Historia Crítica

Hist. Crit. | eISSN 1900-6152 | ISSN 0121-1617

The Indigenous People of the Guajira and their Articulation with the Colombian State (1830-1880)

No. 44 (2011-05-01)
  • José Trinidad Polo Acuña
https://doi.org/10.7440/histcrit44.2011.05

Abstract

The political articulation between the indigenous people of the Guajira and the Colombian state, during the period 1830 to 1880, was based on a variety of political strategies that involved the recognition of the indigenous authorities, political alliances with native chiefs, sending priests and missionaries to the region, and controlled support for native-creole commerce. These strategies show that the subjugation of the indigenous people to the state rested on complex processes requiring negotiation and accommodation on both sides.

Keywords: Guajira, indigenous peoples, state, Colombia, politics