Sonic Journey Three: SŪKŪJULA TEI (Stories of My Mother)

Who’s ready for a little Indigenous joy, knowledge, and inspiration? We’re starting Seedcast Season Four with deep listening, as a powerful way to witness one another.  

Welcome to the rich desert landscape of the Wayuu People on the Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. You hear more from birds, goats, and cacti in this story than you do people, and when you do hear human voices, they’re speaking Wayuunaiki, the language of about half of Wayuu Peoples, a language currently undergoing a revitalization. This Sonic Journey centers the film SŪKŪJULA TEI (Stories of My Mother), the story of two Wayuu women teaching the next generation valuable lessons about reciprocity. Even if you don’t speak Wayuunaiki, the rhythms and tones of the elders in the story will no doubt stir in you memories and lessons from your own parents, grandparents, and ancestors. 

SŪKŪJULA TEI (Stories of My Mother) is a collaboration between director David Hernández Palmar and his mother, Flor Palmar. The film is part of the first season of our sibling initiative Reciprocity Project. Reciprocity Project is a collaboration between Nia Tero and Upstander Project, in association with REI Co-op Studios. 

Host and Story Editor: Jessica Ramirez. Producer: Stina Hamlin. Audio Mix: Ha’aheo Auwae-Dekker.  

Seedcast is a production of Nia Tero, a global nonprofit which supports Indigenous land guardianship around the world through policy, partnership, and storytelling initiatives.

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