Artifact 5

The Native Peoples of Venezuela:  Then and Now

 

Tribal Locations in Venezuela

A Group of Palafitos

 When Christopher Columbus landed on the Paria Peninsula in the northwest corner of the modern-day nation of Venezuela in 1498, he saw inhabitants there who were not the Asians he had hoped to find.  Today we know those people as Amerindians, or the indigenous people of the Americas.  Later, Amerigo Vespucci noticed the unusual houses there called palafitos, stilt houses that sit over water.  For that reason, he named the place Venezuela, or little Venice. (Wikipedia, n.d.)

Two of the three main groups of native people he saw were the Caribs and Arawaks, each having numerous sub tribes. These people either farmed using simple methods of cultivation, or fished in the rivers or the Caribbean and gathered nuts and berries.  The third group, the Chibeha, lived to the west in the eastern Andean foothills and practiced a more advanced form of agriculture, creating terraced slopes and developing irrigation channels. (Historical, n.d.)

 

A Group of Arawak Warriors

 

A Young Yanomami Girl

Venezuela is a land of diverse geography, resources, and creatures.  The people lived simply and easily with the vast grass lands of the llanos, the rain forests of the Amazonas region to the south, the waters of the Orinoco River to the east, and the eastern mountain slopes of the Andes.  They enjoyed hunting the abundance of fish, game, and birds.  Tribes seldom lived close to each other and enjoyed that independence.

A Warao Family of Boat People

Unsurprisingly, that changed once Columbus and the Spaniards set foot on this land and began to search for gold and other resources.  According to Venezuelanalysis.com, “Without a tradition of social stratification leading to an easily exploitable subjugated population accustomed to providing labor and tribute to an elite class, the Spanish made slower progress in colonizing the region than they did in Mexico or the Andes.” (2004, February 4)  What the Spanish missionaries did who arrived later was try to "civilize” and convert the indigenous people.  New Spanish landholders forced many into slave-like conditions working their plantations as they did with people imported from Africa.

As with the islands of the Caribbean, the Spanish arrival in Venezuela brought death in its wake.  While there are only estimates of the population of Venezuela, it is thought that before the Spanish conquest there might have been about a million native people. (Wikipedia, n.d.)  Death from illnesses to which they had no immunity as well as the growing influx of European settlements drove Indians to the southern, western, and eastern borders . It has been estimated that by the end of the first century of Spanish rule, some 20 tribes out of 40-50 had become extinct.  (Historical, n.d.)  From this time forward, they lived in much reduced numbers, largely isolated, forgotten, impoverished and illiterate until the end of the 20^th Century.  Then their situation began to change.

The Constitution Formalizes The
Rights of Indigenous Citizens

In 1989, according to Wikipedia, The National Council of Venezuelan Indians (Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela) was formed. “It represents the majority of indigenous peoples, with 60 affiliates representing 30 peoples.” (n.d.)  As the new constitution of 1999 was being written, large numbers of Indians marched on the National Assembly to pressure the government to include specific “pro-Indian provisions.”  These included right of ownership, free choice of nationality, land demarcation, and representation in the national assembly, among others.  It was the first Latin American country to reserve places in the parliament as well as in state and municipal assemblies for its indigenous people.  (Wikipedia, n.d.)

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Postage Stamps Celebrating
Venezuela's Native Peoples

Ever since I took a class in Native American Literature and learned about the many issues that faced our own native people in the United States, I’ve become curious about how the Spanish countries treated their own citizens.  I've learned that many things seem to overlap, from the effects of disease, to the land grab that both cultures accomplished, to the lack of interest in the future of these people.  I did not read, however of the Spanish making organized attacks on the Indians in Venezuela as was the case here. 

I’m also impressed by the actions taken by the government of Venezuela to enshrine new and important rights for Indians in their constitution.  I’m not sure how other Latin American countries and islands of the Caribbean with Spanish heritage treated or protected their indigenous people, but it is apparent that the Spanish conquistadors deemed the native people they encountered an inconvenience in their quest for wealth.  This was a characteristic of Spanish culture in the 16^th Century, but exists no longer today, at least in Venezuela.

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References

Boys’ Historical Clothing. (2010, January 14). Venezuelan native Americans. Historical Boys’

      Clothing.  Retrieved December 3, 2012 from http://histclo.com/country/la/sa/ven/eth/ven-na.html.

Indigenous Peoples in Venezuela. (n.d.) Wikipedia.  Retrieved December 3, 2012 from

       http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indigenous_peoples_in_Venezuela&printable=yes.

Venezuela and Indigenous Rights. (n.d.) Venezuelanalysis.com. Retrieved December 3, 2012 from

        http://venezuelanalysis/analysis/373

Nancy’s Venezuela:  Reflection



Caracas, Venezuela

National Assembly

 I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity given me this semester to learn about Spanish culture, and in particular about the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.  I don’t know that this experience has changed my knowledge about Spanish culture.  Rather it has deepened my understanding of how its origin as a Spanish colony has played out in this country located at the top of South America.  I did not choose artifacts that might highlight this connection in an obvious way, such as dress or food or national dances, which could illustrate the heritage from Spanish colonial times.  I wanted to look at some of the things I knew about Venezuela that I could learn more about -- baseball, oil, and education.  I studied anthropology in college, so the indigenous people were an area to explore; additionally, I love the visual arts, and I knew nothing about artists in Venezuela. 

