THE WAYUU

THE WAYUU WORK TO MAINTAIN A HERITAGE THAT FINDS ROOTS THAT EXTEND HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE COLUMBUS SET SAIL. IN THE 1600s, WHEN THE SPANISH BEGAN A CONQUEST FOR GOLD AND RELIGIOUS TRANSCENDENCE, THE WESTERN WORLD WOULD COME INTO CONTACT WITH A GROUP OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WITHOUT A NAME. 

THE FRIAR PEDRO SIMON BEGAN IDENTIFYING ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE LIVING NORTH OF THE RIVER DE HACHA AS ‘GUAJIRO’, A NAME WHICH STUCK, BECOMING THE TITLE OF THIS REGION OF SOUTH AMERICA.   YEARS LATER, THE MAN E’IRUKUU, OR CLANS, STARTED DESCRIBING THEMSELVES BY THE NAME WAYUU, A WORLD THAT SIMPLY MEANT PERSON.

HARKER, Santiago. Wayuu. Botoga, Colombia: Villegas Editores, 1998.