Chapter IV. Territorial and water governance: The Kunsamʉ as the balance of life

Water is the lifeblood of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, recognized by the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa, and Kankuamo peoples as the “Heart of the World.” From the indigenous worldview, water is not a resource, but a living being with memory and spirit, the link between material, spiritual, and cosmic life. In the Arhuaco view, water connects the earth with the marine dimensions of Mʉkuriwa, composed of nine levels, of which the first four—Zanʉriwa, Mʉnʉriwa, Gunʉriwa, and Tikiriwa—are associated with the four colors of the earth: bunnekʉn (white), mʉnnekʉn (yellow), gunnekʉn (red), and seynekʉn (black). In this framework, water links all of humanity and maintains universal balance through phenomena such as dew, rain, the moon, and the constellations. In contrast, the Western perspective has reduced water to an economic and strategic resource, promoting dams, diversions, and agro-industrial projects that disrupt its natural flow. This fragmented conception ignores its energetic-spiritual dimension and creates tensions with indigenous knowledge systems. In this scenario, the vision derived from the Law of Origin—Kunsamʉ—is the most affected. This study analyzes the territorial governance of water in the Sierra Nevada from the perspective of Kunsamʉ and indigenous normative systems, in contrast to state and multilateral policies. The methodology combines a phenomenological and systems theory approach, supported by documentary sources and interviews with several mamus. Governance is addressed in its vertical dimensions—multilevel relationships among decision-makers—and horizontal dimensions—cultural, environmental, political, and economic aspects of the territory. Effective water governance requires recognizing water as an entity with vital functions, through an intercultural model that is aligned with the Arhuaco indigenous knowledge system.