RESEARCH PROJECT

DANGER OF DISAPPEARANCE OF LANGUAGE AND/OR CULTURE

INDIGENOUS HUITOTO

TUTOR
EDWIN ANDRES LONDOO

LEDYS KATHERINE OSSO BRAN

1117533706

GROUP 11

UNIVERSITY NATIONAL OPEN TO DISTANCE

SCHOOL SCIENCE EDUCATION
BACHELOR IN ENGLISH AS FOREING LANGUAGE
COLOMBIA
2015

DANGER OF DISAPPEARANCE OF LANGUAGE AND/OR CULTURE

INDIGENOUS HUITOTO

What is a factor with the highest incidence in the danger of the disappearance of
the language and/or culture Huitoto?

INTRODUCTION
Colombia is a country full of natural wealth and resources, is a privilege that few
countries have. It is an immense fortune because it has a natural diversity and
cultural giant. It is amazing to see the beauty of the great and wonderful scenery
and the beauty of its fauna and flora. So you have to be aware of how much we
have and begin to appreciate and value what we have.
()Inside the enormous beauty and biodiversity present in the Colombian
Amazon, they stood out, with equal splendor and brightness, broad humanistic and
cultural potential represented in the peoples inhabiting the shocking "lungs of the
world". Therefore, the Amazon means not only an important natural reserve of the
biosphere of the planet but also an invaluable reservoir of traditions, customs,
representations systems, worldviews, of all forms, statements that do individuals
who they really are, these are human beings. (Pico resides, F. 2010. P. 117). (1)
Each language is a different vision of the world we live in, regardless of the native
language (Daniels-Fiss, 2008). The tongue may be a marker to represent where
we come from, who we are and the ideas of the society to which we belong. For
these reasons, a language is an important identity of a person (Woodbury, 1997).
The language marker represents the people, represents the ideology of a
community, so that all languages have value and deserve respect because they
contribute to the cultural wealth of their nation (Rippberger, 1992).
The extinction of languages is a cultural problem and practice today, so a nation
threatens to exile forever by history, culture and identification of certain social or
closed group. Paradoxically, the natives are resistant to globalization and the
offensive of their original cultures, the same factor, by accident is the cause of their
isolation from society, causing at the same time, the desire on the part of the
natives to meet their needs and to leave their villages, this way to manage to thrive
in the world covered or homogenized.

Erica-Irene A. Daes, said that "cultural diversity is essential to the adaptability and
creativity of the human species as a whole. In their rich variety and diversity and in
the reciprocal influences they exert on each other, all cultures form part of the
common heritage of all mankind. "Similarly it indicated that "The very concept of"
indigenous "includes the idea of a culture and a different style of independent life
based on ancient traditions and knowledge, primarily linked to a specific territory.
Indigenous peoples cant survive, or to exercise their fundamental human rights,
different nations, societies and peoples if they cant conserve, restore, develop and
transmit knowledge they have inherited from their ancestors'Erica-Irene A. Daes,
here said that "cultural diversity is essential to the ability adaptability and creativity
of the human species as a whole. In their rich variety and diversity, and in the
reciprocal influence one another, all cultures form part of the common heritage of
all mankind ". In the same way that" The very concept of "indigenous" includes the
idea of a culture and a different lifestyle and independent, based on ancient
traditions and knowledge, primarily linked to a specific territory. Indigenous peoples
cant survive, or exercise their fundamental human rights as distinct nations,
societies and peoples if they cant conserve, restore, develop and transmit the
knowledge they have inherited from their ancestors.
In this work I teach the related thing to the absence of education of indigenous
languages and that little by little is losing this custom. In the last years, as the
disappearance of species, political systems and climate change; also there
happens the disappearance of the cultures indigenous to a rapid way. This is a
worrying phenomenon for some, indistinctly for others, native for others. As the
climate change, it is natural that they eliminate some indigenous languages - it
supports a current that we would name naturalist-; inside this current, there are the
conservationists, who support that the languages have to it was preserving, they
do not have a convincing argument that is not the same of an ecological
imbalance, of avoiding the species disappearance, or in the fund moralist sublimes
a connotation. The Darwinists suppose that the disappearance of the languages is
a natural process of survival of the strongest. Others with a more religious vision
suppose that the big number of languages is a curse towards the human beings for
wanting to come to the sky building the Tower of Babel. For this current the ideal
thing would be that all the human beings we were speaking only one language,
which seems that it is fulfilled, since 96 % of the population only speaks 4 % of the
whole of the languages that exists in the world; while about a whole of 6 or 7
thousand languages that exist in the world, 96 % only speaks 4 % of the
population. This is an indication of the disappearance of the languages.
In the world there are, in round numbers, six thousand languages. Two of them
1,500 are in danger of disappearing, nations with the most endangered languages,

