Nelson Iguaran, director of Este Arroyo bilingual college close Riohacha, Colombia, in which earliest due to 8th graders is actually instructed from inside the Spanish and Wayuu naike.

Uriana had helped arrange the wedding, and element of his function as the palabrero, hence translates as “the expression

• Backup Link Website link Copied!

It absolutely was a later date of working for Elion Uriana, an effective palabrero, otherwise tribal court, inside the Colombia’s Wayuu native society. A leader regarding his goat-herding clan, he had been as a result of the wake regarding a decideded upon wedding went crappy.

“The parents of groom got offered sixty goats as the dowry to your group of the fresh new fiance. However the girl went from him 1 month following service and you can took up having a separate boy, a highly bad contract,” said Uriana, 42. “New bride’s parents attributed the new bridegroom having mistreatment, but in the end discover zero reconciliation as well as need to return men and women goats.”

” Uriana said that with respect to relationship, independence of preference try anathema to Wayuu people: “Our ilies and also the pair needs to live by you to.”

Uriana’s role off intermediary is crucial toward Wayuu, one of 65 native communities inside Colombia. Their almost every other jobs is solving home disputes, monitoring loans payments and you will dividing wood and other communal assets. “My personal obligations is always to mediate the fresh silent solution of issues. The conventional courtroom method is anything; i Wayuus provides our personal.”

Numbering 3 hundred,000, the brand new Wayuu native classification are Colombia’s prominent, bookkeeping for more than 40% of the population of the northeastern province away from La Guajira. The community including inhabits elements of surrounding Venezuela.

Few years ago, Wayuu traditions like palabreros was basically frowned abreast of from the really Colombians, section of a good condescending thinking in general towards local organizations. Read more