This text highlights the way the practice conditions of the national and foreign anthropologists´ differ in the object, as well as in the goals of their work. Although both of them are guided to the investigation, the national ones culminate exercising professional tasks. Their exercise obligatorily has faced the national reality and it is the one that has pointed out the distinctive characteristics of the Colombian anthropology. In the first place, their option to work with the depressed sectors of the country, as the indigenous populations, has surpassed the investigation tasks to contribute to solve its participation in the national society. It also demanded to superimpose to the mere investigation, the taking of position on the general transformations of the country. Because of this, their exercise doesn’t depend simply on the discipline but of the conditions that entrust the populations of which the anthropologist form part off.