among the factors that have caused the number of talkers is reduced increasingly
include: lack of transmission to younger generations, trying to merge the dynamics
of production chains; the dispersion of the peoples of the conservation education
policy economic cultural and social backwardness, and weak.
For the human being is simply beginning to talk about the importance of speaking
Spanish or English because globalization and other things require, so to speak. But
it is important to think about how we are going slowly to the point of ourselves as
failures for not speaking more than one language. This is not at all negative,
because we must recognize how important it is to unwrap the shirt in any medium
without the language is the main impediment.
What I want to reach with this research process, it is how we can get to really
assess the great contribution that would give us for our social, educational and
educational indigenous languages, especially the huitoto, which is the most
common and recognized in the Caquet. There are many linguicism who say this is
not a catastrophe and that rather the reduction of the languages will facilitate
communication and perhaps you can help build nations; even, that will facilitate the
globalization. But the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights posits that all
languages are the expression of a collective identity and of a different way of
perceiving and describing reality, therefore, have to be able to enjoy the conditions
necessary for their development in all functions.
Who believe that human rights are universal, who believe that each language
represents a culture and we are convinced that the loss of a culture impoverishes
mankind as a whole, the fact that there are languages in danger of extinction is a
matter that does not cease to worry about. The dying an indigenous language, dies
an entire cultural legacy with her. Many indigenous languages are in serious
danger of becoming extinct completely. Processes of revitalizing linguistic are
necessary.
Today, one can observe the lack of cultural identity; either by the rapid
technological progress, or because they are not considered relevant this problem,
cause by which the importance of the different indigenous tribes becomes smaller.
All members of the community Huitoto they are people who deserve and are
entitled to live their lives without having to "hide" by fear or fear to the exclusion of
a society that has been modified, and little by little becomes a "fashion model"; a
copy of the North American countries. Each village has a worldview different; one
way of doing things and think of the facts in a way "totally" differently than the
others; in this case, the Huitotos have a single language and original, like other
indigenous communities, now well get to know and preserve all these knowledges,
enriches our knowledge and cultural identity. Language is a key component to

maintain the richness of a culture, the language Huitoto is an element of power,

which can be used for the benefit, since in this way, we can "integrate" and know a
little more about their customs and/ traditions of a direct way. All of this is the part
of our cultural heritage, which has a great value for a region. For example, a
language is in summary one of the greatest values intellectuals on the linguistic
diversity in one place. On the other hand, language is part of those cultural values
that all individuals must retain, its importance lies in the origins of our human race.
What is done at present is literally to "commit an outrage" against a person and a
community, since the languages and the individuals who had said language cannot
separate, it is its communication bridge with its most nearby beings; with its
ancestors. Miguel Len Portilla, indicates that any language integrates a symbolic
system of expression of the thought. Hence, when it disappears or a language
becomes extinct it means that an infinite knowledge quantity is getting lost on
history, culture, spiritual beliefs, and knowledges of ecology, between others. In
conclusion a possible way of being would die. A clear example preservation and
importance of the languages and indigenous cultures is Bolivia, a country that
handles different languages; between them: Spanish or Castilian, Quechuan,
Aymara indian and Guarani, which are the most excellent. Until now some efforts
are done to prevent this from happening, as it is the case of the Center Indigenista
and the programs of ethnolinguistics in the University of the Amazonia here in
Florence - Caquet. With which it tries to be prepared aboriginals Huitotos, so that
in their own language they educate to its congeners, thing that was achieved and
took even at postgraduate levels for some teachers of the family Huitoto.

CHAPTER I

PROBLEM DECLARATION
According to the Ministry of Culture, "in Colombia is currently speaking 65
languages native American of diverse origin in 22 of the country's 32 departments
and two Creole languages spoken by people of African origin". But in spite of the
fact that the 2010 Act was enacted 1381 for the recognition, promotion, protection,
use, preservation and strengthening of the languages of the ethnic groups in
Colombia and their linguistic rights and those of their speakers, today several of
these dialects are in danger of disappearing or almost extinct. "In a community
rather than in the other has been given this phenomenon. In some villages still
retain many features of the original language, while others have remained pure.

Both Salazar as Carupia agreed that the conservation of these languages has
been paramount to the survival of these peoples and their traditions, but that is
necessary at the national level strengthen areas such as ethno-to allow the new
generations have the opportunity to learn and be educated in their mother tongue.
According to the book The etno-education and the studies afro in the school
system of the teaching specialist in topics of afro, Juan de Dios Mosquera, the
etno-education understands herself like the education in the values of the national
ethnicity, bearing in mind that the Colombian cultural identity is the syncretism or
crossbreeding of three big roots: the africanidad, the indigenidad and the Hispanic
world
"We should not confuse the concept of ethnic education with educational care for
ethnic groups. An educational community is etno-educator if your Institutional
Educational Project assumes all its components and implements ethno afroColombian and indigenous or mestizo, independent of its location in the national
territory"
The fundamental intention of the etno-education is of propitiating the interracial
and intercultural understanding between the diverse ethnic groups and populations
who integrate the ethnic and cultural formation of the nation
The phenomenon of linguistic recovery is complex and it comprises two situations:
revitalization and resurrection of a language. When we speak of revitalizing a
language, we are in a situation where the language has lost spaces and begins
being used less and less; it even already is not the mother tongue of the young
generations. It is understood, then, that it is necessary not to be still like that, but it
is necessary to do something to change the situation. It is so there arise proposals
of revitalization of the indigenous languages that consider the importance of the
language in the maintenance of the identity and the culture. Now then, so that the
speakers decide to use a language that they are stopping speaking, it is needed
that they commit themselves with the revitalization process and feel his part.
JUSTIFICATION
Why do the languages die?
Susanne Mohr, teacher of Sociolinguistics of the University of Bonn, and Sachse,
coincide with physical, socio-political, as well as socio-economic factors in the loss
of the indigenous languages. Between the physicists include epidemics, illnesses
or natural disasters. Between the socio-political ones there are very present civil
wars, colonizations, repression and political oppression. Periods when the
governments have not allowed to the indigenous peoples the use of its languages.

