Awa-Kwaiker people

The Awá, Kwaiker or Cuaiquer are an indigenous people, the west in the very wet forests in the lowlands of the Andes lives on both sides of the border between Colombia and Ecuador. Their settlement area extends from the Río Telembí in Nariño Carchi and Esmeraldas up.

Awá in Colombia

In the southwest of Colombia about 30,000 Awá live in an area of about 450,000 ha Awá Colombia are organized in the Cabildo Mayor Awá del Ricaurte ( CAMAWARI ) and the Unidad Indígena del Pueblo Awá ( Unipa ). Both organizations maintain permanent relations with the Federación de Centros Ecuadorian Awá del Ecuador ( FCAE ) and organize regular joint meetings and activities. With the view, the main problem is the Awá faced in Colombia, the various armed groups that invade their territory, they kill and expel. The reason the secretary of the Organización Indígena de Colombia called General ( ONIC ), Luis Fernando Arias, the fact that important and mineral resources located on the territories of indigenous peoples. In the first eight months of 2009, 38 Awá had already been murdered.

Awá in Ecuador

The approximately 3,500 indigenous Awá in Ecuador live in 22 villages that have joined together to form the Federación de Centros Awá del Ecuador ( FCAE ). The Awá live in extreme poverty and in constant threat on the Pacific coast near the border with Colombia. Despite the legal recognition of the Awá Territory try wood, palm oil and mining companies as well as settlers and land speculators to take possession of the land and its natural resources. Due to the great power of the logging companies on the legal system litigation to the detriment of Awá went out in the majority of cases.

Their language is called Awapit (also Kwaiker or Cuaiquer ) and classified alongside the Tsafiki the Tsáchila, the Cha'pallachi the Chachi and the Guambiano the Misak in the family of Barbacoa languages.

Awá territory in Ecuador

The FCAE is a nationally recognized indigenous social organization based in Ibarra, Imbabura Province and has communal land title for the approximately 120,000 acres of rainforest territory. The Awá territory is the last large contiguous lowland rainforest in the Ecuadorian coast and a global hotspot of biodiversity and endemic animal and plant species. The protection of the Awá territory is of international importance. The FCAE met the pressure of external actors with alternative programs, which include a private school and health system sustainable legal community forest management activities in agriculture and crafts, working with women's groups and the organization include strengthening.