ABSTRACT
The Páez of southwestern highland Colombia maintain a historical memory of their passage from an independent nation to a tribe subjugated by Spaniards and Colombians. This history, which is based in part on written documents available to the Indians, traces the trajectory of conquest but, more importantly, outlines the means by which the community has resisted outside encroachment over the centuries through the adoption of novel political strategies. This chapter examines Páez historical consciousness with an eye to understanding its structure and its utility.