As for the socio-economic factors, Sachse mentions that, frequently, there turn out
to be the parents who do not want that its children speak the language indigenous
to its community for reasons of discrimination or prestige. They want to prevent its
children from experiencing through those that they have lived, it adds.
In turn, Mohr refers to attitudes linguistic of the native-speaker. That is to say, then
you can submit negative attitudes toward their own language and change it by the
dominant language of the country and thus, be integrated into the dominant society
and abandon their life-style.
If the people lose its language, it loses much more than that, religious concepts,
customs, histories get lost, points out Sachse.
"The person if you use the indigenous languages, at the same time globalization
allows them to communicate in their language. There is hope, but depends on the
country, the political situation, etc. ", says Sachse. Similarly, it is necessary to
promote seminars on these languages to promote the interest of all parties, as well
as create centers that will protect and give support to endangered languages,
explains Mohr.
At the same time, within indigenous communities, it is important that parents talk to
their children in their native languages. This will contribute to that language is
maintained, and at the same time, that transmit it are from generation to
generation, they agree the teachers.
In December 2009, it adopted the Law on Languages that said "explicitly that the
country's official language is Spanish. The languages of the ethnic groups are
official in their territories", something that is "a big step."
The Colombian Department of Culture is employed at three central topics: "the
priority for them is the formation of indigenous teachers so that they could carry out
the educational programs, the design of the rsum of every community and the
teaching materials preparation for the children". In spite of the utility that the
experience of the Basques could have in the Colombian intention,
Each language develops according to its geographic and historic context; that is to
say, a particular language can be extended toward a space or specific territory,
depending on the context and trajectory to continue their speakers, and will be
apprehended by the inhabitants of the new territory, which in turn maintain
interpersonal relationships with other communities, which will lead to the exchange
of interests; cultures; life forms, perception of the environment and the world; as
well as different ways of naming the reality and the various elements that comprise
it. The purists (speakers of languages that are kept pure) have to use long

paraphrase for naming objects of modern civilization or use terms borrowed from
the Spanish, and in doing so, his language is modified. Purists prefer to speak
spanish before modifying their language pure. The indigenous language is kept
pure, but is no longer used. Indigenous languages have come into contact cultural,
economic and political culture speaking, which is economically stronger and more
advanced, and most politically powerful.
This contact has brought as a result negative attitudes of the natives towards its
own culture due to the following causes: economic influence: The speakers of
indigenous languages have to learn Spanish to obtain benefits that with its mother
tongue they might not obtain, like employment and different products and services.
The speakers of these languages realize that its native language is not useful in
the new society and begin to discriminate against it and her to stop using. The
indigenous language begins cultural Influence is spoken only inside the familiar
nucleus: The Spanish-speaking culture has imposed its own religious beliefs
(Catholicism), implanted its own political system and its own way of seeing the
world. The indigenous languages became unable to describe the new objects and
systems of the new culture, as well as to interact with the new Spanish-speaking
society.
ETHNOGRAPHIC QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION
The ethnography developed for anthropologists and sociologists being, according
to Anthony Giddens, the direct study of persons or groups during a certain period,
using the taking part observation or the interviews to know its social behavior. The
ethnography is a systematical approach process to a social situation, which is
considered in a global way in its own natural context. The fundamental target and
the starting point that faces all this investigation process is the comprehension
empathetic of the phenomenon study object. The ethnography is interested by
what the people do, how he behaves, as it interacts; he proposes to discover its
beliefs, values, motivations etc. This type of investigation will be very useful in
this problem investigative, since there is had the valuable opportunity to be able to
involve us with some members of the tribe Huitoto, and of this the ethnographic
investigation talks each other. To be able to penetrate into this world to know the
real reasons or causes of the disappearance of the mother tongues in this culture
to which we belong, but we are still not conscious of its importance.
Another important feature that has this type of research is that you can relate
directly to the field of education, which is where dates back all this problematic. In
this way you may be able to improve all these flaws that have caused the loss of
sense of belonging in our students, who in the midst of their ignorance, do not
share with an indigenous person in their college by a certain morbid of not knowing

that speak with a person who does not belong to its "social circle" and I say in the
midst of his ignorance because even when i was in my high school did not have
the knowledge of how important are these ethnic groups because they are who i
have inherited the manner in which he appeared and I am faced with the society.
A skill that we are going to use like group, is the ethnographic investigation
participatory and not participatory. The last one gives us the opportunity to observe
behaviors, customs that we could be useful to announce our students and this way
they should manage to appropriate of the culture in question. And the participatory,
is where we go away to penetrate in a personal way in the life of a boy Huitoto who
not only will tell us what they do, how they do it and why they do it. But we will have
the privilege of being a part of all this for one day.
After this knowledge obtained take documents, bibliographic references that allow
the grabbing theoretical of all the conclusions that we have the physical approach.
In this way we are not only some tape recorders that repeat to the students that we
did in this experience, but they also demonstrate that is proven by professionals of
the matter.
How is it possible to revitalize them?
The most important thing would be to create positive linguistic attitudes in the
societies towards these languages, to impel projects of papers of this language
and, especially, that teaches them to himself in the schools. These factors would
turn out to be crucial in processes of maintenance of the huitoto language and
revitalization; nevertheless, these represent mainly political decisions.
OBJECTS
It must promote respect for cultural diversity and generate awareness of the need
to revitalize the use of the language among these; games, indigenous customs and
traditions native. Strengthen the ethnic identity of the students of indigenous
education with the participation of all members of the community with other
peoples and with the society and to boost research into indigenous languages and
in indigenous languages for criteria that promote local development, and to inform
the public policies.
Also establish sectoral policies to ensure the linguistic rights of indigenous peoples
in all levels of the State and ensure their compliance with instruments and actions
to stimulate the development of indigenous languages between the speakers and
non-speakers and in diverse social spaces, in public-private partnerships. Provide
conditions in the public sector to manage processes of consultation involving
indigenous peoples with own languages ensuring an effective intercultural dialog

