One might argue that there is no point advocating for the tribe, since all these environmental and cultural changes provided the Nukak with a chance to assimilate into the current, modernized, industrialized city, thus helping them adapt to similar living conditions and strengthen the Colombian population; however, in reality, these changes have been so detrimental to the Nukak that protection needs to be enforced to prevent the whole tribe from getting extinct and losing its culture. Due to the forced migration of the Nukaks from their original land now occupied by colonists and the government for coca production, the country has been able to enlarge the merchant class and lead to population expansion as well as the growth of cities with raw material trades (Hanratty and Meditz). Also, before, the Nukak had no sense of money as they built their own homes, hunted for food themselves, and made their clothing out of a piece of clothes independently. Now, however, the Nukak people spend their days begging for money in town.
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Contrasting Perspectives Still Do Exist...
Despite all this processes of assimilating into the the more modern form of culture, the Nukaks have faced many irrecoverable, appalling consequences. For example, the diseases spread from the outsiders, the stress caused by this displacement has caused many of the tribe’s members health to deteriorate, eventually leading to situations of suicide as well. In addition, many of the members of the Nukak are facing depression due to the change in diet in their ‘new home’, their inability to hunt and fish, their lands, and everything they need for survival; their culture has been taken away. Since leaving their natural habitat, they have almost lost their traditional ways/ cultures of survival. All in all, although this change might've changed the outsiders and the country for the better, but in reality, the Nukaks have been negatively affected; hence, our help is needed to help the Nukak's population and culture survive. In fact, the Nukak is a very important tribe to have in this world because of its contributions to diversity it has made. According to ONIC, “65 languages out of the 69 used in Colombia originate from indigenous tribes like the Nukak” (ONIC). This is an important factor to take note of, because without this tribe, Colombia might not have been able to pick up on the various languages they speak now. These contributions differences and uniqueness are represented through the Nukak’s cultural traditions that are worth preserving, and should not be abandoned by forcing these people out of their land and ultimately leading to their suffer from major changes and health problems.
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Photo courtesy of David Hill, Survival International
Photo courtesy of David Hill, Survival International