Chiricoa

In the past, the Chiricoa were a sizable nomadic group that moved freely across the savannas between Casanare and Arauca. Diseases brought by contact with outsiders sharply reduced the population over time, and this loss largely explains their small numbers today.

The language and customs of the Chiricoa are so close to those of other Guahibo peoples that many scholars barely distinguish one group from the other, which is why the name appears in varied forms in studies of the region.

Today, the people's own identity coexists with the possibility that they have blended with larger neighbors, which makes it all the more valuable to remember their history with care.

The Chiricoa live from what the land and the waters provide. They are more gatherers, hunters and fishers than farmers, and cassava is the foundation of their diet, accompanied by a wide variety of fruits and vegetables gathered from the territory. The society is patriarchal: when a son starts his own family, he usually builds a separate house, but the bonds between generations are still valued more than individualism.

Ritual life is rich. A ceremony known as the Prayer to the Fish is used to give names and to initiate members of the community, and it also marks a young woman’s entry into adult life. The dead receive two funerals, a simpler first one and a more elaborate second one, which shows the people’s care for the memory of those who have departed and for the continuity of the family.

The traditional faith of the Chiricoa is tied to the natural world that sustains them: the river, the fish, the plants and the spirits that, in their view, inhabit the territory. Plants with hallucinogenic effects are part of rituals and ceremonies, and religion is expressed less through written doctrines than through rites that accompany the decisive moments of life, such as birth, initiation and death.

Most follow the spiritual practices of their ancestors, and a smaller portion identify as Christian. For many, believing is inseparable from belonging to the family and the community: spirituality is lived together, and decisions of faith are rarely made in isolation.

The Chiricoa now have the Word in a language close to their own, though not in full. The New Testament in Cuiba has been completed and is available to read and listen to on digital platforms, and there are audio recordings in the language. The complete Bible does not yet exist in this language. For a people with an oral tradition and few speakers, these resources are valuable, although there is still no film about the life of Jesus in Cuiba.

For a small people with a communal way of life, traditional faith is interwoven with identity, with rites of passage and with loyalty to the family, so following Jesus can seem like a departure from the ancestors and from the community. The scattering of families across the savannas, the small number of speakers of the language and the risk of identity dissolving among larger neighboring peoples make continuous contact with the gospel and discipleship difficult.

The people face the challenge of preserving their language and culture under the pressure of neighboring societies, and they also need access to health care, education and protection of their territory. Spiritually, there is a need for communities of faith that grow from within the people themselves, for discipleship in the mother tongue, and for people willing to walk alongside them with respect, patience and lasting friendship.

Scriptures already exist in Cuiba, the language spoken by the people: the New Testament has been published and audio recordings are available. These resources allow the message of Jesus to be heard even by those who do not read, and they open the way for families and communities to know the Word of God in a language that is familiar to them.