Gregorio Hernández de Alba (1904-1973): The Legitimization of Indigenous Ethnic Politics in Colombia

Abstract

One of the most remarkable recent developments in Colombian twentieth-century history is the success of the indigenous political movement. Currently, 81 indige- nous ethnic groups comprising 603,000 people have rights over approximately 25 per cent of the national territory (Pineda 1995, 13).1 The vast majority of the terri- tory belonging to the indigenous communities of Colombia is held collectively: 80 per cent of the indigenous population owns 408 resguardos (collective inalienable land grants) with a total extent of 27,621,257 hectares (Pineda 1995, 13). In the Constitution of 1991 the nation affirmed the inalienable nature of the indigenous collective landholdings (Van Cott 2000, 85). Indigenous communities also have the right to judicial autonomy within the resguardos and the direct disbursement of state funds to the resguardos’ council authorities