Wayu people

The wayús (autonomous wayuu, pronounced [ˈwajuː]) or guajiros (from the Arawak guajiro) are indigenous people of the Guajira Peninsula, on the Caribbean Sea, who inhabit mainly the north of the department of La Guajira in Colombia and the north of the state from Zulia in Venezuela.

Geography

Location of the Wayu ethnic group.

They occupy a territory of 15,300 km² within the department of La Guajira, Colombia, and 22,000 km² within the state of Zulia, Venezuela. The climate of the phylloxera savannah to the south and west (Baja Guajira) and arid or semi-arid steppe to the north and east (Alta Guajira), is hot and dry, the rainy season in this region is very low and there is only rain in the Juyapu, between September and December. In Alta Guajira is the so-called Macizo Guajiro made up of the Macuira, Jala'la, Chiare, Corojo and Cocinas mountain ranges and the Petisú hill, which reach up to 900 m m s. no. m. To the south of the lower Guajira run the Ranchería River to the west and the Limón River to the east.

The Wayús inhabit the arid Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela, on the Caribbean Sea. It is a region with a hot, dry and inhospitable climate, bathed by the Ranchería (Colombia) and El Limón (Venezuela) rivers. It has climatic seasons marked by a first rainy season, called wuyapu, which takes place during the months of September to December, followed by a dry season, known as Jemial, which runs from December to April. Subsequently, comes the second rainy season, called Iwa, to end with a long dry season that runs from May to September.

Population

Dressed girl with a wayúshein, typical dress, wearing a sweat, traditional handbag woven by the Wayus women.

The Wayú people are the most numerous indigenous ethnic group in Venezuela and Colombia; They represent about 11% of the population of the state of Zulia and about 45% of the population of the department of La Guajira. 97% of the population speak their traditional language, which is wayú or wayuunaiki, 32% speak Spanish. 66% have not received any type of formal education. The Wayú population in Colombia, according to the 2019 census, is 380,460 people, which represent 20% of the country's indigenous population, being the largest group in Colombia. According to the 2011 census in Venezuela, there are 415,498 Wayús. Previously, according to estimated data from Venezuela, the combined population of the two countries exceeded 400,000 Wayús. The social organization is characterized by clans.

History

The Wayú ethnic group is one of the Arawak ethnic groups that, like a great migratory current, moved both through the Amazon and to the Antilles, where they arrived around 150 B.C. c.

Hunting, fishing and gathering were part of their ancestral customs, as well as horticulture, where it was possible, in the south of the peninsula or in other places with a less desert environment than the current one. The house was communal, in the form of a maloca.

Although contact with European conquerors dates back to the 16th century, the Wayús were not conquered until the independence of Colombia and Venezuela. This was influenced by both the indigenous resistance and the harsh environmental conditions of the desert, which served as a refuge for the Wayús.

On May 2, 1769, the Wayú of the Guajira peninsula rose up against the Spanish authorities, because 22 indigenous people were kidnapped to take them to build fortifications in Cartagena de Indias. Soon all the towns in the region fell into the hands of the rebels, resulting in the death of a hundred Spaniards. The indigenous people of Orino, Boronata and Laguna de Fuentes assault the town of El Rincón, near Riohacha. The Wayú captured numerous heads of cattle that they took to Alta Guajira.

Around the year 1800, it was estimated that the population of non-subdued indigenous people (called savages) in La Guajira was 10,000, including motilones (1,800 of them), Chimilas, Goagiros, Arhuacos, Tupes, and kitchens. In 1812 they were estimated at 40,000 people, of them 1,500 spears with which they attacked border towns. They occupied the territory between Maracaibo and Riohacha and were known generically as guajiros, of these the most numerous and important were the wayús. During the XIX century the governments of both republics began to make plans to subdue them, in 1841 there were 18,000 people of which 3,000 they would be warriors, known for their ferocity. The guajiros numbered between 90,000 and 150,000 in the middle of the century, in 1858 they were 35,000 to 40,000 people. The first campaigns of the Venezuelan government began in 1830, continuing with the construction of several Forts and lines of trenches that pushed the border ever further north, by 1893 they had been subdued and reduced. The Colombian government did the same, ending up dividing up the territory.

