Dispossession, Environmental Degradation, and Youth Migration among the Pijao of Southern Tolima

Authors

• Neider Devia Merchan

Files

Description

This presentation examines how land dispossession, environmental degradation, and capitalist economic transformations shape youth migration among the Indigenous Pijao people of Southern Tolima, Colombia. Based on semi-structured interviews with Pijao community members from different generations, the talk explores how limited economic opportunities, environmental degradation, and unequal access to land make it increasingly difficult for young people to remain in their territories. At the same time, youth migration affects the transmission of Indigenous knowledge, including oral histories, agricultural practices, language, and community memory. Rather than treating migration as an individual decision, the presentation frames it as part of a broader structural process connected to colonial dispossession, political economy, and environmental degradation. The talk concludes by proposing a public intervention focused on youth opportunities, territorial sustainability, and intergenerational cultural continuity.

Publication Date

7-6-2026

City

Albuquerque

Comments

This event is free and open to the public.

Recommended Citation

Devia Merchan, Neider. "Dispossession, Environmental Degradation, and Youth Migration among the Pijao of Southern Tolima." (2026). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/laii_events/609