between the parties. Implement the right of peoples to the use, preservation,
development, recovery, development and dissemination of their native languages
through an institutional structure strengthened, decentralized and efficient in the
management of public policies and budgetary execution.
Specific Objectives:
-

Perform a study or research on the tribe Huitoto.

Analyze the evidence uncovered by the study.

Systematize and/or summarize the information obtained.

Submit the final information in a clear way, with foundations and details.

CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Americas, the inhabitants of this
continent spoke many different languages unknown to Europeans, but through the
historical processes of conquest and of the Colony, many languages disappeared
for various reasons.
Died entire peoples and with them died their linguistic systems; other languages
ceased to speak by explicit prohibition of the Spanish Crown, and many others,
were extinguished by cultural assimilation. However, did not disappear all and
today, after more than 500 years of crossbreeding, survive in this "New World"
numerous indigenous languages.
In Colombia we have at the moment with more than 65 indigenous languages
alive; almost a million compatriots natives of this territory today were
communicating by means of them, especially in border areas of the country and in
settlements located in various ecological regions. These ancestral languages, that
have managed to survive to the various linguistic policies colonial and republican,
are just as worthy of study as any language and, contrary to what with ignorance
are thought, have systems as complete and admirable as any language that serves
as a means of communication to a group of human beings. AND is that for the
linguistic no ranges between languages: an indigenous language has the same
importance as the English or French, the Japanese or the classical greek, this talk
by a handful of individuals in any place that is away from our country.

The diversity of the indigenous languages of Colombia is notable and its study is in
the process; some linguists the classified in 13 different linguistic families and
grouped as isolated or unsorted to seven languages; other linguists consider 14
families and group of isolated narrows it down to six. What is certain is that each
day will be demonstrating that these languages have structures and specific
characteristics, often not covered by the linguistic theories known, so that the
forward and deepen their study does not only impact in a more precise
classification, but also in the knowledge of human language.
At present there is hope to get to know them, valuing them and practice them
more, because there is already a legal framework that its existence. As languages
are preliterate, of oral tradition, today the ethnic education programs have been
implementing the creation of alphabets and writing systems that are studying and
plan to the linguists specialized in union of the community of speakers. Activities
are developed for their use and disclosure and account with linguists Colombians
that have specialized in the study. However, we are very far from a fair assessment
of indigenous peoples and their cultural values and there is a need for a more
coherent policy to prevent the disintegration of the indigenous peoples, the
displacement and violence in their territories. If they are not given the treatment
they deserve or respect to the speakers, also their cultural expressions each day
Iran fading with them. It is not a fiction is the fact that almost half of languages of
the world are in danger of extinction. The experts tell us that many of these do not
become the next generation. There are many linguicism who say this is not a
catastrophe and that rather the reduction of the languages will facilitate
communication and perhaps you can help build nations; even, that will facilitate the
globalization. But the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (published in
Barcelona in 1996, under the auspices of UNESCO) postulates that all languages
are the expression of a collective identity and of a different way of perceiving and
describing reality, therefore, have to be able to enjoy the conditions necessary for
their development in all the functions.
Those whom we think that the human rights are universal, whom we believe that
every language represents a culture and that we are sure that after a culture gets
lost the humanity becomes poor in its entirety, the fact that there are languages in
extinction danger it is a matter that does not stop worrying us.
But in this post I am not going to speak about the death of the languages but of
successful experiences of rescue and revitalization that they have given
themselves in different spaces. When we speak about linguistic recovery, often
they quote to us the example of the Hebrew and good, it is a good example, but
there are other experiences, with indigenous languages, of revitalization and it
belongs to them for which I will account now. Before accounting for the successful