The European intervention meant, however, the loss of agricultural land and hunting areas that the Wayús compensated with the grazing of introduced species, especially goats and, to a lesser extent, cattle. Frequent conflicts occurred over the European policy of controlling pearl fishing. Then, taking advantage of the clashes between the Spanish, Dutch and English, they were able to develop intense commercial activity, which they expanded during the Republican period.

Despite the expansion of the two republics over their territory, the Wayús maintained a broad extra-legal autonomy that both States have only recently recognized constitutionally and that is characterized by the application of their own law throughout their own territory.

Economy

Wayu crafts in Riohacha.

The Wayú ethnic group is especially dedicated to grazing, which became very important during the 16th and 17th centuries, motivating the expansion and subjugation of neighboring peoples who also lived on the peninsula from the second century onwards. Cattle are considered the highest value, but its upbringing is limited by environmental conditions, which is why today its main asset of value are the triton trucks, used to smuggle gasoline between Colombia and Venezuela and recently informal transportation through trails. Each clan has an iron mark, since cattle are marked with the clan symbol. Goats (kaa'ulaa) or goats, have the largest number of heads and are kept in herds of 100 to 150 animals, sometimes many more. Previously they were dedicated to raising horses, donkeys and mules, but in recent years epidemics have decimated these species.

Among the Wayús, previously cattle were the main wealth and also the main reason for prestige and profit. Although it was traded, it was traded in a non-commercial way: to seal a marriage alliance, as a right over an offspring or to compensate damages or crimes (even if these are not governed by any law or jurisdiction) and settle conflicts. In addition, the shepherd associated his cattle with the rituals that marked his life cycle. Wherever possible, he has a small orchard called apain , where they plant corn, beans, cassava, cucumber, pumpkin, melon and watermelon, without being able to rotate or vary crops, due to the weather.

The economy is mixed, since other types of economic activities are also required, such as fishing, trade, traditional textile production, ceramics, and salaried work on farms, in the coal mines of El Cerrejón (in the hands of of Exxon and Glencore) and El guasare (under the control of the Venezuelan government), in the exploitations of talc and dividivi and also has the Cooperativa Ayatawacoop under indigenous control, the commercialization of fuels and derivatives where there are approximately 1,200 members of the cooperative and 80% are indigenous or in the service sector.

The exploitation of sea salt in Manaure was carried out since before the arrival of the Europeans. First the Spanish Kingdom and then the Colombian state exploited the salt pans and several Wayú became wage earners, although others maintained artisanal farms. In 2005, after a long struggle, the exploitation of salt was temporarily once again in the hands of the indigenous people, but a sentence has once again dispossessed them.

Wayús public health

The Wayú ethnic group, as a result of its isolated location between two large countries, has a mixture of traditional and western medicine. Mainly, there are diseases that result from nutritional deficiencies and poverty. Also, there are diseases caused by the isolated geography and the lack of clean water sources. There is a negative correlation between chronic malnutrition in the family and the mother's secondary or higher education.

The most common illnesses include malnutrition, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems in children under five, sexually transmitted diseases, cervical and uterine cancer, high blood pressure, dental problems, and injuries from physical abuse.

Within the Wayú ethnic group, health and illnesses are defined in a different way. According to the community, there are two kinds of diseases. First, there is an 'ayuulee' disease that is less serious. Second, there are 'wanülüü' diseases, which are the malignant and somehow terminal ones. Examples of 'wanülüü' diseases include cancer or heart problems, which cause, in the terms of the people, "a definitive departure of the soul".

In 2015, the region of La Guajira reported a figure of 46 deaths per 1,000 children under one year of age due to malnutrition. In children under 6 years of age, this figure increased to 60 deaths per 1,000 children. According to several researchers, the problem of malnutrition increases according to the environmental and climatic conditions of the region. For example, in La Guajira, there was a drought from 2011 to 2015 that prevented crops from growing. Additionally, there are nearby mines that contaminate local water sources. Additionally, the Cercado dam, which was built in 2011, dried up the Ranchería river, which is the main source of water in the region. Second, as a result of the recent economic crisis in Venezuela, those Wayú communities that tend to obtain resources from the Venezuelan government to survive, they no longer have a way to satisfy the basic food basket. Although the Wayú have dual nationality and free passage between the countries of Colombia and Venezuela, many members of the community do not have the means to obtain the necessary resources from Colombia.

