow them to work with local historian, Sara Ruiz who has been working for over 20 years in the rescue of Mhuysqhubun, the language of the Mhuysqa.
Gailor Andres Sanches is a Colombian musician reclaiming his Mhuysqa heritage. This grant will be used to create and record an original song and video in Mhuyscubum about the Mhuysqa numerical system, which will serve as audiovisual pedagogical material for ethno-education in the local elementary schools.