Chimila

The Chimila, who called themselves Ette Ennaka, occupied lands between the Magdalena and Cesar rivers in northern Colombia. At the Spanish conquest the Ariguaní valley lay at the centre of their territory.

During the 18th century Spanish estate owners repeatedly encroached on Chimila land, forcing communities into settlements by the early 19th century. During the wars of independence, Chimila left those settlements and withdrew into forests, especially in the Ariguaní basin.