Justice, Indigenous Worldview, and Ancestral Knowledge: Mechanisms and Challenges of the Colombian State in Protecting Indigenous Women of the Cumbal Reservation, Nariño, Against Gender-Based Violence

Abstract

The Indigenous Reserve of Cumbal, in Nariño, is home to a profound ancestral worldview that unites territory, justice, and community life. However, the armed conflict, the expansion of the agricultural frontier, the pressure of external models, and gender inequalities have put at risk not only its ecosystems but also the transmission of its traditional knowledge and culture. Indigenous justice, recognized in the 1991 Constitution, seeks to preserve these practices and values such as orality, spirituality, and the words of the elders as mechanisms for conflict resolution and teaching. Nevertheless, the persistence of gender-based violence shows how the roles of women, who are pillars in the preservation of knowledge and community organization, are affected, along with the continuity of cultural identity. This work analyzes the indigenous justice mechanisms of the Cumbal people and the challenges faced by the Colombian State in protecting the rights of indigenous women, considering the importance of recognizing the link between human rights protection, gender equality, and the ancestral knowledge that keeps the Pasto people’s culture alive.

Keywords: indigenous justice; worldview; gender-based violence; traditional knowledge; Cumbal Reserve; cultural continuity.