The Wayuu are descendants of the Arawak who most likely emerged from the Amazon. Different Arawak groups spread over the Caribbean Sea, the Guianas, and parts of the Amazon until Bolivia and Brazil. Around 900 AD several Arawak groups arrived at the Guajira peninsula. The descendants of the Arawak share a common root of their languages.
Society
The Wayuu society uses a matrilinear hierarchy to determine who is part of a clan. All family members related through the mother's branch are considered part of the same casta (clan). Each clan is identified by a symbol and an animal, used to mark livestock and for art. The entire Guajira peninsula is divided into territories, each belonging to one clan and providing enough resources for the families that live there.
The Wayuu do not have a common representative who stands up for their interests. Conflicts inside a clan and between neighboring clans are solved by a so-called palabrero (speaker). Colombian law is not strictly enforced north of Uribia, and the Wayuu see it as their natural right to handle their problems on their own.
The Wayuu live in so-called rancherias (ranches). Every territory hosts several ranches belonging to different branches of a clan. The central hut of a ranch is the kitchen, where the family spends most of the day. Each ranch has several corrales (enclosures) where sheep and goats are kept at night.
Death and Burial
Life and death are very close on the Guajira peninsula. Every family has a cemetery with a shelter where visitors can pitch their hammocks. When a Wayuu dies, the body is placed in an above-ground tomb for several years. After time has passed, the close relatives invite family and friends to celebrate. The women open the tomb and place the remains into a wooden urn, which is brought to the family's house for festivities before being placed in a special tomb with the urns of other family members.
In Wayuu mythology, the souls of the dead travel to a place called Jepira — a hill at Cabo de la Vela, also known as Pan de Azucar (Sugar Loaf) due to its bright colour. Today it is a famous tourist destination.
The Present
The Wayuu society is caught between past and present. About 60 to 70 years ago they stopped practising several ancestral traditions. The Wayuu resisted western conquest for many centuries, but the founding of Uribia and Nazareth was a turning point. The settlements divide the Wayuu into two groups: westernised villagers, and those who continue to live at their ranches under difficult conditions.
Tourism also influences Wayuu culture. At Cabo de la Vela, the original inhabitants have built small restaurants and accommodations, while some have moved to Maicao or Riohacha. The workers at Cabo de la Vela are increasingly disconnected from their territory and culture.