WAYUU CULTURE: LOCATION, CHARACTERISTICS AND TRADITIONS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Wayuu culture is the culture of the aborigines found in the northeast of Colombia and in the northwest of Venezuela. These aboriginal groups are also known as guajiros because they inhabit the Guajira peninsula.

These aborigines exist since before the arrival of Europeans to America. However, where they come from has yet to be established. Some elements of the culture of these groups have been preserved, despite the interventions of other societies.

The Wayuu social structure is oriented more towards matriarchy than towards patriarchy. Women represent a kind of clan directors, as well as playing other political roles.

Likewise, children are raised by the maternal family, specifically by their mother's brother, and not by their biological father.

There are currently about 140,000 Wayuu aborigines in Colombia and about 300,000 in Venezuela. In this sense, they represent 20% of the Colombian aboriginal population and 60% of the Venezuelan aboriginal population.

Location

The Wayuu live in the desert areas and in the coastal areas of the Guajira peninsula, so they occupy part of the Venezuelan and Colombian territory.

The Wayuu aborigines do not respect the border between Venezuela and Colombia, so they go from one country to another without distinction.

Both countries have recognized the nomadic qualities of these groups and accept that they circulate freely in the territory. In fact, legally the Wayuu have dual nationality: Venezuelan and Colombian.

Social organization

The Wayuu social organization is structured around women. Within the family, authority rests with the mother and the maternal uncle. It is the mother's brother who is in charge of educating the children.

The Wayuu woman is independent and actively participates in politics. It has the function of organizing the clan, regulating both political and economic activities.

The Wayuu are divided into clans. Each of these clans has a territory and a totem (animal or object that gives the group its identity).

Political organization

In each clan there is an authority that is in charge of managing and directing the daily activities. An elder is generally chosen to fulfill this task, as elders are considered to have more experience and wisdom than any other member of the clan.

Wayuu policy states that when a person is offended, the family of the affected person has also been offended.

In these cases, a mediator, or pütchipü, is used. This is aware of the laws of the clans and seeks to reach an agreement that allows solving the problem.

Economy

The center of the Wayuu economy is crafts. The main industry is textile and is practiced mainly by women.

Usually woven work is done: hammocks, bags, cloths, blankets, among others. The appeal of these items means that they are sold in cities as tourist souvenirs.

The Wayuu economy is based to a lesser extent on agricultural activities: agriculture, fishing and hunting. These three activities generate products for internal consumption.

Language

The traditional language of the Wayuu is Wayuunaiki. This is spoken by more than 300,000 aborigines belonging to Venezuela and Colombia. It should be noted that most of the young people speak fluent Spanish, as many work outside their clans.

Less than 1% of Wayuunaiki speakers can read and write in this language. For their part, between 5% and 15% of the Wayuu are able to read and write in Spanish.

Various tools have been developed to facilitate understanding between Wayuunaiki and Spanish speakers. For example, the Centro Etnoeducativo Kamusuchiwo in Colombia created the first illustrated dictionary of Wayuunaiki-Spanish and Spanish-Wayuunaiki.

In December 2011, the Wayuu Tayá Foundation and Microsoft created the first dictionary of technical terms in Wayuuinaiki.

Religion and beliefs

The Wayuu religion is a mixture between the traditional beliefs of these peoples and Catholicism.

Children are baptized into the Catholic Church. Simultaneously, a Wayuu ceremony is carried out in which the child is given a name. This name will only be used by the maternal members of the family.

This aboriginal people has a series of myths that account for the origin of the Earth and the Guajiro people. One of these accounts indicates that the Wayuu were born from the northeast wind and from the goddess of rains.

The Wayuu consider that Cabo de la Vela (one of the points north of the Guajira peninsula) is a sacred place. In fact, it is believed that the deceased Wayuu haunt this area.

Traditions

Passage from adolescence to adulthood

When the guajiros reach adolescence, they leave the family and go to the care of another relative.

The young women are adopted in the house of their maternal aunt who prepares them for marriage, instructs them in the art of weaving, among other things.

This period of transformation from adolescence to adulthood is seen as a rebirth and therefore the young woman is given a new name.

After the girl's education is complete, she returns to the family home and is presented to society to find a suitable husband.

Religious traditions

Many guajiros migrate to the cities, so they come into contact with Catholic traditions.

When they return to their cities, they instill these traditions in the other members of the group.

Dances

The best known guajira dance is the ceremonial dance of Chichimaya. This is a fertility dance that takes place when a young woman reaches adolescence, since she is considered ready to marry.

Festivals

The best known Wayuu festival is the Uribia. This mixes elements of the three cultures that interacted in the colony: the aboriginal, the Spanish and the African.

References

1. A Brief History of Colombia's Wayuu Tribe. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from theculturetrip.com
2. Indigenous Civilizations: Wayúu Culture. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from juanyvalentina.blogspot.com
3. Guajiros. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from everyculture.com
4. Wayuu. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from ethnologue.com
5. Wayúu Cultural Festival. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from colombia.travel
6. Wayuu culture. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from luloplanet.com
7. Wayuu language. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from wikipedia.org
8. Wayuu people. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from guajiralinda.org
9. Wayuu people. Retrieved on October 5, 2017, from wikipedia.org