They are an Indigenous organization established as a self-governing body through Resolution 013 of December 10, 2022. It is made up of 107 families, totaling 415 people, and carries out non-profit activities aimed at promoting the well-being of the community and protecting the territory.

The community seeks to strengthen community development and promote the restoration of the ancestral rights of the Zenú people.

-The Indigenous guard has the purpose of protecting the community and its territory from external threats and internal conflicts, ensuring collective security, defending rights, and strengthening cultural identity and Indigenous autonomy. The guard is responsible for monitoring and safeguarding the territory, implementing prevention and protection measures, and promoting education and Indigenous culture.

-To preserve their culture, the community carries out practices that honor the memory of their deceased members, including visits to sacred sites. Over time, they have also adapted to ensure their continuity, incorporating celebrations such as the Day of the Little Candles.

• The Zenú lived in the Caribbean lowlands of Colombia.

• They built a great hydraulic system to control floods.

• They lived in the valleys of the Sinú, San Jorge, Cauca, and Nechí rivers.

Hydraulic System

• They created canals and raised fields for 1,300 years.

• The canals covered more than 500,000 hectares.

• They grew corn, cassava, sweet potato, pumpkin, chili, and fruits.

Goldwork and Art

• The Zenú were excellent goldsmiths.

• They used gold and copper to make ornaments.

• They made earrings, pendants, breastplates, and bells.

• Animals like birds, fish, and crocodiles were common designs.

Symbolism and Beliefs

• The idea of weaving was very important in their culture.

• Women symbolized fertility and wisdom.

• Tombs and breastplates represented life and rebirth.

Funerary Rituals

• The dead were buried with clay female figures.

• People built mounds and planted trees on the graves.

• Funerals included music and dance. 

Women and Power:

• Women had political and religious power.

• Finzenú, a religious center, was ruled by a woman chief.

During the Conquest:

• In the 16th century, they lived in the high savannas of Sinú and San Jorge

• Spanish conquerors found cemeteries and temples.

Forest nursery

Community project that seeks to preserve native species in the territory.

RIA Project

Project to replant deforested areas to restore biodiversity and improve environmental conditions.

Sustainable mining

The indigenous community is responsible for monitoring sustainable mining operations.

The development of an Environmental Management Plan that allows for the recovery, protection, preservation, and conservation of the environment, leading to a healthy environment. This plan covers seven areas: water, proper solid waste management, risk management, environmental education, biodiversity, climate change, and mining.

Founded the Association of Recyclers of the Reserve – CREAR

Yohan Esteban Hernández

The resguardo has developed a comprehensive environmental strategic plan to consolidate awareness among its inhabitants about caring for their surroundings. This plan is divided into seven key lines of action: water, solid waste management, risk management, environmental education, biodiversity, climate change, and mining.

Among their most notable achievements are: in a remarkable effort by the community, they planted forty thousand trees to restore vegetation in sacred sites like the Carbunco and Sinifaná hills, which had been cleared for livestock and agriculture. This action not only restores the ecosystem but also protects their places of spiritual value.

They have formed a Territorial Risk Management Committee. This committee, in collaboration with traditional authorities and community leaders, works to protect the community from natural disasters, a problem that is becoming increasingly common due to climate change.

To ensure access to potable water, the resguardo has strengthened community aqueducts by providing supplies such as pipes and tanks. This action is vital for the well-being of their people. 

They consistently work to raise community awareness, education, and sensitization to the value of environmental preservation. The transfer of this knowledge to future generations ensures that the ecological legacy is maintained.

Guided by the slogan “eyes open and woke ears”, the Guard focuses on prevention rather than confrontation, aligning with Indigenous worldviews that emphasize resolving. It's not a police force, but a peaceful, autonomous mechanism of social control and resistance.

Cañamomo and lomaprieta

I want to say something important about their culture: their relation with water. The survival and culture of the Wayuu are very connected with water in a desert region. Women are the ones who look for this vital resource. Many of their rituals and daily practices are about the care and tribute to water.

By Mateo López