The solutions: traditional medicine

Traditional medicine is an important aspect of Wayú culture and heritage. There are two main reasons for the frequent use of practices that are passed down from generation to generation. First, the ancestors have traditionally resisted the adaptation of Western medicine, therefore it is not typically used today. Second, there is a shortage of hospitals in La Guajira and that is why it takes a long time to get to the doctor.

There are several important positions that members of the community hold to uphold their medical traditions. Usually women are in charge of medicine and healing. Medical knowledge and the use of plants is mainly in the hands of the Ouutsü (Piache-Médica) and the Alüjülii (Yerbateras). The first group, the Ouutsü, are of greater importance and incidence in traditional medicine. They possess the 'seyu', which is the auxiliary spirit of healing, whose purpose is to provide the Ouutsü with the necessary help in the process of healing the sick. They are the intermediaries between the wayú and the spiritual world. The second trade, the Alüjülii, are considered the most respected specialists among the communities. They have received knowledge orally that was transmitted from generation to generation to preserve the tradition. Additionally, there are healers who specialize in certain areas such as Western medicine. Finally, there are shamans, who decide if a patient needs more than traditional medicine to treat her condition.

Ancestral medicine practices are based on spiritual plants and animals, spirits and energies, and dreams. There are more than 175 plants associated with the healing of diseases. The use of dreams is an important practice that relates to the spiritual world. Dreams are the mechanism that takes the interpreter to the outsus. They, in turn, warn the interpreters of the bad or good things to come, and so it is that the outsus help to heal the body and soul. Each dream has a meaning and it is up to the wisdom of the old woman to interpret it.

Organization and culture

Distribution of the ancestral territories of the Wayuu clans

Society organized into e'iruku clans. There are at least 30 clans, among which are the Ulewana, Epieyú, Uriana, Ipuana, Pushaina, Epinayú, Jasayú, Arpushana, Jarariyú, Wouriyú, Urariyú, Sapuana, Jinnu, Sijona, Pausayú, Uchayar'u, Uriyú, Warpushana, Worworiyú, Pipishana and Toctouyú. The highest percentage of the population is found in the Epieyú, Uriana and Ipuana clans.

Among the Wayú ethnic group there is still traditional authority and an autochthonous system of justice administration in which the pütchipü or pütche'ejachi stands out, that is, the bearer of the word or "palabrero", who resolves conflicts between the different clans. As regards the extended matrilineal family "according to blood" or apüshi, the alaula older maternal uncle is the one who exercises authority. Patrilineal relatives, "according to blood, are recognized as oupayu, allies with whom solidarity is expected yana'ma' or joint work.

A man can have multiple wives. Before the marriage, the groom must reach an agreement with the bride's parents in a meeting called ápajá and deliver to them the amount of cattle and jewelry that they agree upon. The woman remains at home and is a symbol of respect and unity. They live in rancherías (piichipala or miichipala), small communities distant from each other, made up of groups of relatives close to the clan. Grazing is the most important activity. The number of goats, cattle, horses and mules are the symbol of wealth and power. Weaving is a task that they combine with other daily activities, in free time, on visits and when they travel.

A person of great importance in each community is the piachi', who has acquired spiritual power through his visionary experience and the virtues granted during dreams or trances that are interpreted as the incorporation of a protective spirit Seyuu, so it is called to heal. Spirits communicate with living humans in dreams. Maleiea is the creator; Pulowi primal woman; Juyá the rain; Shanceta, Acaracuy and Kéerraria spirits of special places; Yoruja the wandering spirits of the dead. The Wayús believe that after death they go to Jepirá, Cabo de la Vela, a place of happiness where they rest until after the second wake, when the remains are exhumed to take them to a definitive place, the spirit of the dead takes the road to eternity.

The knowledge retained in memory has passed from one generation to another to be captured with Wayús hands in countless woven objects of unique beauty and functionality, made in a variety of techniques, shapes, and colors. Previously, the Wayús used natural materials from their environment to make and dye the threads of their fabrics; This ancient transformation has been replaced by industrially processed raw materials, especially fine mercerized cotton threads, yarns, and acrylic fibers in bright colors.

Different daily activities, festivities and rituals extensively involve the use of traditional music. The grazing tasks are accompanied with music produced by flutes or pipes, the whistles made of elements of the environment such as dried lemon are used in livestock activities. The native dance yonna or yocna (known as chicha maya), is used in celebrations related to the development of women and involves steps in which she advances challenging the man, who backs away trying not to fall. The main instruments used are flutes, whistles, and drums.

