Numbers and universe of the indigenous communities of the Santa Marta Mountain Range: kogui, arhuacos, wiwa and kankuamo

Abstract

The article compares the numbering systems of the four indigenous communities of Santa Marta Mountain Range: kogui, arhuaco, wiwa and kankuamos, we highlight the importance and meaning from their worldviews of numbers, as well as their applications in traditional activities. From this, it is shown that the numbers for these cultures express cohesion, order, space, environment, a global vision of their universe.

Considering that the Law of Origin in these indigenous communities coincide in the conception about the creation of the universe, through the Mother Earth and the creation of the material world by the father God Kakuserankua, we can affirm that the numbers in each of the systems of numbering are related to the universe, they also lack symbolic representations, but have some associated geometric shapes. The numbering systems presented here lack zero because from their worldviews and Law of Origin there is no emptiness or nothingness, which they consider as the great gift of Kakuserankua: there are also some common sacred numbers among the communities, such as: the one that represents the universe and the sun, the four is related to the four elements, the four communities, the four mythical characters; the nine represents the balance with the universe and the nine payments. Another relationship between numbering systems is that they are positional on a decimal, cardinal basis and systematized in their ancestral languages ​​(Ikᵾ, Kogba, Kakatukua and Dalma).

The research carried out allow us to show that knowledge is orally transmitted from generation to generation, through its sociocultural activities. Its use in traditional practices has allowed the transcendence and preservation of culture until today; it is important to mention that the mathematical knowledge of these communities is barely known in the western communities, due to the limited work carried out.