Motilone Barí
Encyclopedia
The Motilone, or Bari are names of a Native American
ethnic group, part of the Chibcha family, remnants of the Tairona
Culture concentrated in northeastern Colombia
and western Venezuela
in the Catatumbo River
basin, in the Colombian Department of Northern Santander in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
. They have been the subject of the French ethnologist Robert Jaulin
's attention, who redefined the concept of ethnocide by observing their particular fate.
peoples are commonly referred to as "Motilones," this is not how they refer to themselves. "Motilones" means "shaved heads" in Spanish, and is how Spanish-speaking Colombians refer to them.
of Spain
sailed to Colombia
and discovered the Maracaibo Basin
. The Spaniards believed that the area's frequent lightning strikes turned stone into gold, and so they began settling the region extensively. The Motilones fought the Spaniards back from their territory, defeating five royal expeditions sent to pacify the Indians. It was the Spaniards who first named the Barí "Motilones," or "people of the short hair."
Later, a German company directed by Ambrosio Alfinger looted a large amount of gold from Caribe
Indians on the western coast of South America, and attempted to transport the gold over the Bobalí Mountains. Motilones ambushed and destroyed the expedition, and the gold was lost, never to be found again. Motilone warriors harassed the troops of Simón Bolívar
in the 19th century as he led them over the Orinoco
plains and the Andes Mountains.
In the 20th century, oil was discovered in Motilone territory, and as oil companies moved in, their land has been subjected to oil drilling from 1913–1926 and from 1996–2001.
The first peaceful contact that was made with the Bari was by Roberto Lizarralde in 1960. Lizarralde conducted research among the Bari for 44 years and his research was carried on by his son, Manuel Lizarralde. The focus of their research has been on the ethnobotany of the Bari, who possess a vast knowledge of the biodiversity in Amazonia and use 80% of the plants around them.
The missionary Bruce Olson
began living with the Bari in 1962, and became the blood brother of a son's chieftain. He's considered the most influential cause behind the "Motilone Miracle", of indigenously-run schools, literacy programs, medical clinics, as well as a concerted effort of the Motilone Bari to reach out with the person of Jesus Christ to 18 other surrounding tribes.
Since the initial contact in 1650, Bari land has been reduced to 7% of its original mass and the Bari have shifted their production to the gardening of cash crops in order to acquire Western goods which are becoming increasingly integrated into their culture.
is made. They export the cacao and use the proceeds to help maintain their network of schools, community centers, and health clinics, all started after large numbers of the Motilones (notably the chieftain, "Bobby") received the Gospel. A transformation occurred in Motionlone Bari culture; and as a result, clinics and schools were started in the Bari culture.
, part of the Chibchan language family
.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
ethnic group, part of the Chibcha family, remnants of the Tairona
Tairona
Tairona was a group of chiefdoms in the region of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in present-day Cesar, Magdalena and La Guajira Departments of Colombia, South America, which goes back at least to the 1st century AD and had significant demographic growth around the 11th century.The Tairona people...
Culture concentrated in northeastern Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and western Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in the Catatumbo River
Catatumbo River
The Catatumbo River is a river rising in northern Colombia, flowing into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. The Catatumbo River is approximately 210 miles long...
basin, in the Colombian Department of Northern Santander in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range apart from the Andes chain that runs through Colombia. Reaching an altitude of 5,700 metres above sea level just 42 km from the Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada is the world's highest coastal range...
. They have been the subject of the French ethnologist Robert Jaulin
Robert Jaulin
Robert Jaulin was a French ethnologist. After several journeys to Chad, between 1954 and 1959, among the Sara people, he published in 1967 La Mort Sara in which he exposed the various initiation rites through which he had passed himself, and closely analyzed Sara geomancy...
's attention, who redefined the concept of ethnocide by observing their particular fate.
