Indigenous Archer

This illustration from the Drake Manuscript (c. 1590)—a compendium of Caribbean flora, fauna, and peoples created by French authors drawing on Francis Drake’s 1585–86 voyages—depicts a native warrior from Santa Marta, armed with bow, spear, and a quiver of poison-tipped arrows. His upright posture conveys readiness and dignity. The image reflects early European attempts to record and interpret Indigenous lifeways in colonial-era Colombia.