Climbing the twisty hills of Utuado is scary, but ultimately it is the only way to get to one of the two Indigenous ceremonial centers in the Caribbean. As a child, I loved visiting this place, because it was overflowing with history that you can touch and feel. By this, I mean that it is full of huge plazas that have rocks with Indigenous petroglyphs that are like drawings. It really is a unique place. Also, there is another Indigenous ceremonial center in Ponce called Tibes. This one also contains beautiful plazas and luckily you don’t have to take as many winding roads to get to it.

 

 

Visiting these two beautiful places as a child led me to study Tibes in more depth, during my master’s degree. However, what I found gave me chills and made me have a call for urgency. We are losing our history due to the phenomena associated with climate change. As time goes by, hurricanes hit our ancestral monuments harder. I can no longer see the structures and petroglyphs on the rocks as easily; What will happen to future generations? We must also remember that there are still communities around these areas. Will they be able to sustain a future full of climate challenges?

I wish for a future where communities can understand the importance of this unique Indigenous legacy and its necessary conservation through sustainable measures. Our cultural heritage is one of the many reasons why we must demand clean energy and better services, not only for our ancestors but also for the present communities linked to this place. You can be part of this solution by signing the petition and joining our efforts.