Guahibo people

Guahibo

Guahibo in Venezuela playing a siku
Total population
approx. 24,000
Regions with significant populations
Colombia	23,006 (2005 Census)Juncosa 2000, cited in SIL, "Guahibo", Ethnologue.
Venezuela	8,428 (2001 census)SIL, "Guahibo", Ethnologue.
Languages
Guahibo, Colombian Spanish, Venezuelan Spanish
Religion
Animism, Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Achagua, Guayupe, Hiwi, Tegua, U'wa

The Guahibo people (also called Guajibo, or Sikuani, though the latter is regarded as derogatory) people are an indigenous people native to Llanos or savannah plains in eastern Colombia–Arauca, Meta, Guainia, and Vichada departments–and in southern Venezuela near the Colombian border.^[1] Their population was estimated at 23,772 people in 1998.^[2]

Municipalities belonging to Guahibo territory

The Guahibo inhabited the Llanos of Arauca.

Name	Department	Altitude (m) urban centre	Map
Arauquita	Arauca	165
Fortul	Arauca	246
Tame	Arauca	340
Labranzagrande (shared with Achagua & U'wa)	Boyacá	1210

History

An 1856 watercolor by Manuel María Paz is an early depiction of the Guahibo people in Casanare Province.^[3]

Language

Guahibo (ISO 639: GUH) is related to the Arawakan language family of South America and is divided between the dialects of the Wüinpumuin (northeast region) and Wopumuin (southwest region) although the groups understand each other. The existing dialects are: Guahibo (Sikuani), Amorua (Río Tomo Guahibo) and Tigrero. They each have their own languages but many are lost, now replaced by Spanish. Despite 55% illiteracy, there is a written form of Guahibo. There is a Guahibo newspaper, dictionary and grammar book.

See also

• Achagua people
• Guayupe people
• Hiwi people
• U'wa people

References

1. (Spanish) Ministerio Colombiano del Medio Ambiente: Guahibo
2. ethnologue: Guahibo
3. Paz, Manuel María. "Guahibo Indians, Province of Casanare". World Digital Library. Retrieved 2014-05-21.

External links

• Guahibo artwork, National Museum of the American Indian