Who are the Wayuu and where do they live?
The Wayuu community is an indigenous group that lives in the northernmost part of Colombia in a region called La Guajira. Although the region is breathtaking with the contrast of the bright orange desert sand against the crisp blue ocean water, the people are very poor, living in small mud and wooden huts. In many parts of La Guajira, there is no running water and drinking water must be purchased. In many parts of La Guajira’s high deserts there has been no rainfall for over three years.
Traditionally the Wayuu live in small isolated settlements made up of five or six houses. These are known as caserios or rancherias. These settlements are usually named after plants or animals, and an area containing a number of rancherias generally takes on the last name of the mother of the family, due to the Wayuu’s matriarchal structure. Wayuu people rarely ever live in towns or large settlements, and rancherias are generally spread out over vast areas.