he political articulation between the indigenous people of the Guajira and the Colombian state, during the period 1830 to 1880, was based on a variety of political strategies that involved the recognition of the indigenous authorities, political alliances with native chiefs, sending priests and missionaries to the region, and controlled support for native-creole commerce. These strategies show that the subjugation of the indigenous people to the state rested on complex processes requiring negotiation and accommodation on both sides.