In choosing those five areas, I probably found baseball, the visual artists, and the oil economy the most interesting because each one had such interesting histories and development.  For example, the development of baseball in Venezuela included learning about all the teams that formed in every city, and sometimes many teams, as in Maracaibo where there were 30 teams at one time!  People seemed to love playing it and those watching it were raucous fans.  I learned that baseball there has become so Spanish that it has become part of the national identity, according to an ambassador to the U.S.  I loved learning about the visual artists, especially Armando Reverón, whose European studies in Spain led him to focus on the techniques of Francisco Goya and El Greco.  He returned to Venezuela making the geography and light of his country become his subject.  Alexjandro Otero and Carlos Cruz-Diéz not only created wonderful modern sculptures, but both founded schools for developing artists in Venezuela.

President Hugo Chávez Campaigning

The subject of oil was most fascinating to me because it is so closely tied to power and politics.  The county’s leaders have manipulated this industry for different purposes.  The government of President Hugo Chávez has used oil domestically to direct its profits to benefit the poor and the indigenous, long ignored by prior governments.   Internationally, it has used its huge reserve of oil sometimes as a weapon to wield against governments that it competes with.  If I were only to read or hear news on American television, I would probably like to see the overthrow of Chávez; in fact, there are rumors that an attempted coup in the early 2000’s was organized by us.  But I have come to see that this government has really moved to create rights for the disenfranchised and greatly expanded educational opportunities, building many schools, universities, and colleges throughout the country.  I have to respect that, and I do. 

Venezuelan School Children

Woman Celebrating in Costume

 

Does one need to study a foreign language to come to know a culture?  I don’t think so.  I do think, however, that knowing a language creates a natural curiosity about the places one could visit while speaking the language, and a desire to be able to take part in the culture of that place.  This is something I’ve experienced directly.  I studied French in college and immediately wanted to go to France and visit all the places we read about.  I always disliked the sound of Spanish when I heard it spoken and thought that French sounded much cooler.  I’m not sure exactly why I chose to learn this language in retirement; I think I was looking for a new challenge, and Spanish is now all around us.  In doing so, I have discovered interests I never had before.  First of all, a trip to Spain went to the top of my travel bucket list.  As we covered different Spanish-speaking countries, my curiosity about them grew.  And finally, this blog project really strengthened my interest in visiting Venezuela:  maybe to watch a ballgame, maybe to attend an art museum; maybe to visit some of the schools; or maybe to travel the countryside to see the llanos, the Orinoco River and Angel Falls, or the beaches in the north.  All that sounds cool to me now, including the sound of spoken Spanish.

National Park near Caracas

Margarita Island

 

References

Alejandro Otero. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 7, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Otero.

Alvarez, C.J. & S. Hanson. (2009, February 9). Venezuela’s oil-based economy. Council on Foreign Relations.  Retrieved October 23, 2012 from http://www.cfr.org/economics/Venezuelas-oil-based economy/pll2089.

Armando Reverón. (n.d.) Wikipedia. Retrieved October 7, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armando_Rever%C3%B3n.

Arturo Michelena. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 7, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arturo_Michelena.

Baseball in Venezuela: Not-so-sweet home. (2011, November 11). Game Theory [Web log]. Retrieved September 27, 2012 from http://www.economist.com/blogs/gametheory/2011/11/baseball-venezuela.

Carlos Cruz-Diez. (n.d.). Atelier Cruz-Diez. Retrieved October 8, 2012 from http://www.cruz-diez.com/media_files/file/Cruz-Diez_CV_Eng_Summary.pdf.

Daniels, F.J. (2011, June 21). Learning in the wilds: Venezuela’s first indigenous university. Venezuelanalysis.com. Retrieved November 11, 2012 from http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/6287.

Education in Venezuela. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 29, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Venezuela.

Embassy of the Boliverian Republic of Venezuela. (2012, March 14). Venezuela’s inclusive education system has boosted enrollment. Embassy of the Boliverian Republic of Venezuela. Retrieved November 12, 2012 from http://venezuela-us-org?2012/03/14/venezuela’s-inclusive-education-system-has-boosted-enrollment/.

Emilio Boggio (n.d.). Artfact. Retrieved October 7, 2012 from http://www.artfact.com/artist/boggio-gv71p5fols.

Emilio Boggio (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 9, 2012 from http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilio_Boggio.

Jesús Soto. (n.d.). Soto. Retrieved October 8, 2012 from http://www.jr-soto.com/fset_intro.html.

Juan Pedro Lopez. (n.d.). artexperts.com. Retrieved October 7, 2012 from http://www.artexpertswebsite.com/pages/artists/lopez.php.

Landino, L.A. (2002). History of Baseball in Venezuela. Retrieved September 17, 2012 from http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall02/landino.

Martin Tovar y Tovar. (2003). Artfact. Retrieved October 7, 2012 from http://www.artfact.com/artists/y-tovar-martin-tover-rlyw2kacs9.

Ortiz, M.B. (2007, November 18). Politics makes toxic mix with MLB’s investment in Venezuela. Retrieved September 28, 2012 from http://espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3077371&type=story.

StateUniversity.com (n.d.) Venezuela-educational system-overview. StateUniversity.com. Retrieved October 29, 2012 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1663/Venezuela-EDUCATIONAL-SYSTEM-OVERVIEW.html.

Toro, F. (2012, September27). The Hugo Chávez cult is over. The Guardian. Retrieved September 27, 2012 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/27/hugo-chavez-cult-oil-venezuela?newsfeed=true.

Wilpert, G. (2003, August 30). The Economics, culture, and politics of oil in Venezuela. Venezuelanalysis.com. Retrieved September 27, 2012 from http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/74.