Although approximately 32% of Wayúu people speak Spanish, their native language is called Wayuunaiki. Wayuunaiki is an indigenous language that originates from before the Spanish arrived to colonize Latin America. With its vivid and beautiful words, it helps to describe the unique and spiritual reality of the Wayúu people. Within their community and at home, Wayúu people always speak to each other in Wayuunaiki and only use Spanish to interact with people from outside their tribe. Wayúu children who study in Wayúu territory will also receive classes in Wayuunaiki. Nonetheless, younger generations tend to be fluent in Spanish as they move to cities to look for work. This has caused an increase in recent years of young people who can no longer speak fluent Wayuunaiki as they rarely speak it in their everyday lives. For these reasons, it's important to preserve the beauty of this language and to convey how important it is to express concepts for the Wayúu people for which individual words don’t exist in English or Spanish. That’s why we’ve made a list of some of the most beautiful Wayúu words that you should know so that you can better understand the magic behind this tribe’s culture. 1. Oyonnajaa - to dance a yonna ‘Oyonnajaa’ doesn’t just mean to dance, it means to dance the ‘yonna’, which is a Wayúu tradition that involves a woman playfully chasing a man whilst other members of the tribe play the drums. The man and the woman are usually in traditional dress, and the dance is organized to celebrate a special event such as the birth of a child, a marriage, or marking the end of a young girl’s ‘encierro’. 2. Jolutsü - stars 'Jolutsü’ refers to the stars that light up the skies of the Guajira region at night. Stars are particularly important for the Wayúu people as they are used to guide the way to the best places to go fishing the next day when there are no clouds in the sky. Meet Sarnelis: “Creating Mochilas Fills Me With Joy” 3. Püsia - something sweet ‘Püsia’ in Wayuunaiki means something sweet to taste, which the Wayúu people use to identify things like fruit and sweet corn drinks. Although Wayúu people do not eat fruit very often due to the arid conditions in the Guajira region, when they do, they consume mostly melon and watermelon. They also occasionally enjoy the sweetness of the igüaraya fruit which is a citrus fruit native to the Guajira region. 4. Aa’in - soul, spirit, heart and mind ‘For the Wayúu people, your ‘aa’in’, or your soul, spirit, heart and mind, are completely connected and that is why there is a word in Wayuunaiki that describes all these things and how they can work in unison. For the Wayúu people, if one part of your ‘aa’in’ isn’t well, then the other parts will likely be in the same state. That is why it is important to take care of all parts of your ‘aa’in’ to ensure health and happiness. 5. Aa’inmajaa - to care for ‘The Wayuunaiki word ‘aa’inmajaa’, which means to care for, is especially important for the Wayúu people whose culture is based on caring for others in the community. Many Wayúu women who earn an income through weaving will often use this to care for their children, their extended families, and many others who live in the same community. 6. A’lapüjaa - to dream ‘A’lapüjaa’ is not just dreaming for the Wayúu people, it is when their soul departs from their bodies to wander around and search for meaning. The soul which wanders will enter the realm of the spiritual, and there, ancestors will inform you if there is any member of the community who is unwell or who needs to be cared for. It is another way in which Wayúu people look out for each other. Meet Aminta: “I Have Over 65 Years of Experience as an Artisan” 7. Apüshi - matrilineal wisdom The concept of ‘apüshi’ for the Wayúu people is an essential part of their culture and it refers to when an elder woman passes down knowledge and wisdom to a younger woman. As women are seen to be the carriers of knowledge in the Wayúu community, through ‘apüshi’ they teach younger women about weaving, about ancestral wisdom and about their culture. We mustn't forget the beauty that the Wayúu language, Wayuunaiki is able to convey. Thanks to Wayuunaiki, the Wayúu people are able to express not just words but spiritual concepts that would be very difficult for them to communicate in other languages. Sources: ‘Gastronomía Wayúu engrandece al mayor pueblo indígena de Colombia’ El Tiempo ‘El Wayuumaiki, una lengua con 600.000 hablantes en riesgo de extinción’ Noticias ONU

Love in the Wayúu community comes in many different forms, and it can be very different from how we perceive love compared to other parts of the world. The meaning of love for the Wayúu goes beyond romantic love, and extends to family love, love for one’s craft, and love for all living things. It is a magical feeling that is a source of joy for the Wayúu people, and it is considered to be one of the fundamental values of their community alongside solidarity, responsibility and respect. Because love in many of its forms is a universal feeling, we wanted to share some facts about the meaning of love in the Wayúu community that you didn’t know before. 1. The Wayúu universe was born from love According to Wayúu mythology, the universe started to form after the rain, a masculine spirit, fell upon the earth, a feminine spirit, and they fell in love. They were so infatuated with each other that they had many children in the form of trees, and this was the beginning of the world we know today. 