Jayeechi

The Jayeechi is interpreted as a daily practice and as a reproduction of Wayú historicity, through a creative, poetic and lyrical virtue, with the high use of memory and orality. In addition to being a means of transmitting sung stories, it also becomes a constructor and historical reproducer of the Wayú people; it is expressed in the artistic and lyrical field; is based on some important characters in the community who, despite being anonymous, today are recorded in oral history and are recreated by many Jayeechimajachis. The Jayeechi becomes a tool for cultural reproduction and a resource for historical construction, preserved from the oral tradition; hence the relevance of the use of collective memory as a transmitting factor in the wayús.

Its transmitter is called Jayeechimajachi or Jayeechimajana, who is the poet of Wayú orality. To be a Jayeechimajachi it is not required to have a specific sex, since the Jayeechi can be mastered by anyone who likes it, and practices it, regardless of their gender and their age. The Jayeechimajachi, in addition to interpreting the songs, are also proficient in singing or musical instruments. The conjugation of Jayeechimajachi literally refers to the action of the character that brings something with it, in this case it brings lyrical and poetic content with it.

Orality

Despite adopting measures against writing through the Spanish alphabet, the Wayús continue to be closely linked to orality, and that is why the value of the word is a guarantor of harmony between matrilineal clans, where the patriarchy is in the background, and there is a social interaction where collective values prevail first and then individual ones. Astronomical knowledge, about nature, is founded from the language and the practice of orality; they do not have foundations from the spelling pointed out in a mathematical and physical-quantum language according to the western sense.

Language

The language spoken by the ethnic group is called wayú or wayuunaiki. It belongs to the Arawak linguistic family. It is an agglutinative language. It registers six vowels and 16 consonants.

Vowels

All vowels can be geminate (long): aa, ee, ii, ɨɨ, oo, uu. the low central vowel ɨ is written ü.

Consonants

† is a side trill pronounced with the tongue slightly more to the side and back than the "r" from Spanish.

Designation

The word wayú is the self-designation used by indigenous people, and it means a person in general, an indigenous person of one's own ethnic group, an ally and also a partner ("my husband" or & #34;my wife"). He opposes the term "arijuna", unknown person, possible enemy, conqueror, who does not respect the wayús norms. Kusina is the denomination for other indigenous people, except the Añus, who are called paraujano.

The designation of the Wayús as "guajiros" It is used by non-indigenous people. The word "guajiro" It is confusing because it is commonly used by the Wayús to designate the non-indigenous inhabitants of the Guajira Peninsula and in that case it means "settler". It is also called "guajiro" in Cuba and the Antilles, to the peasants, to the population that lives in rural areas and in general to those who cultivate the land or take care of the agricultural plantations.

Music

Dorelis Echeto, the first indigenous woman of the Wayú people to be president of the Legislative Council of Zulia State (2021).

Wayú music is derived from Jayeechi and the interpretation of musical instruments, which would come out of that folkloric environment, and from the connotation of what is considered a simple cultural expression; because it is convenient to define this practice as a reproductive exercise of the Wayú narrative history, from the field of orality, becoming the guarantor of the permanence of the poetic and lyrical narrative of the Wayú, from the practice of the Jayeechimajachi and the interpreter. of musical instruments (eirajui), which brings with it a series of metaphorical and everyday meanings of wayú life. In this sense, the Jayeechi is called as songs and songs as the interpretation of wayú musical instruments, both connotations transmit some story or event of daily life or narrate a historical, pictorial event of the wayú society.

Featured Characters

• Luis Fernando Díaz, a recurring international professional footballer with the Colombian football team.
• Patricia Velásquez, actress, model and Venezuelan philanthropist.
• Dorelis Echeto, politician, teacher, activist and Venezuelan deputy.
• Nemesio Montiel, teacher, sociologist, writer, activist, politician and Venezuelan anthropologist.
• Chino Julio, social leader and activist colombo-venezolano.
• Torito Fernández, social leader and activist colombo-venezolano.
• Arelis Uriana, Colombian politics.
• Vicenta Siosi, journalist, documentaryist and Colombian teacher.
• Martha Peralta Epieyú, Colombian environmental lawyer and senator
• Carmen Ramírez Boscán, social leader and representative of the Colombian Chamber