Name
Although the Bari and YukpaYukpa
Yukpa is an Amerindian ethnic group that inhabits the northeastern part of the Cesar Department in northern Colombia by the Serrania del Perija bordering Venezuela. Their territory covers the eastern areas of the municipalities of Robles La Paz, Codazzi and Becerril in Resguardos named Socorpa,...
peoples are commonly referred to as "Motilones," this is not how they refer to themselves. "Motilones" means "shaved heads" in Spanish, and is how Spanish-speaking Colombians refer to them.
History
In the 16th century, Alonso de OjedaAlonso de Ojeda
Alonso de Ojeda was a Spanish navigator, governor and conquistador. His name is sometimes spelled Alonzo and Oxeda.-Early life:...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
sailed to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and discovered the Maracaibo Basin
Maracaibo Basin
The Maracaibo Basin in Western Venezuela is a prolific, oil-producing sedimentary basin. The basin is bounded on the north by the Oca Fault which separates it from the Caribbean Sea. The remaining sides of the basin are bounded by a branching in the northern Andes Mountains termed the Sierra de...
. The Spaniards believed that the area's frequent lightning strikes turned stone into gold, and so they began settling the region extensively. The Motilones fought the Spaniards back from their territory, defeating five royal expeditions sent to pacify the Indians. It was the Spaniards who first named the Barí "Motilones," or "people of the short hair."
Later, a German company directed by Ambrosio Alfinger looted a large amount of gold from Caribe
Caribe
Caribe may refer to:* Caribe , a computer worm designed for mobile phones* Caribe , a Venezuelan telenovela* Caribe , a 1975 television series produced by Quinn Martin...
Indians on the western coast of South America, and attempted to transport the gold over the Bobalí Mountains. Motilones ambushed and destroyed the expedition, and the gold was lost, never to be found again. Motilone warriors harassed the troops of Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
in the 19th century as he led them over the Orinoco
Orinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
plains and the Andes Mountains.
In the 20th century, oil was discovered in Motilone territory, and as oil companies moved in, their land has been subjected to oil drilling from 1913–1926 and from 1996–2001.
The first peaceful contact that was made with the Bari was by Roberto Lizarralde in 1960. Lizarralde conducted research among the Bari for 44 years and his research was carried on by his son, Manuel Lizarralde. The focus of their research has been on the ethnobotany of the Bari, who possess a vast knowledge of the biodiversity in Amazonia and use 80% of the plants around them.
The missionary Bruce Olson
Bruce Olson
Bruce Olson is a Scandinavian American Christian missionary who is best known for his pioneering work in bringing Christianity to the so-called Motilone Indians of Colombia and Venezuela...
began living with the Bari in 1962, and became the blood brother of a son's chieftain. He's considered the most influential cause behind the "Motilone Miracle", of indigenously-run schools, literacy programs, medical clinics, as well as a concerted effort of the Motilone Bari to reach out with the person of Jesus Christ to 18 other surrounding tribes.
Since the initial contact in 1650, Bari land has been reduced to 7% of its original mass and the Bari have shifted their production to the gardening of cash crops in order to acquire Western goods which are becoming increasingly integrated into their culture.
Economy
The Motilone people's chief economic activity is the growing of Theobroma cacao, the plant from which chocolateChocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
is made. They export the cacao and use the proceeds to help maintain their network of schools, community centers, and health clinics, all started after large numbers of the Motilones (notably the chieftain, "Bobby") received the Gospel. A transformation occurred in Motionlone Bari culture; and as a result, clinics and schools were started in the Bari culture.
Language
The Motilone speak the Barí languageBarí language
Barí is a Chibchan language spoken in Northwestern South America by the Baris . Motilones are sometimes called "dobocubi", but this is a pejorative term.There were 850 speakers in Colombia in 1990 and 850 speakers in Venezuela in 2000....
, part of the Chibchan language family
Chibchan languages
The Chibchan languages make up a language family indigenous to the Isthmo-Colombian area, which extends from eastern Honduras to northern Colombia and includes populations of these countries as well as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama...
.