The Cocama, also written Kokama or known as the Ucamara, are a river people of the upper and middle Amazon basin, with communities in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. Historically they were among the most skilled navigators and traders of the Amazon river system, and their presence along the waterways shaped exchange networks across a vast territory long before European contact.
The Cocama have faced centuries of disruption — from early colonial contact through the rubber boom era and into the modern period. Many communities shifted toward Spanish and Portuguese in the 20th century, though language and cultural revitalisation efforts are active in several areas. Their identity as river people — defined by movement, trade, and adaptation — has remained a constant thread through that history.
Their presence in the Dulce Amazónica network reflects the breadth of the Colombian Amazon’s cultural landscape, extending to peoples whose lives have always been shaped by the great river itself.
This community is one of many Indigenous peoples whose presence, knowledge, and artisan work are at the heart of what Dulce Amazónica does. Their ambassador brings that presence here directly — to Guatapé, Colombia.