Wayúu

Wayúu is an indigenous people of the Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. They are the largest indigenous group in Colombia, with a population estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and sizable communities in Venezuela. The Wayúu inhabit coastal deserts and semi-arid plains, living primarily in La Guajira in Colombia and Zulia and neighboring states in Venezuela. Their homeland overlaps with the Guajira Desert and the Caribbean littoral.

The Wayúu language, Wayúu (also called Wayuu or Guajiro), belongs to the Arawakan language family and is spoken alongside Spanish. Most communities are bilingual, with language transmission continuing through families and communities.

Economically, the Wayúu are traditionally semi-nomadic herders, keeping goats and camels, and cultivating drought-tolerant crops. Weaving is a central craft, especially among women, who produce mochilas—colorful, patterned shoulder bags that travel far beyond their communities and carry social significance through design.

Social and religious life centers on kinship networks and a system of ritual specialists and healers known as payé, who perform healing rites and maintenance of communal balance. Many Wayúu maintain traditional beliefs, though Catholic and Protestant influences are present.

Contemporary issues include pressures from climate change, drought, and resource scarcity in La Guajira, leading to health and nutrition crises and migration. Indigenous rights and land claims, as well as responses to migration and border dynamics with Venezuela, shape ongoing political and social developments.