| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 24,825 (2005)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Colombia | |
| Languages | |
| Spanish, Mokaná (extinct) | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity |
The Mokaná (also Mocaná) are an indigenous people living in the Atlántico DepartmentofColombia. They are the only indigenous community in the department.[1] The Mokaná language, part of the Malibu family of languages, is extinct; only 500 words have been preserved.[2]
The first contact between the Mokaná and Europeans occurred in 1529 when the Portuguese conquistador Jerónimo de Melo led an expedition overland from Santa MartatoMalambo, a settlement on the Rio Magdalena named for the Mokaná cacique Pedro Malambo who governed it at that time.[3] The Mokaná largely converted to Christianity in the 16th century.
In 1766, the Spanish Crown granted the Mokaná ownership of 17,500 hectares of land by royal decree.[2]
During the Spanish American wars of independence, Mokaná fought in the Magdalena Campaign of 1812 and the siege of Cartagena de Indias in 1821.[3]
On 2 May 1998, the Mokaná were officially recognized as an ethnic group by the Government of Colombia.[2]
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