Introduction:

In Colombia, a majority of the indigenous peoples are at risk of physical and cultural extinction. In addition, the lack of studies related to analyzing their own narratives about the issues surrounding indigenous health is telling. This absence results in difficulties of analysis and intervention culturally appropriate for indigenous problems. Thus, the objective was to unveil the narratives about the human life process in the indigenous peoples of Colombia constructed by indigenous migrant university students in Bogotá.

Materials and methods:

This research is qualitative, with a narrative approach, and is based on the hermeneutical-interpretive paradigm. Eight undergraduate students in Bogotá, between the ages of 18 and 40, belonging to the Kamentsá, Pastos, Pijao, Kankuamo, Nasa, and Misak peoples, were interviewed.

Results:

Life in harmony, anchored to the territory of origin, was identified as the key organizing concept for all understandings of health, illness, death, and care.

Conclusions:

Designing appropriate healthcare interventions aimed at indigenous people requires considering their own understandings of the human life process in an intrinsic relationship with the integral harmony between person, community, and territory.

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