Across Indigenous cultures, butterflies emerge as symbols of transformation and the ephemeral nature of life. In these stories, the butterfly’s wings hold more than color and light - they carry the weight of ancestral memory and the promise of metamorphosis.
On a recent field trip to the majestic mountains of La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, as we rested in the shade of a tree, a deep conversation with the Mamos emerged. We spoke of work and life, of our partnership, and the great, beating presence of nature that binds it all. For two hours, time loosened its hold as more than words passed between us. As the conversation flowed, an iridescent orange butterfly (Nica) settled on the forehead of Nicanor—one of 30 Forest Rangers actively monitoring the territory—before fluttering around him like a long-lost friend.
Nicanor explained to Project Coordinator, Paula Rodriguez:
“These butterflies are like the librarians of the forest. They remind us that we must constantly read, research, and reference our greatest teacher—nature itself—an open book of knowledge.”
(A real page-turner, but one that never ends—to extend the metaphor.)
Nicanor also spoke of a blue butterfly with a vast wingspan. He revealed that, in Arhuaco tradition, these gentle giants are seen as messengers of the spirit realm—the Mamos, spiritual leaders, returning to the living world.
Both transient and eternal, the next time you encounter a butterfly, allow it to remind you of the continuous dance of interdependence - a manifestation of nature’s profound, unending cycle of life.
As Paula later reflected:
"When an encounter like this occurs, it's always connected to something you must do to maintain or restore balance."
