Endeavoring to reach remotely situated Ticuna Indians in South America with the gospel, representatives of Trans World Radio and Toccoa Falls College Radio Network recently traveled to Colombia and delivered portable radios to the Ticuna people. The trip culminated a collaborative radio distribution project in which ultimately 500 fixed-tune radios were provided. Family Radio of Wilmington, NC, also helped fund the project.
Ticuna is a tonal language spoken by approximately 40,000 river-oriented natives in Brazil, Peru and Colombia. Tonal languages use vocal pitch to signal different meanings between the same words. “Since Ticuna is totally unlike any other vernacular, it is important for us to reach these people in their heart language,” says TWR’s Jim Munger. “Radio is a powerful tool to penetrate inaccessible or restricted areas like where the Ticunas live.”
For two years, TWR’s ministry partner RTM-Brazil has been helping the Ticunas produce their own evangelistic radio programs. Broadcasts are aired from local FM stations into strategic Amazon zones where Ticunas live.