The Awá (or Kwaiker, a name given to them by Spanish conquistadors and missionaries) traditionally inhabit the regions of northern Ecuador and southern Colombia.
In Colombia, the Awa population is frequently targeted by paramilitary groups and the government’s own military forces. In the past two years, there have been at least five Awa Massacres. According to the United Nations, the Awa are currently facing extinction, along with 33 other Indigenous Peoples in Colombia.