Wera Emberas
Chamí
"Emberá Chamí, meaning people from the mountain range in the Emberá language"
Emberas people believe that women carry the world on their shoulders. Their necklaces, called Okamas, adorn and glorify the life of women. Each Okama is a unique piece of traditional indigenous art hand crafted by artisans who put their entire heart and soul into it.
Photos By Freddy Martín Cabarcas Gómez
The two largest families of the Embera people: the Chamí and Katío
Both of them, with slight differences, share the same language and culture.
The Emberas of Colombia are part of the aboriginal family of the Chocoes. When the Spanish arrived in 1499, the Embera people occupied the basins of the Atrato and San Juan rivers as well as the Baudó river. Today, the group is found in the departments of Antioquia, Risaralda, Quindío, Córdoba, Cauca, Nariño, Putumayo, Caquetá and Chocó, where the largest community resides.