experiences, it is convenient to remember that the phenomenon of linguistic

recovery is complex and understands two situations: revitalization and resurrection
of a language. When we speak of revitalizing a language, we are in a situation
where the language has lost spaces and begins being used less and less, it even
already is not the mother tongue of the young generations. It is understood, then,
that it is necessary not to be still like that, but it is necessary to do something to
change the situation. It is so there arise proposals of revitalization of the
indigenous languages that consider the importance of the language in the
maintenance of the identity and the culture. Now then, so that the speakers decide
to use a language that they are stopping speaking, it is needed that they commit
themselves with the revitalization process and feel his part.
Resurrection of a language refers back to be a variety that was already not spoken
in a linguistic community but which was the ancestral language of the group. Here
comes the classic example of Hebrew, which some 2,500 years was dead and
could be resurrected because there was a strong and consistent political will in
addition to a will of the people, since the language was a fundamental part of
national identity and of its claim as a people. The revitalization of a language
involves different strategies and one of them is his teaching at the school.
Needless to say that if the question boils down to the field of education, the
revitalization will not succeed. Finally, it must have present that the decision of
revitalizing a language is not a matter that is reduced to the pedagogical, but holds,
fundamentally, a huge load policy, which has to do with the reaffirmation of the
identity of a people and the claim and access to certain rights. In that sense, does
not it should be understood this issue as if it were strictly pedagogical; Conversely,
the revitalization of a language is a social broader project, in which the school is an
important space; but not the only Indigenous language immersion programs. For
the elite schools promote immersion in the second language and we know that this
has good results in promoting bilingualism. [1] in addition, we know that this type of
education is not the most viable for indigenous children for various reasons. [2]
thus views things, there were groups who thought that couldn't be used in second
language immersion, when it comes to indigenous languages. There is also the
advantage that is not a strange language to the child but is its language hereditary.
Therefore, applying the experience of immersion in English to French-speaking
children in Canada, immersion programs were implemented in languages minority
as the maori in New Zealand. What these experiences showed is that, without a
doubt, the dip is the best weapon to produce a new generation of speakers of
indigenous languages.
In the following item will give you an account of experiences of immersion in the
indigenous language which have become emblematic in regard to this subject.

The nests of the tongue. In 1980 the Maori of New Zealand became aware that his
tongue was seriously threatened and they decided to do something about it. This
led them to make an assembly in which is specifically addressed this issue. After
that meeting was born the Te Kohanga Reo (language nests). This was an
immersion program for preschool-aged children in the language, the culture and
values of the Maori culture. The nests linguistic are considered the most successful
models of education in the world and are taken as an example in many places that
works in revitalization of the language. Perhaps the success of these programs
may be because it has sought to develop the language and maori culture within an
environment of rearing and protection that includes the concept Maori whanau
(extended family). The definition of the nests linguistic that appeared in the New
Zealand Official Yearbook in 1993 is: A hokanga reo is a base whanau/family
where there is a deliberate effort to create an environment cultural Maori, in this,
the Maori language, values and customs are naturally acquired by preschool-age
children in their kaumatua (elders). Through the example of the whanau, children
learn Aroha (love, compassion), manaakitanga (sharing and hospitality)
whanaroutanga (family responsibilities) and traditional knowledge, crafts and
customs, all via the Maori language.
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Maria Virginia Haoa is one of the founders of the Academy of the Language There
shaves Nui and agent of the "Program of Immersion" to give this original language
polinsico to children and girls of knder to basic quarter in Rapa Nui also known
as Isla de Pascua, Chilean possession in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Haoa
was distinguished by the recognition of Living Human Treasure 2012 on the part of
the National Council of the Culture and the Arts of Chile, which is provided with the
support of the UNESCO, due to its efforts in the maintenance of the traditions and
oral expressions across the texts making on nature, history, poetry and infantile
stories in language shaves nui.
The language shaves nui it was not taught in the school from a beginning of the
implementation of the formal education in the island, in 1934. When there began
education - learning of the language as a subject inside the rsum in 1976, there
were 77 % of girls and speaking children of this language. In this moment a few
persons realized that the students it shaves nui they were not learning because
they did not understand the Spanish language and this situation until the
vernacular language began to get in the only existing school in Rapa Nui. This is a
good example of what we can do with the problems that is demonstrated in the
culture huitoto, since like teachers we have the big advantage of being able to
induce the student to acquire customs for the form in which it is taught. My
proposal is based specially in taking a member of the culture as a main support

huitoto, a teacher of course. Who is qualified theoretically to transmit knowledge to

the student? This one initiates counting the history of its culture later to include the
language in its class. If the teacher understands what is the language, why one
speaks this way and not in Spanish, little by little it will be appropriating of the
culture and will fight for the preservation of this one herself. The previous example
gives us a clear vision of the way in which these topics must be tackled, since it
goes to influence the character of the student and it is not possible to ignore the
way in which this one acts and why it makes it like that.
The linguistic value of the language: Between more languages can be studied and
compare best results will be obtained of linguistic research or knowledge areas
interested in the study of language. There are languages that share certain
grammatical structures or syntactic by come from the same root, others have
unique structures due to the isolation of different factors. These groupings can be
performed through the analysis of information varied and extensive, which is why it
would be impossible to continue in this road research if they are becoming extinct
languages. The documentation is another of the keys to preserving the languages,
but to shed relevant findings requires an immersion and involvement within the
community. Promote the maintenance of language could fall to resolve only the
need to obtain documentation without requiring contact with speakers, or the
survival of this.
CHAPTER III

INVESTIGATION PARADIGM - INTERPRETIVE PARADIGM.

Also called qualitative paradigm, phenomenological, naturalistic, humanist or
ethnographic. It centers on the study of the meanings of the human actions and of
the social life. This paradigm tries to replace the scientific notions of explanation,
prediction and control of the positivist paradigm with the options of comprehension,
meaning and action. He looks for the objectivity in the ambience of the meanings
using the intersubjective agreement as an evidence criterion in the educational
context.
From this perspective one questions that the behavior of the subjects is governed
by laws general and characterized by underlying regularities. The investigators of
interpretive orientation center on the description and comprehension of what is only
and an individual of the subject more than on the generalized thing. What they
claim is:
- To develop ideographical knowledge.

- The reality is dynamic, multiple and holistic.

