{{Short description|Pre-Hispanic ethnic group of present-day Colombia}} {{infobox ethnic group | group = Lache people | total = 0 | total_year = 2004 | image = Santander Topographic 2.png | caption = Topography of Santander Department<br>The Lache lived in highlands of the eastern part, continuing into Boyacá | popplace = Santander, Boyacá, {{COL}} | langs = Chibcha | rels = Traditional | related = U'wa, Muisca, Guane }}
The '''Lache''' were an indigenous, agrarian people in the highlands of what is now central Colombia's northern Boyacá and Santander departments, primarily in Gutiérrez Province and García Rovira Province.<ref name="Monografias Laches">{{in lang|es}} [http://www.monografias.com/trabajos82/laches-y-chitareros-y-sus-caminos-llegada-espanoles/laches-y-chitareros-y-sus-caminos-llegada-espanoles2.shtml Los Laches y Chitareros y sus caminos a la llegada de los españoles]</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Rodríguez|1992|page=17}}</ref> They were part of the Cocuy Confederation<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Rueda, Carl Henrik Langebaek |year=1987 |title=Tres formas de acceso a recursos en territorio de la confederación del Cocuy, siglo XVI |language=es |journal=Boletín Museo del Oro |volume=18 |pages=29–45 |url=http://publicaciones.banrepcultural.org/index.php/bmo/article/viewFile/7214/7477}}</ref> and spoke Chibcha, trading predominantly with other Chibcha speakers, such as the Muisca, Guane, Pijao and Chitarero.<ref name="Rodriguez 1992 p18">{{harvnb|Rodríguez|1992|page=18}}</ref> Trade included salt and textiles, as well as food stuffs.<ref name="Rodriguez 1992 p18" /><ref>{{Cite journal |first=Blanca Ofelia |last=Acuña Rodríguez |year=2006 |title=Territorio indígena de la sal en la Sierra Nevada del Cocuy. S. XVI |language=es |journal=Historia y Espacio |issue=27 |url=http://bibliotecadigital.univalle.edu.co/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10893/987/003%20ART.pdf |access-date=2016-11-24 |archive-date=2021-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021141151/https://bibliotecadigital.univalle.edu.co/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10893/987/003%20ART.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Lache farmed maize, potatoes, quinoa and cotton, among other crops.<ref>{{harvnb|Rodríguez|1996}}</ref>
In the 17th century, Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita wrote of the habit of the Laches in bringing up younger male children as culturally female.<ref>{{harvnb|Trexler|1999|page=86}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.encolombia.com/medicina/pediatria/pediatria38203-reflexion.htm|author=Tribín, Hugo Armando Sotomayor|date=June 2003|title=Una reflexión histórico - antropológica sobre el maltrato infantil en Colombia (Segunda Parte)|journal=Pediatria|volume=38|issue=2|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090405052004/http://www.encolombia.com/medicina/pediatria/pediatria38203-reflexion.htm|archive-date=5 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>
The name Lache is preserved in a ''barrio'' of Bogotá known as Los Laches.
== Municipalities belonging to Lache territory == The Lache inhabited the highlands of eastern Santander and northern Boyacá and a small part of northwesternmost Casanare.<ref name="Monografias Laches" /><ref name="Lache Terr">{{in lang|es}} [http://dnsocha.blogspot.com.co/p/historial-provinvia-de-valderrama.html Lache people territories]</ref><ref name="Ocampo Banco">{{in lang|es}} [http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/folclor/pueboy/pueboy1.htm Indigenous groups of Boyacá and surroundings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225032437/http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/folclor/pueboy/pueboy1.htm |date=2011-12-25 }} - Banco de la República</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" ! scope="col" | Name ! scope="col" | Department ! scope="col" | Altitude (m)<br><small>urban centre</small> ! scope="col" | Map |- | align=center | Capitanejo | align=center | Santander | align=center | 1090 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Carcasí | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2080 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Cepitá | align=center | Santander | align=center | 3000 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Cerrito | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2220-4200 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Concepción | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2005 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Enciso | align=center | Santander | align=center | 1484 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Guaca | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2401 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Macaravita | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2320 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Málaga | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2235 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Molagavita | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2196 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | San Andrés | align=center | Santander | align=center | 1617 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | San José de Miranda | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2381 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | San Miguel | align=center | Santander | align=center | 2200 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Chiscas | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 2368 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Chita | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 2964 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | El Cocuy | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 2750 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | El Espino | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 2128 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Guacamayas | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 2296 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Jericó<br><small>(shared with Muisca)</small> | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 3100 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | Panqueba | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 2258 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | La Salina | align=center | Casanare | align=center | 1400 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | San Mateo | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 2500 | align=center | 100px|center |- | align=center | La Uvita | align=center | Boyacá | align=center | 2700 | align=center | 100px|center |- |}
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== See also == {{Portal|Colombia|Indigenous peoples of the Americas}} *Muisca *Conquest of the Lache, Chibcha, U'wa *Guane
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
== Bibliography == * {{Cite journal |last=Rodríguez |first=José Vicente |year=1992 |title=Características Físicas de la Población Prehispánica de la Cordillera Oriental de Colombia: Implicaciones Etnogenéticas |journal=Maguaré |volume=8 |pages=7–45}} * {{cite book |last=Rodríguez |first=José Vicente |year=1996 |title=Dieta, Salud y Demografía Prehispánica en la Cordillera Oriental de Colombia: Mitos y Realidades Sobre el Bienestar Aborigen |publisher=Departamento de Antropología, Facultad Ciencias Humanas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Santafé de Bogotá}} * {{cite book |last=Trexler |first=Richard C. |year=1999 |title=Sex and Conquest: Gendered Violence, Political Order, and the European Conquest of the Americas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=acQr0M8w31EC&q=lache+berdache&pg=PA86 |publisher=Cornell University |pages=1–304 |isbn=9780801484827 |accessdate=2016-07-08}}
== Further reading == * {{cite book |last=Ariza |first=Gonzalo |year=1952 |title=Los Laches |publisher=Villegas Editores}}
== External links == * {{Cite web|url=http://www.lacoctelera.com/realidades/post/2005/06/21/asi-es-antander-3 |title=La Coctelera: Realidades Colombianas - Historia y Geografía: Asi es Santander 3|date=21 June 2003|language=es |access-date=5 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230124212/http://www.lacoctelera.com/realidades/post/2005/06/21/asi-es-antander-3 |archive-date=30 December 2005|url-status=dead}}
{{Ancestry and ethnicity in Colombia}} {{Muisca navbox|Caciques and neighbours}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lache people}} Category:Andean civilizations Category:Indigenous peoples in Colombia Category:People from Boyacá Department Category:People from Santander Department Category:Extinct Indigenous peoples of the Americas