Wayuu wedding style

Wayuu people is a native tribe from La Guajira, Colombia. Their economy is based on what they do with their own hands, craft things. They have suffered of racism because of their beliefs and cultural traditions.

One of their cultural traditions can be seen in what they do before, during and after a wedding is celebrated in between their members.

When the man wants to get married, he has to let his family know that he wants to start an affective relationship with his “dream woman” so for this reason the family has to choose a palabrero, is like a lawyer who is in charge of letting the woman’s family know about the man’s desire to get married with the her.

The palabrero is the one in charge of setting up a meeting with the woman’s family to decide the wedding day (most of the time a year later) and then after setting up the day, the man has to pay a dote to the woman’s girl (usually it has to be the same amount that the woman’s dad payed to marry her mother), this dote can be represented with cornelina and tuma’s necklaces, cows, horses, goats or other animals.

What the man pays has to be divided in between the woman’s family and he’s given some stuff for their future children maintenance.