Meaning of wët wët fxi' zenxi Good community living among the Nasa indigenous people of Jambaló, Cauca – Colombia

Abstract

Buen Vivir or Wët wët fxi'zenxi (in Nasa Yuwe language) is the essence for life development, community, and collective life plan, based on the cosmogony from Nasa indigenous people. Seeking to delve into this concept, we conducted qualitative research along with the community from the Marden Arnulfo Betancur educational institution and the weaving women group from the lower area of the municipality and reservation of Jambaló, Cauca, Colombia; starting from asking: ¿What does Buen Vivir mean?; through Participatory Action Research (Investigación-Acción Participativa) and community-own forms, such as the tulpas de pensamiento (meeting for thinking) and the meetings to weave. We generated spaces for conversation and listening of multiple voices where participants expressed their Sentipensar. We found central categories supporting Buen Vivir: family; cultural practices; mutual aid; care; education, knowledge, and know-how's; harmonious relationships; gender relations; work; territory and nature; identity and personal development; pondering on their meaning in the personal, family and community life processes of participants. This work generates knowledge and facilitates building solutions in favor of the collective life plan and adjusting education and organization processes from the institution and the weaving women group, from a perspective of integral education and struggle for survival as an indigenous people.