The Ayu (coca leaf) is a special element granted to us natives. There is Ayu in the whole of nature. And there exist different varieties that have been developed by grafting to obtain bigger-leafed plants, which means bigger ammounts for the great business created by the demand of the industrialized white society.

For the Mamo, the Ayu is one of the main sacred plants: it is the thought, the spirit, it is the axis, it is all; it is the essence of Nature herself, and enables us to talk, to enter into communication with beings of other dimensions; it enables us to address the whole world, the Universe. We can communicate "telephonically" with, say, Spain, by means of the resulting Ayu's ether.

It is like the thought, the spirit, like the essence through which it conveys itself to other dimensions. This is the function that Ayu performs for us natives. But the Bunachu has turned our sacred plant into business; they extract cocaine and crack, and this is the end for the white men. Having violated the sacred nature of Ayu, they will poison the whole world. And behind this money, great crimes occur; rulers will be killed, as well as all the people.

This is why we, Mamos, worry and seek to find the way to regenerate white men through the awakening of their consciousness: they must acknowledge the Sacred.

But while they go on thinking that this extracted substance is to be "high", to be merry; even though they keep to this idea, it will destroy the world and ourselves. For the essence, the spirit of the Ayu that serves as a transport, as a vehicle, for weddings, rites, baptisms, and Eyza rites, has been betrayed. In all rituals the essence is Ayu; Ayu Natuñanga is the spirit. In all rituals Ayu is needed: for the water, for every Mamo's practice, Ayu is needed. Anyone who wants to eat Ayu needs the Mamo's permission; otherwise he would be in violation. The same applies to the eating of Yua.

Our Sierra Nevada is the Heart of the World; it is the center of the Universe, put in charge of the Mamos. But whites do not want to acknowledge this. That is all right; but, by this denial, believe it or not, great events against all of us will take place; just because of this denial.

There also used to be the Tani: those sacred plumages that we natives used in times past. But one mamo changed for a bell the Tani relic we had for food production, which travelled as far as Europe. These relics, like the sacred territory of the Sierra nevada, were bestowed to our four communities. And there were plains, and there were cliffs for the preservation of the Chunduas —the highest snowy peaks under the care of the Mamos. For inside these Chunduas are the Masters, they who will guide the whites to reach the end. So is it, believe it or not.

They are still there: the father and mother of whites, of natives, are inside the Chunduas, kept in earthen jars and in golden Umükuy. Up to now they have not been desecrated, but whites want to, just to weaken us. Therefore, we want them to see that the violation of the Sacred Peaks of the Sierra would mean a great calamity for the world. For this reason we do not agree with the Government and other people who want to come and violate our Chunduas that shelter the Masters for the protection of us all, of food, of coffee.

From the beginning, all is law. But this seems to have changed nowadays. But it is still the same law, and every created thing has its law. Like the spindle, that goes spinning and threading. That is the same thing, and those laws must be obeyed, and they are not being obeyed.

We must go back to the Tani Kansamaria, Yósa, Yueru, Punkiri, Chare, Kungwy Yasa —feathers from all birds, of all colors, from the low and the highlands, to make the feather crown.

All laws are written on staffs, on stones. That is what should be sought and is not being done.

It is all right that the different sciences be studied, but we should do the same with our hidden part, or black matter. But neither the science and scientists, nor the modern Mamos have found the black matter.

Space, time and matter should also be investigated to hit upon the black matter; but whites and the common Mamos are not doing this. And while we do not do that, we will be in error. We must go on, because this is coming to an end. And further on we shall realize where the error lied, what the mistake was that did not let us seek and find the black matter. This is a big challenge.

The spraying of pesticides by the Government on the so-called "illegal" plantations —obeying the gringos' orders— have caused great damage to our orchards; and therewith to the spirit of the Ayu, to food, to water. They have contaminated everything. To use the Ayu, we Mamos are specially authorized to grow it. Then, why is it grown today without that authorization, and cooked in pots made by whites or gringos, when that must be done in very special clay pots?

This is now being breached, and thence the fevers, malaria, aids, and cancer we are suffering. All due to the roasting of the Ayu leaves in those pots and to the processing of cocaine. The spirit of the Ayu is manifesting itself in the destruction of so many people, and in the contamination of the rivers. And all this because the spirit of our sacred plant has been defiled. And this whites do not take into account in their analysis of the crisis.

We, the Mamos of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, do not grow poppy, marihuana or datura plantations, nor allow our peoples to do so. For they are plants that could harm the community when not properly used. Also, the Ayu should be consumed only with the Mamo's consent.

The production of Ayu by whites is meant to be traded nearly all over the world, and that is causing great harm; and still greater harm will it cause, for the Ayu is only for special rites. And they have violated that, going over the limit in its use; not asking for permission, not making the "pagamento". Their aim is to make dust for a profit, to make a capital, to become rich. But the results are the crimes and the crisis in so many states. And where will it all end?

We have a universal thought and not just confined to the Sierra Nevada. And we see how, in spite of scientifical advances, our younger brothers are mistaken. And therefore, we the Mamos send our messages to help them. But we want a serious reflection to be done about the great harm that has been caused by contamination, the violation of the sacred mountains, and the cutting down of trees —who are sacred too— on the banks of our rivers and creeks.

What they should have studied are the laws given to us, which reside in stones and hieroglyphs. But they don not do this, and in this way one does not come unto the knowledge of the black matter.

I am a Mamo who has been constantly delving together with other high Mamos into different sites of the Sierra like: Donachuy, Takina, Makutama, Cherwa, and San José. In these places I have several Kogi, Arzario, Kakachuacua, and Ijka masters, meaning four forces that delve and study into the Sierra. For in the entire Sierra there are peoples with great ancient wisdom concerning rites and "pagamentos" which we should continue offering to the earth for all the harms done to her: for committing fornications and adulteries, for not cleansing a girl's first menstrual blood, for not celebrating baptisms, for not cleansing the Eyzas, for not blessing food before taking it, for not preparing the seeds, and the places where we shall cut shrubs and trees before planting.

Because of these violations of the law all illnesses befall upon us and our animals. Because our tradition has been forgotten.

We should pay tribute to the Zícuri —a kind of masters who are in several high places of the Sierra Nevada and are pervaded with all the elements, and who are the mothers and fathers of us all. To them we should pay tribute and make the particular "pagamentos", so that their energy be irradiated and we may help the whites, the Gringos, the Germans, the British, who so much like the impusi (cocaine) that is ruining them.

In the same way as users pay for their water and electricity, we should pay Nature. For we are not paying for the water we are drinking, nor for the sun that shines on us. And we have to pay for that light, for the air we breathe, for the earth we stand upon (as tolls for the bunachu), for the soil where we plant, which is not ours. All them have their masters to make "pagamentos" to, contributing with something from our bodies, our flesh and our blood (Gueiru).
All this has a very deep scientific meaning, a very big one which is worthier than any money one may pay. For here the flesh and the blood are given to pay for everything, and not only for ourselves, but also for our brothers who violate the law. Does anyone remember the sun? Nobody. Does anyone remember the air? Nobody. Do not contaminate it, would be said at the most; but no "pagamento" would be made to the air. For the air has a father, and a tribute must be paid to him; and that is the scientific part that we know and execute.

We use different elements in our "pagamentos" according to the occasion; they might either be plants, stones or animals; this is the sacred part that is well known and respected by the Mamos.

January, 1996.

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