Indigenous, land and politics in Colombia. The indigenous communities of Bolivar Grande in the second half of the nineteenth century

Abstract

This article analyzes the indigenous population of the Great Bolivar (Colombia) in the third quarter of the nineteenth century, in the context of formation of the nation and the expansion of livestock. We show how the discursive elements of the mestizo nation and the citizens' political identity, plus the internal fragmentation of indigenous communities, facilitated the actions of farmers and mestizo populations to try to dissolve the communal ownership of land guards. Also we show the forms of resistance displayed by the Indians, especially the manipulation that made liberal discourse, and the negotiations that established with other social and political groups to defend their interests.