Artisans

Meet the Creators

Located deep in the La Guajira Desert, between the Colombian and Venezuelan borders, stands the traditional and ancestral Wayuu indigenous community. Their arrival in the territory dates back to 150 AD, to escape the hostile environments under the Spanish yoke of the Amazon rainforest and the Antilles. The community finds a new, safe home. The tribe occupies a total area of ​​4,170 square miles (10,800 square kilometers) within the desert, covering a wide area in both Colombian and Venezuelan territory. The Wayuu people are made up of approximately 295,000 residents in the Venezuelan region and 144,000 in the Colombian region. With the ultimate goal of maintaining their heritage and traditional rituals, away from the national context and government interventions, the Wayuu people have found refuge in small, isolated communities, of which there are approximately 10 in La Guajira. Families live in huts called rancherías, made with cactus or palm leaf roofs and walls made of yotojoro (mud, hay, or fried cane), with basic furnishings including chinchorros (hammocks) and a wood-burning stove for cooking. The Wayuu community is a matriarchal community, in which the woman owns the house and leads the family, while the man works with the animals and the land. Each community has a leader who makes decisions; typically, these leaders are well-connected individuals who are direct descendants of previous leaders. These individuals often speak both Spanish and the Wayuu language, Wayuuunaiki (part of the Maipuran or Arawakan language). Their culture combines legends, myths, stories, traditions, and customs.

If you want to learn about Wayuu culture, click here.

THE GOATS

UYARAIPA

URRACHIKAT

ATURAIMPA

CIRUELAKAT

long sheet

PEPTUNAI

GARCIAMANA

Sparkling

YOTOJOROI

VILLA LUZ

WOLUVOTIAO

WOLUWOUPIAU

KARRAICIRA

CASTILE