Interethnic relations in the Colombian Caribbean. An ethnographic approach to Zenú people

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to describe and analyze relevant elements existing in the relationships and interactions between the Zenú people and other surrounding populations, with emphasis on traces of what could be classified as “negative reciprocity.” The methodological tolos used for data collection were interviews and participant observation, as part of a prolonged ethnography in the Zenú territory. The most relevant results of this study show that manifestations classifiable as jealousy/envy, which are explicitly present in interethnic relationships, often extend to relationships between those referred to as 'more Indians' and 'less Indians'. The conclusions of this work return to ethnological reflections that demonstrate how those feelings and emotions are fundamental elements of sociability, since they model and reinforce local hierarchies, seeking to balance historical relationships of oppression and disadvantage.