The Rama-Kriol Territorial Government (GTRK), based in Bluefields, is responsible for administering a territorial bloc that broadly corresponds to ancient Rama ancestral lands. As a local authority, it provides political representation to both indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. Interamericana talked to the GTRK’s President, Mr Santiago Thomas, about Law 445, the demarcation process and recent acts of violence that have occurred in Rama lands.
After the passing of Nicaragua’s progressive Law 445 in 2003, which demands the official demarcation of all indigenous and Afro-descendant territories, The National Commission for Demarcation and Titling (CONADETI) was created. Interamericana talked to CONADETI about law 445, the challenges of demarcation, and the problematic nature of Nicaraguan politics. This post features nearly 30 minutes of interview footage.
Mr Edgar ‘Rasta’ Coulsen is a native of the Caribbean town of San of Juan del Norte – an end of the world settlement perched at the mouth of the Rio San Juan. In this short video interview, Interamericana talked to him about the changes that have taken place in the region since his childhood.
Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast followed a very different course of development from its Pacific cousin. It was the English, not the Spanish, who made colonial strides here, drawing together the region’s indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples under the banner of the Miskito Kingdom. This article gives a brief history of the region and its on-going dream of autonomy, 1710-2003.
Nicaragua’s Caribbean provinces have been engaged in a struggle for greater autonomy ever since they were annexed in 1860. Finally, in 2003, a new law was passed demanding the demarcation and titling of all Nicaragua’s indigenous and Afro-descedant lands. That law is law 445, defined, explored and explained in this article.
The mystical island of Ometepe, rising from Lake Nicaragua with twin volcanoes, exudes an intense, otherworldly quality. Scores of ancient statues and clay urns litter the isle, where a highly organized society once lived, thrived, died and practiced wide-spread human sacrifice. I began to wonder if any remnants of the old religion had survived the centuries, and my search for ancient traditions led straight to the unsettling world of sorcery.
As a poor chele, or white boy, rhythm was never going to come naturally to me. Nonetheless, my militant salsa instructor, Angel, patiently tried to teach me to dance. And when he could be patient no longer, he simply ordered me to the nearest disco…
New Year’s Eve in Nicaragua is celebrated with all the incendiary zeal befitting one of the world’s most volcanic and tempestuous nations. Fire-crackers are ignited en-masse. A frenzy of explosions ricochets across the city. A grotesque effigy symbolizing the passing year is paraded through the streets and burned. These are some of the scenes depicted in this short video.
Catholic sentiments reach a fervent peak in Nicaragua during the Purísima, a festival entirely devoted to the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Lasting from late November to 8th December, the Purísima is a protracted celebration involving various family and church gatherings, as well as spirited street parties. Such is the scene depicted in this short film…
From late September to early December, the otherwise sleepy town of Masaya – Nicaragua’s bastion of folklore and indigenous traditions – comes alive with countless animated events, including the shambolic procession of El Torovenado, filmed here. This anarchic spectacle is the very embodiment of Nicaraguan character…
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
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