American Strategy and Culture: A Hybrid Analysis of the Policy Process and Conflict Within the Wayuu Tribe of South America

A gap in the American foreign policy literature exists regarding informal policy processes of conflict resolution with indigenous populations. The current theoretical frameworks influencing American policy on international conflict are based on patterns of behavior that lack depth or that address only the symptoms rather than the illness of the problem. The purpose of this research is to offer an explanatory analysis to present inconclusive patterns of conflict through the study of the informal policy processes of an indigenous population. John Kingdon's policy streams theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. In this hybrid qualitative study, the conflict resolution process of the Wayuu people was analyzed through semi structured interviews with 10 Wayuu mediators. The narratives of conflict were subjected to inductive coding procedures which resulted in the identification of key themes. Findings of this research include evidence that Kingdon's policy formulation model is an appropriate lens through which to view informal indigenous processes that are often misunderstood by foreign cultures. The findings suggest that deeper analysis can yield a more accurate understanding of cultures in conflict. These findings may also help transform the way nations produce unilateral policy in the context of conflict, underscoring the need to develop strategies unique to each conflict. Finally, these findings can help the U.S. Department of State and Defense address the root causes of grievances that surface from informal policy processes in the context of interaction with indigenous populations.