- To question the existence of an external and valuable reality to be analyzed.
The intention of this investigation is to discover why the culture, in specific the
language of the huitotos is stopping speaking to itself even in its members. And
this way to be able to question where we have failed like society and in what is this
situation going to affect us. And that we become conscious that the only way of
being able to fight with it is by means of the direct education by means of which
only a professional belonging to the culture can offer him. Because in the following
work we are speaking to nearly one problems that is appearing because of the loss
of a language, author HERBERT BLUMER speaks The etno-methodology (there
are ways in which there is organized the knowledge that the individuals obtain of its
habitual experiences) Here we see as the individual fulfills a roll in the construction
of its daily life. As conclusion I can say that the production of the knowledge in the
social work is based largely to the interpretation. - using the theories of the authors
quoted previously, express that all its perspectives can join and complement this
way to come to a deep and clear knowledge on the phenomenon or individual who
is studied. The education / languages learning has a very important role to be
played in this sense and the interlinguistic communicative competition and
intercultural debit to be born much in mind in a new approach of Didactics of the
Language. According to Lluch (2002), the school is a frame privileged to treat the
cultural diversity from a perspective of social cohesion since it constitutes a
microcosm in which it is possible to intervene of a controlled form. If we go away to
a real ambience, where the pupils whose mother tongue is different from the
language of the majority might teach to the rest of the class some words. Or, after
a visit to the zoo, they might teach the names of the animals in their own language
to the rest of the class. These punctual actions can facilitate not problematic
experience of the identity to the newly arrived persons, can reveal that the social
and cultural diversity is a positive reality and also they can help to encourage the
multilingualism and the intercultural. Undoubtedly none the linguistic and cultural
baggage of some and others might be easily shared if the linguistic project of the
educational centers out a global, inclusive project, in which the whole teachers'
cloister was taking part, so that the linguistic and cultural treatment was not
exclusive of the matters, related to the education languages learning.

APPROACH OF INVESTIGATION - QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION

(Sandn Esteban (2003), the qualitative investigation is a systematical activity
faced to the comprehension in depth of educational and social phenomena, to the
transformation of practices and stages socio educational, to the decision making
and also towards the discovery and development of an organized body of
knowledge).
Qualitative approach: Part of the study of methods of compilation of information of
descriptive type and of remarks to discover in a discursive way conceptual
categories. It is very eventful to estimate the number of indigenous languages that
they were speaking to themselves in the territory of the current Colombia at the
arrival of the Spanish conquerors. The information of the chroniclers does not allow
us to know in general if the names brought for the languages correspond to
dialectal variants, to different languages or simply to sub-groups of the same
speech with different names. The investigation that is carried out in this case would
be based on the information compilation beginning for members of the indigenous
group huitoto, who will give its opinions of the persons who ignore its culture and
why they believe that it is important that at least they know the importance of its
culture. The same way, it is necessary to study the society, who is the main
causers of that this language is eliminating. With these two simple interviews one
aspires that both parts could express its dissents and opinions that they will help to
the construction and conciliation of the causes of the problems, so if both commit
themselves it is possible to go so far as to construct a suitable knowledge.
TYPE OF RESEARCH - STUDIES EXPLANATORY
You may find the reasons or causes certain phenomena. Its ultimate goal is to
explain why there is a phenomenon and under what conditions this is. Studies on
the first human groups in Colombia and its development up to the time of European
discovery are still scarce and poor. Barely archaeological excavations have been
made in a small part of the territory where they could be found traces of prehistoric
cultures; the findings of tools or ceramics have been analyzed in the form not very
systematic and studies that could lead to conclusions more or less firm on
populations far removed in time, such as those based on the measurement of the
magnitude of the organic waste, are outside the scope of the Colombian
researchers. This short introduction we is very useful for achieving
POPULATION
Huitoto. It is known by the Huitotos and in some cases Murui-Muinane, to the
members of a great nation, which was divided into four segments in function of the
different dialects: Bue, Mika, Minika and Nipode.

Geographical Location
Scattered in multiple locations in the rivers Orteguaza, Caquet, Putumayo,
Caraparana, in Igara Parana and in the vicinity of Leticia.
RESERVATIONS
Amenanae

DEPARTMENTS
Caquet

MUNICIPALITIES
Solano

Witora o Huitora

Caquet/Putumayo

Solano/Puerto Leguizamo

Coropoya

Caquet

Solano

Monochoa

Caquet

Solano

Jirijiri

Putumayo

Puerto Leguizamo

Puerto
Zabalo-los Caquet
monos
El Quince
Caquet

Solano

Predio Putumayo

Puerto
Santander,
el
encanto, Tarapaca, Puerto
Leguizamo
Leticia

k 6 y 11
Tarapaca

Amazonas / Putumayo

Leticia Amazonas

Solano

Historical Summary
The region inhabited by the Huitotos was wrapped up, since the beginning of the
conquest, within the cycles colonizers that generally characterize throughout the
Amazon. Initially, from the predations of the Spanish settlements and mestizos of
the eastern foothills andean since the sixteenth century and the breed of the
Portuguese in pursuit of slaves, who arrived from the lower Amazon until the region
of Araracuara. The removal of workforce toward Brazil not only caused loss of
independence and stability of the population but that generated significant changes
in the social structure and cultural systems. The 'rubber boom' meant for the
indigenous peoples a tragedy of enormous proportions. From the arrival of the first
merchants, in the late nineteenth century, the life became producing changes
whose effects are felt even today in the groups survivors. The military conflict
colombo-peruvian, 1932, also had implications for indigenous groups. On the one
hand signified the presence of the Colombian army, unknown almost completely in
the region, and their link to the contest, either as suppliers of the troops, such as
navigational guides for the gunboats and vapors and even as soldiers in the troop.
The abuses by the Peruvian army against the Indians of the Putumayo were
constant; there was no presence of the Colombian authorities that affirm the
membership of these to one or another country. In addition to the indigenous

