Bridging the gap between oral tradition and technology: Sebastián Epiyeu's workshop for young Wayuunaiki creators in Colombia
Illustration designed by Marco Martínez and the Rising Voices team, shared with his permission.
Sebastián Epieyu is one of the participants in the Catalyst Program for Digital Activism of Indigenous Languages of Colombia. The program, coordinated by Rising Voices, brings together participants from various regions who have projects related to the use, strengthening, revitalization, and/or promotion of an Indigenous language through digital media and tools, and through processes that engage and benefit their communities.
Each participant receives a stipend, peer support, and opportunities for dialogue with people from other regions, languages, and worldviews, as well as with participants in the Mayan Languages program from Mexico and Guatemala.
Rising Voices (RV): How do you like to introduce yourself?
Sebastián Epieyu (SE): Mi nombre es Sebastián Epieyu, soy indígena wayuu del territorio ancestral de Wuimpumuin en la península de la Guajira colombiana. Soy realizador audiovisual y hago fotografía dentro de los territorios de la nación wayuu. También he sido director de diferentes documentales que hablan sobre la historia, la educación y prácticas culturales como el jayeechi (cantos ancestrales) y soy miembro fundador de la plataforma de comunicación Wayuuwa.
Sebastián Epieyu (SE): My name is Sebastián Epieyu, and I am an Indigenous Wayuu from the ancestral territory of Wuimpumuin on the Guajira Peninsula of Colombia. I am an audiovisual filmmaker and take photographs within the territories of the Wayuu nation. I have also directed various documentaries that explore history, education, and cultural practices, such as jayeechi (ancestral songs). I am a founding member of the Wayuuwa communication platform.
Selfie of Sebastián Epiyeu
RV: What would you like to share with the world about your language and territory?
SE: Mi motivación para trabajar en favor de la lengua wayuunaiki nace de la profunda convicción de que nuestra lengua es el alma de nuestro pueblo. Es el vehículo a través del cual transmitimos nuestra historia, conocimientos ancestrales, valores y cosmovisión. Preservarla es preservar nuestra identidad como wayuu.
Me gustaría compartirle al mundo sobre nuestras historias, nuestros valores culturales a través de la lengua, usando las herramientas digitales, el video y la fotografía.
SE: My motivation to work for the Wayuu language stems from the deep conviction that our language is the soul of our people. It is the vehicle through which we transmit our history, ancestral knowledge, values, and worldview. Preserving it means preserving our identity as Wayuu.
I would like to share our stories and cultural values with the world through our language, using digital tools, video, and photography.
RV: What dreams do you have for your language in the digital and non-digital world?
SE: Mi sueño y de la mayoría de los wayuu con arraigo cultural es que nuestra lengua perviva en el tiempo y los medios digitales son las herramientas idóneas para ese objetivo.
Como realizador audiovisual, he sido testigo del poder de la imagen y el sonido para conectar con las emociones y transmitir mensajes que trascienden las barreras lingüísticas. A través de mi trabajo, busco tender puentes entre la tradición oral wayuu y las nuevas tecnologías, creando un espacio donde nuestra cultura pueda florecer y llegar a nuevas generaciones.
SE: My dream, and that of most Wayuu people with deep cultural roots, is for our language to survive over time, and digital media are the ideal tools to achieve this goal.
As an audiovisual producer, I have witnessed the power of image and sound to connect with emotions and convey messages that transcend language barriers. Through my work, I seek to build bridges between the Wayuu oral tradition and new technologies, creating a space where our culture can flourish and reach new generations.
A group of Wayuu women prepare to perform the yonna dance, on Guajira Peninsula. Photo by Sebastián Epiyeu and shared with his permission.
RV: What is your project in this Catalyst Program about?
SE: Mi proyecto se centra en un laboratorio audiovisual colectivo con 10 personas jóvenes. Aprenderemos a crear contenidos para redes sociales y en lengua wayuunaiki, en donde narraremos nuestras historias, música y valores culturales.
SE: My project focuses on a collective audiovisual workshop with ten young people. We will learn to create content for social media in the Wayuunaiki language, where we will narrate our stories, music, and cultural values.
RV: Why is it important for you to imagine and navigate processes of using, strengthening, revitalizing and/or promoting your language through digital media and tools?
SE: Es importante caminar estos procesos catalizadores para darle continuidad y durabilidad la lengua como nuestro canal de transmisión de saberes. Para mí, trabajar con mi comunidad es esencial para fortalecer nuestra identidad y promover el desarrollo local. Revitalizar el wayuunaiki en el entorno digital es crucial para preservar nuestra cultura, transmitir nuestros valores y empoderar a las personas jóvenes como guardianes de nuestro legado.
SE: It's important to navigate these catalytic processes to ensure the continuity and durability of the language as our channel for transmitting knowledge. For me, working with my community is essential to strengthening our identity and promoting local development. Revitalizing Wayuunaiki in the digital environment is crucial to preserving our culture, transmitting our values, and empowering young people as guardians of our legacy.
Wayuu Indigenous elders teach traditional games to children in the Guajira Peninsula, Colombia. Photo by Sebastián Epiyeu and shared with his permission.
RV: What would you say excites you about sharing this process with other Indigenous language speakers in Colombia?
SE: Es emocionante compartir estos procesos con otros pueblos de Latinoamérica para reconocernos como pueblos originales. Seguimos transitando en el tiempo, aprendiendo de la evolución tecnológica y conservando nuestros valores ancestrales.
SE: It's exciting to share these processes with other Latin American peoples to recognize ourselves as Indigenous peoples. We continue to move forward in time, learning from technological evolution and preserving our ancestral values.
RV: What would you like to say to other Wayuunaiki speakers about continuing to speak and strengthen their language?
SE: Julia outalüin wakua'ipa jainmajeen wanüiki weinshi.
SE: Que nuestras lenguas perduren en el tiempo, para que no muera nuestra cultura.
SE: May our languages endure over time, so that our culture does not die.
This post is from Rising Voices, a Global Voices project that helps spread citizen media to places that don't normally have access to it. All Posts
