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'Wayuu' (also 'Wayu', 'Wayúu', 'Guajiro', 'Wahiro') is an Amerindian ethnic group of the La Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela. They are part of the Maipurean (Arawak) linguistic family.

Contents

Language

Geography

Demographics

Religion

Settlements

See Also

References

External Links

Language

Main articles: Wayuu language

The Wayuu language, called ''wayuunaiki'', is part of the Arawak linguistic family predominant in different parts of the Caribbean. They have some minimal differences in dialect depending on the region of La Guajira they live in; northern, central or southern zones of this region. Most of the new generations speak Spanish fluently but they understand the importance of preserving their traditional native tongue.
To promote Cultural integration and Bilingual education among Wayuus and other colombians, the ''Kamusuchiwo’u'' Ethno-educative Center or ''Centro Etnoeducativo Kamusuchiwo’u'' came up with the initiative of creating the first illustrated dictionary Wayuunaiki-Spanish, Spanish-Wayuunaiki. [1]

Geography

The Wayuu inhabit the arid La Guajira Peninsula straddling the Venezuela-Colombia border, on the Caribbean Sea coast. Two major rivers flow through this mostly harsh environment; the Rancheria River in Colombia and the El Limon River in Venezuela representing the main source of water, along with artificial ponds designed to hold rain water during the rain season.
The territory has equatorial weather seasons: a rain season from September to December, which they call ''Juyapu''; a dry season, known by them as ''Jemial'', from December to April; a second dry season called ''Iwa'' from April to May; and a long second dry season from May to September.

Demographics

According to a 1997 census, the Wayuu population numbered approximately 144,003 - representing 20% of Colombia's total Amerindian population and 48% of the population of La Guajira Department. The Wayuu occupy a total area of 4,171 square miles within approximately 10 Indian reservations, 8 of which are located south of the Department (including a very important one called ''Carraipia'').
Wayuu tribes are not uniformly distributed within these territories as their population is concentrated primarily in the outskirts of such settlements as ''Nazareth'' and ''Jala'ala'', on the plains of ''Wopu'muin'' and ''Uribia'', and within the municipalities of Maicao and Manaure, where population densities are some of the highest in the peninsula. This irregular distribution is intimately related to seasonal changes in the weather - during the dry season, a significant percentage of the population crosses the border into Venezuela to work in the city of Maracaibo and its nearby settlements; however, once the rainy season begins, these Wayuu tend to return to their homes on the Colombian side.
Wayuu people refer to themselves simply as "Wayuu" and do not acknowledge the term "Indian," instead preferring the term "people." They use the terms ''Kusina'' or "Indian" to refer to other ethnic indigenous groups, while using the term ''Alijuna'' (essentially meaning "civilized") to refer to outsiders or persons of European ancestry.

Religion

The structure of representation of this culture integrates a series of important deities into their mythical universe. Their central figure is ''Maleiwa'', god creator of the Wayuu and founder of society. ''Pulowi'' and ''Juya'', a married deity couple associated with procreation and life, where ''Pulowi'' is the female figure; related the wind and dry seasons, and ''Juya'' the male; a nomad figure related to hunting and seen as a powerful killer. ''Wanulu'' represents the evil god, illness and death.
Children are born at home, assisted by the mother-in-law or the nearest female relative and represent for the Wayuu, in some way, the preservation of their species, preferring to feed children first and following strict diets when the surivival of children is not assured.
Puberty is not very important among boys, but girls are exposed to rituals when they start menstruating, requiring them to go through a period of seclusion. The girl is obligued to get a haircut shaving her head, and to rest in a hammock hung near the house. She is also fed with a special vegetarian diet called ''Jaguapi'', bathes with frequency. She is taught on how to become a woman and female labor: sewing, birth control, pregnancy and maybe erotic techniques.
This culture believes that the life cycle doesn't end with death, but that a relationship with one's bones continues. Burials are very important. The parents of the dead act in a certain way; first the cadaver is buried with personal belongings, and then, after two years, the body is exhumed, incinerated, put into ceramics, and buried once again in the clan's cemetery.

Settlements

A traditional Wayuu settlement is made up of five or six houses that made up Caserios or Rancherias. Each Rancheria has a name after a plant, animal or geographic place. A territory that contains many Rancherias is named after the mother's last name, because of the matriarchal structure of the Wayuu culture. The Wayuus never group into towns and Rancherias are usually isolated and far from each other, to control and prevent mix of their goat herds.
The typical house is a small structure called ''piichi'' or ''miichi'', generally divided into two rooms where they hang hamocs to sleep and to keep personal belongings such as cotton made purses and ceramics to keep water. Living quarters can be either rectangular or semi-circular and the rooftop is made up of dried cactus hearts, and walls are made out of a combination of mud, cane and hay called ''Yotojoro'' in their language, but some of them have shifted towards a more modern construction style, like using cement and other materials.
Close to the main house they erect a common area, similar to a living room named ''Luma'' or ''enramada'', but almost in the open. It's made out of six pillars and a flat roof and serves as a common area for everyday duties and where visitors are attended, business activities are handled and where relatives hang their hamocs for the noon power nap.

See Also

★ Taironas

★ Arhuacos

★ Koguiss

References

★ Etniasdecolombia.org

External Links

★ Ubuntu Linux in Wayuunaiki - a project to bring Wayuunaiki language support to Ubuntu Linux

★ Ethnologue.com

★ Wayuu people in Venezuela

★ sil.org

★ pbs.org article on wayuus

★ Denver Post article on wayuus

★ Colombia's national library resume on colombian policies towards amerindian ethnic groups

★ Brief explanation of the wayunaiiki language