2. There is no word in Wayuunaiki for ‘love’ There is no specific word in the Wayúu language Wayuunaiki to say ‘love’, however when Wayúu people want to express their affection and love for someone, they use phrases of affirmation. Some common phrases are ‘aishtapura pya’ which means 'I like you a lot', or ‘anas mai’, which means 'you are the most beautiful thing'. 3. Dowry before marriage is still common For many Wayúu people, it is still important for the family of the son to pay a dowry as a sign of appreciation for the bride-to-be and to mark their status. Dowries in the Wayúu community mostly consist of necklaces, animals such as goats, donkeys and cows, and highly-valued woven items like ‘chinchorros’ or hammocks. Meet Guillermina: “I Am Passionate & Proud of My Craft” 4. Mediators play an important role in marriage Whether two Wayúu people decide for themselves or their families decide that they are a good match, it is important that the community mediator or the ‘palabrero’ ensures that things are done properly. The mediator, who is the most important person for resolving any issues or disputes between individuals and families, will ensure that the dowry provided to the woman’s family is sufficient. If the woman’s family has an issue, the mediator will attempt to negotiate between the parties involved in a balanced and impartial manner. 5. Female solidarity above all else The spiritual bond between mother and daughter, and women in general is very important for the Wayúu people. According to the concept of ‘apüshi’ or maternal wisdom, women must pass down ancestral knowledge and wisdom to the younger female generations with love and guidance. These bonds are considered superior to all others due to the spiritual importance women have in the Wayúu tribe. 6. Nature is respected and cherished Wayúu people believe that nature possesses both ‘energy of life’ and ‘energy of death’, just like human beings and animals. Everything that possesses this must be loved and respected because if it is not, it could retaliate in a negative way with its ‘energy of death’, causing community members to become unwell. Meet Sarnelis: “Creating Mochilas Fills Me With Joy” 7. Wayúu women weave with love Wayúu women take a long time to weave mochila bags. The average single thread bag can take up to a month to complete whilst a double thread bag can take up to 10 days, not counting the time it takes to make the finishings such as the straps, ties and tassels. Wayúu women put a lot of love and care into their craft as they see every mochila bag as a reflection of their heritage, meant to be shared with the world. 8. Polygamy is alive and well In the Wayúu community, polygamy is considered a status symbol that provides prestige for Wayuu men wealthy enough to possess multiple wives. Unfortunately, women are not permitted to take on multiple husbands. The concept is not very common but still allowed. The Wayúu’s perception of love, although different from the Western point of view, sheds light on concepts we can all take from. In the Wayúu community, it is a feeling that encompasses more than just marriage and romance. Female solidarity, family love, and love for their art are just a few examples of what it means to love for the Wayúu people.

Ethnologist and anthropologist Nemesio Montiel claimed that the indigenous Wayuu people are part of the Arawak family, originating from the Caribbean and more specifically from Guiana. There have also been speculations of the Wayuu people descending from Mexico and spreading across the coast of Panama, moving down to what is currently known as the Peninsula of La Guajira. Today, the Wayuu people’s home territory is la Guajira, located on the border of Venezuela and Colombia. Nonetheless, the Wayuu do not identify with the countries of the border they reside on. They are all just Wayuu. Being quite an open group, the indigenous Wayuu have always maintained contact with western society. Before 1830, the Wayuu interacted with Spanish, Dutch, English and the French colonizers. (VIDEO) Q&A With Our Indigenous Wayuu Artisan: Rosa Thanks to oral information passed down from generations of collective memory, the Wayuu developed a strong identity based on their historical symbolism. This symbolism has been translated through the art of weaving and crochet. Wayuu culture have taken elements from their surroundings and presented a geometric and abstract version of their everyday life through the use of Kanaas. Read more about Kanaas and symbology in Wayuu bags here Some of the more ancient techniques have been forgotten over time due to Wayuu women abandoning the art of crochet to look for jobs within western (alijuna) society. With Wayuu people moving to urban areas in Colombia and Venezuela, younger generations of Wayuu women have lost the art of crochet as they've adopted new roles in the alijuna culture. The western world has not only attracted young Wayuu to its urban area, but its culture has also predominated. To preserve Wayuu culture, it's important to promote and educate Wayuu youths in order to maintain its language, customs and art. Lombia works directly with the Wayuu community to keep the art of crochet alive. Selling fair trade Wayuu bags is the main income of many communities and Wayuu women who are head of their house and we hope to keep this craft alive for decades to come. (VIDEO) Wayuu Princess Recognizes Lombia As ‘The Right Way To Do Business’