WAYÚU CULTURE

 WAYÚU CULTURE

"Despite the adversity, despite the neglect, in spite of our leaders and the indifference of all, in Colombia survive 90 indigenous peoples scattered across the country, who cling to their culture are fighting an uphill battle that aims absorb them into mainstream society. "
LOCATION:The Wayuu inhabit the arid Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela, the Caribbean Sea. It is a region with a warm, dry and inhospitable, washed by the rivers Rancheria (Colombia) and El Limon (Venezuela).

GENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS:Wayuu Indians, have characteristic physical traits as broad nose, eyes black; and straight black hair, medium height, are robust and corpulent. And they are mestizos.CULTURE AND TRADITIONS:EconomicsAgriculture:Agriculture is practiced on a small scale, but is less important that grazing is the economic base is shifting grazing.Hunting and Fishing: They do it on a smaller scale, but there Wayuu fishermen.Crafts: The most developed industry is textiles, followed by ceramics. The women are expert weavers and have retained the beautiful traditional designs in hammocks in the blankets, which are the costumes worn by women and the susu, which are woven handbags, and have also developed many useful objects with colored tissue very showy.

Dress:Adult women using traditional blanket. However young you used Western clothing cor. For men, adults and youth, there is tradicionalsíirap has disappeared, giving way to utilizaciónde blue jeans, shorts and shirts.Social Organization:Wayuu society has a complex structure, is of a matrilineal clan, taking about 30 clans. Each with its own territory and its own totem animal. There are still traditional authorities, and there is a specific form of administering justice, the figures of the putchipu who are the bearers of the word and also to help resolve conflicts between the clans. Within the extended family, the ultimate authority rests with the maternal uncle, who is speaking on all domestic and family problems.Within the nuclear family, the children are led virtually the mother's brother and not by their own biological father. She plays a very important one can say that is the host and organizer of the clan and are very active politically in their society, are also very active and independent

Political Organization:In each settlement there is an older man in authority, manages and directs collective goods daily tasks. Likewise, at the lineage, there is a man who represents and leads. In the legal system of the Wayuu, when an offense against a person is the family who is offended. When this occurs, the affected resort to "babbler"-pütchipü-, mediator and expert on domestic laws, to try to find a fair agreement between the parties.

Religion:For the Wayuu are a variety of mythological characters, such as: Juya, generally living in the celestial heights beyond the sun, he is the warrior and father. It represents for the Wayuu masculinity.For the Wayuu dreams are as important as the laws of survival, they give the connotation of revelations from beyond, regularly awarded to spirits of the dead who are always looking out for them.Retain a high degree of religiosity and this enables them to connect their present with the past of their ancestors, thus linking an ongoing activity, thanks to the disappearance earth held together by spiritual ties of affection and consideration, if you enjoy it, or of evil and disregard, if their lives were disordered and outside the norms of their communities.
Rites:The different daily activities, festivals and rituals involve expanded use of traditional music. The pastoral work are accompanied by music produced by canutillas flutes, whistles made from environmental elements like dry lime are used in farming activities. The indigenous music yocna Chichamaya or is used in celebrations related to the development of women and involves challenging dances where this man. The main instruments used are flutes, whistles and drums.

METRIC AND MATH:

The Wayuu Indians go to school where they learn addition, subtraction and other basic mathematical operations. When you have completed a basic training in all areas are withdrawn from school.

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