The indigenous Wayuu tribe lives in the north of Colombia and part of Venezuela, in a beautiful region called "The Guajira" and represent 20% of the indigenous population of Colombia.

They have their own language called “Wayuunaiki” and only 32% of them speak Spanish.

The Wayuu do not live in stable settlements. It is very common for families to temporarily move from one place to another when the pasture for their animals runs out or when they have to fulfill a social commitment. They are traditionally organized in five or six houses located in a dispersed manner at a distance of several minutes from each other, forming a so-called “ranch shop”.

The main economic activity is raising goats, which links the largest number of people to grazing. They also carry out fishing activities throughout the coastal area, export salt of Manaure and produce handcrafted objects.

backpacks are Wayuu handicrafts most famous. You will see them everywhere in Colombia and they are easily recognizable thanks to their vibrant colors. They are made using a technique called “crochet”, a technique introduced by Catholic missionaries in the early 20th century, and each piece can take up to XNUMX days to produce.

The choice between the colours is huge and you really want to buy all of them! From this comes the expression:”It is not you choosing which bag to buy, but is the mochilla that chooses you” <img draggable="false" role="img" class="emoji" alt="" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f642.svg">

If you want to know more about Wayuu handicrafts or are interested in buying them, you can contact us and receive everything you want directly at your door!

This article was originally written in English