people there was no concept of nationality, there are people on either side of the
borders belonging to the same ethnic groups. As a result of the war were installed
military bases in Puerto Leguizamo who brought colonization and new points of
attraction for the indigenous, who were linked to the emerging urban centers such
as labor, suppliers etc. Others suffered reprisals from the Peruvians who moved
entire communities, especially Huitotos toward Peru. In the thirties, the installation
of the penal colony of Aracuara by part of the government influence especially on
the Huitotos. The criminal meant the transfer of the problems or social pathologies
of the country to the Amazonian rainforests, affecting even more the social
organization of communities; many ex-prisoners were left to live in the region
becoming settlers.
After the decade of the forties different extractive cycles supervened. The wooden
development made way to new colonization and to the foundation of new peoples;
the tagua, the skins, the tigrilleo, were generating colonization. Finished the
litigation Colombo - Peruvian the missionary activity has been probably the most
decisive exchange broker in the last years. Capuchin boarding schools were
founded on the areas, The Spout in 1935, in 1940 the mission of San Rafael of the
Delight and in 1951 the Apostolic Prefecture of the Amazon was content. The
mission took the translation of catechisms as one of its first activities to the
language Huitoto; likewise it took an important role as a distributor of goods and of
commerce. The native languages were prohibited. These boarding schools are
considered, partly, like responsible for the cultural destructuration of the groups of
the area.
Social organization
Between the Huitotos and the Andokes the relations of kinship, which mechanisms
of internal cohesion are the clans, which common ancestors share, characterize for
the descent patrilineal, the residence patrilocal, the matrimonial preference
exogamy in the ambience of tribal group and at present a strong tendency to the
monogamy like result of the external influences. The lineages operate in a vast
area of forests, gorges and segments of the main rivers. Formerly the social
epicenter of this territory clanil was characterized by an itinerant horticultural
system in which the residence place was changing more or less every 25 years,
when the production orchards were moving away from the maloca. This mobility
one has come losing and a tendency is evident to the shape of stable towns.
The men become related by line were shaping the constitutive group of the maloca
traditionally patrilineal, its allied wives come from other malocas and from different
clans and its celibate children. Inside the lineage of the maloca the members were
ordained for specializations: singer, shaman, trainer of coca and beginner of the

tradition. Them there join the members of lineages or different clans, considered to
be "orphan" as result of the loss of their own chief or demographic decreases. In
this context the grandfather or proprietor of the maloca constituted a political unit
that rarely was extending its influence beyond its territory. The grandfather was
supporting and organizing its people in the rites and in the orientation of the
community work. Its agreements are validated in the ceremony of the
mambeadero, in which every day the sacred plants are consumed in ritual form:
the coca and the ambil.
Till the end of the decade of the eighties in the main establishments of the Huitotos
the political organization was distributed between the captain - the one who was
elect to fulfill intermediation functions between its people and the national
authorities - and for other one the chief or ritual chief who in general was the
grandfather or "proprietor of the maloca". With the constitution of the securities, the
captaincy went replaced for the figure of the chapter, institution to to which the
Huitotos have adapting themselves.
Economic Activity
The traditional media have been gardening, hunting, fishing and gathering. Usually
each family you can lay down a plot of forest per year and has simultaneously two
or more chagras in various stages of production, these have a dimension that
varies between half and two hectares average. The main cultivated plants are Las
Yucas rafting and sweet that is the main crop; pineapple, peanuts, chili, maraca,
cashew, Chontaduro, Umri, caimo, grape caimarona, mafafa, maize, Badea, pin,
sugar cane, ucuye and citrus fruits among others. Cassava, tobacco, and the coca
are of vital importance in the economy of the Huitotos.
The proteins are obtained through the hunting fishing and insects collected. At
present, the pets are quite important. In the areas of greatest colonization where
scarce natural resources by the departure of the natural forest there is a greater
dependence on fishing and the purchase of foodstuffs of industrial origin. Before it
was a tribe very healthy that did not take any intoxicating liquor. Now, consume
brandy, pure alcohol, cachaa, masato of cassava, fermented chicha of pineapple
or corn, panela guarapo fermented.
Clothing and ornaments
Formerly used as clothing only guayuco. At present, the used as the civilized,
preferring the dacron and nylon. As for the ornaments used those who buy in the
shops from the neighboring villages. They like perfumes of scented flowers that are
extracted from the rosewood and a liana which smell like cinnamon; other times

