Guamare

Guamares

Map of Chichimeca tribes
Total population
(extinct as an ethnic group)
Regions with significant populations
Mexico (Guanajuato)
Languages
Guamares Language and Spanish
Religion
Indigenous Religion
Related ethnic groups
Other Chichimecas

The Guamare people were an indigenous people of Mexico, who lived at the border of Jalisco and Guanajuato. They were part of the Chichimecas, a group of nomadic hunter-gatherers, encountered by the Spanish in the 16th century.

The Guamares were centered in the Guanajuato Sierras, but some bands ranged as far east as Aguascalientes. The 17th century author Gonzalo de las Casas described the Guamares as "the bravest, most warlike, treacherous and destructive of all the Chichimecas, and the most astute (dispuesta)."

One Guamar group called the "Chichimecas Blancos" lived in the region between Jalostotitlan and Aguascalientes. This branch of the Guamares painted their heads white. However, much like the Guachichiles, many of the Guamares colored their long hair red and painted the body with various colors.

From 1550 to 1590, the Guamares along with other Chichimeca groups waged a fierce guerrilla war against the Spaniards and their Indian allies in a conflict known as the Chichimeca War. Unable to defeat the Chichimecas militarily, the Spaniards offered goods and opportunities as an incentive for them to make peace.