To stop the destruction of our culture and the felling of primary forests by colonists, the Gonawindua tayrona Organization concentrates its efforts on buying land back from these peasants, as a peaceful way of recuperating that which is ours, and of restoring our mandate, that of taking care of the Heart of the World and of not forgetting the laws and codes which define our road. For us, the Sierra Nevada is the road which runs through the past and the Origen and it places us with the great responsibility of maintaining the well-being of the Sierra Nevada so that the rest of the world also may be well. The purchase of lands by Gonawindua Tayrona has shown that it is possible in little time to regenerate the forests and strengthen the hydrological network of the mountain, thus helping to recuperate the entire ecosystem.

Over the 17 years of the existence of the Gonawindua Tayrona Organization we have made important advances in the recuperation of land, above all in the watershed of the Guachaca River, where the traditional Wiwa village and important spiritual center Kemakumake was established and where 10,000 acres of forest have regrown; in the watershed of the Don Diego River where 17,000 acres were recuperated that are home to the Arhuaco village of Bunkwimake; in the watershed of the Buritace River where 11000 acres of forest around the highly important Sacred Site Teyuna (known to the Younger brother as The Lost City) have regrown; and along the Santa Clara River in the Kogi area of Nuwiyaka 29,000 acres of forest have been regenerated. In each case, the adquired territory becomes the collective property of the indigenous people of the Sierra Nevada and can never again be sold. In each case, we let the forest grow back which, along with the spiritual work of our Mamas (Mamos) helps the animals that fled those areas return there.

In the next phase of the Program of Territorial Recuperation we intend to recuperate an area of 3200 acres in the watershed of the lower Don Diego River which is in an advanced state of deforestation due in part to the cultivation of coca for illicit gain by colonists (Please seem middle image, above). To mitigate this ecological damage we have pursued extensive dialogue with the peasants of that area so that this land can become the collective property of the indigenous people.As the Colombian government is threatening to aerially fumigate these illicit crops with herbicides as part of their anti-narcotics strategy, the peasants are willing to sell this land. With this purchase, we can achieve the erradication of this illicit crop in a manner healthy to the enviroment since, once this land is in our hands, we, the indigenous people, with stop all illegal cultivation and allow the forest to grow back. The cost of buying this land is around US$180 per acre.

Over the years we have recieved important support from the international environmentalist organizations The Nature Conservancy (USA), Ricerca e Cooperazione (Italy), the Tayrona Heritage Foundation (Great Britain) and from the Colombian government's Ministry of the Environment.

But we also count on the support of individuals who have given different amounts which have greatly helped us to recuperate our ancestral territory. Any donation, no matter the size, would be very appreciated and would be used conscientiously and entirely towards the end of adquiring and healing these lands. We thank the reader of these pages who collaborates with us in defending the Sierra Nevada, our culture, and who helps us comply with the Law of Origen which charges us with taking care of the heart of the World and thus of the whole world.

Contact us: Email: gonawinduatayrona@yahoo.com