buy perfumes and lotions in the market when they go off. Use the aceitillo that
extracted from the fruits of some palms.
Communication and Transportation
Communicate over long distances by means of Maguare or telegraph of the jungle.
Their means of transport are canoes that lead nimbly by the rivers, sometimes, for
full days. Use the trails for their long hours in search of food, firewood, hunting, and
visit to the family that lives far away. To cross the rivers make small bridges with
rosewood heart tied with vines of Yare. They are sedentary, but from time to time
make their immigration when dies any of their children or when they have to go in
search of livelihood.
Rites and ceremonies
Have the following rites: for sowing, harvesting peanuts, hunting and the festivities
of the resurrection, July 20, the day of San Rafael his patron and Christmas. In
these fiestas are involved in an orderly fashion. These are provided by two
gentlemen called including grandparents. His family during the feast took place in
preference to which produced a kind of podium very high. Youth also participate in
these feasts but cannot organize or direct. The owner or patron of the feast you
choose godparents for the same with two months in advance and delivered to them
a bunch of ambil that can't refuse. From that time are responsible for allocating the
invitations together with the ambil received. In the evening, the old closest to the
owner of the fiesta, meet to comment on it, animating the meeting with stories,
consumption of ambil (juice of tobacco) and coca (jibiyu). The wives of the
godparents are responsible for the preparations so that the party would prove well
lucid.
Economic activity
The traditional means have been the gardening, the hunting, the fishing and the
compilation. In general every family can knock down a forest plot per year and
possesses simultaneously two or more peasant farmers in different phases of
production, these have a dimension that changes between average and two
hectares I mediate. The main cultivated plants are the brave yuccas and sweet that
is the main cultivation; pineapple, peanut, green pepper, maraca, cashew,
chontaduro, umar, caimo, grape caimarona, mafafa, corn, badea, sideburn, sugarcane, ucuye and citrus fruits between others. The yucca, the tobacco and the coca
have vital importance in the economy of the Huitotos.
The proteins obtain across the hunting the fishing and of gathered insects. At
present the domestic animals have enough importance. In the areas of major

colonization where they skimp the natural resources for the alienation of the natural
forest there exists a major dependence on the fishing and on the buy of foodstuff of
industrial origin. Earlier she was a very healthy tribe who was not taking drinks
intoxicating. Now, they consume firewater, pure alcohol, slowness, masato of
fermented, good yucca of pineapple or of corn, sugar-cane liquor of fermented
brown sugar loaf.
Garment and Adornments
Formerly they were using like dressed only the guayuco. At present they use them
like the civilized ones, preferring the Dacron and the nylon. As for the adornments
they use those that they buy in the shops of the nearby peoples. They like to use
perfumes of many fragrance that they extract from the stick of rose and of a liana
that has smell of cinnamon; other times buy perfumes and lotions on the markets
when they go out out. They use the claroline that they extract from the fruits of
some palms.
Communication and Means of Transport
They communicate at big distances by means of Maguar or telegraph of the
forest. Its transport means are the canoes that they lead promptly for the rivers,
sometimes, for entire days. They use the by-paths for its long days in search of
food, firewood, fighter and visit to the relatives who live at a lot of distance. To
cross the rivers they do small bridges with heart stick tied with Yar lianas. They
are sedentary, but time and again they do its immigrations when some of its
children dies or when they have to go in search of subsistence means.
Rites and ceremonies
It has the following rites: of the sowing, of the compilation of the peanut, of hunt
and the holidays of the resurrection, on July 20, day of San Rafael its employer
and the Christmas. In the above mentioned holidays they take part in an organized
manner. Grandparents are always directed by two gentlemen called between them.
Its family during the holiday occupies preference place, for which they prepare a
species of very high tribune. The young person also takes part in these holidays
but they can neither organize nor direct. The proprietor or boss of the holiday
chooses godparents for the same one with two months of anticipation and does to
them delivery of a bunch of ambil that they cannot refuse. From this moment they
remain entrusted to distribute the invitations together with the received ambil. In the
night, the old men most related to the proprietor of the holiday, meet to comment
on it, cheering the meeting up with stories, consumption of ambil (juice of tobacco)
and coca (jibiy). The wives of the godparents are the managers of the
arrangements in order that the holiday turns out to be quite lucid.

HOURS - RESEARCH ON ETHNIC GROUP

The partner I mentioned above I recommend that it is prudent to me to get involved
directly with the environment of the indigenous group huitoto to me firsthand the
culture, language and so on. To this end, invites me to the daily meeting is done in
the longhouse led by the chief. This often is spoken and sung in the language,
which provides the ability to get familiar with the environment. The meeting begins
at 8:00 pm and ends around 10:30. For this study I will have to climb the maloca at
7:00, so I'm going to adapt to the place it is something completely new for me, so
I'll be able to see how to enter, sit and arranged to receive the knowledge. At the
same time I will have the opportunity to ask questions to the chief, the person
responsible for disseminating that knowledge that I receive. This will give me the
opportunity to understand many things that books and Internet links is going to do.
I plan to visit this place 3 times a week for the process to be well spent.
Moreover, I must also take into account the research that I must make in society.
For this, I'm going to move to a small town in Caqueta Solano. Here the amount of
indigenous Huitotos is enormous, students who belong to a mestizo ethnic group,
are directly exposed to share with children and youth belonging to this group. To
them I'll make you a small business that allows me to see the interaction between
the two ethnic groups have to give me a general idea of the environment we live
daily. For this activity, I need a class of 2 hours depending on how many degrees
you have, likewise are the days I will be in this place.
In conclusion, the time that employ in this research study will not be very long
because with all the knowledge that I have through previous research, I'll be very
prepared initial way for the process of recognition of this community and thus
determine the main cause of the problem.

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