The Tikuna, also written Ticuna or Tikuna, are one of the largest Indigenous peoples of the Amazon region. Their communities are found across Colombia, Brazil, and Peru, especially near the great Amazon River and the tri-border region around Leticia. In Colombia, the Tikuna are among the most visible Indigenous peoples of the Amazonas department.
Their life has long been connected to the river. Fishing, river travel, agriculture, storytelling, craftwork, and community gatherings form an important part of Tikuna identity. The Amazon River is not only a source of food and transportation; it is a living presence within Tikuna memory, spirituality, and daily life.
Tikuna culture is known for powerful origin stories, body painting with natural pigments, ceremonial traditions, and a strong relationship with forest plants. Their traditions teach that humans belong within a larger world of animals, waters, ancestors, and spirits.
Today, Tikuna communities continue to protect language, cultural memory, territory, and dignity while also navigating tourism, schooling, markets, and modern border economies. For Dulce Amazónica, the Tikuna remind us that the Amazon is not simply wilderness. It is homeland, history, and living civilization.
One of Many Voices
This community is one of many Indigenous peoples whose presence, knowledge, and artisanías are represented through Dulce Amazónica in Guatapé, Colombia. When you visit, you meet an ambassador from one of our partner communities in person.