Cauca and, more broadly, southwestern Colombia constitute an anthropological laboratory, or rather, a privileged setting for anthropological analysis, due to the ethnic diversity and sociocultural contrasts, as well as the distinct historical trajectories of the populations and social groups that inhabit the region. Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, and peasant social movements in Cauca drive many of the resistance and protest dynamics across the country. It is important to note, however, that the Department of Anthropology at the University of Cauca has alternated between approaches that encourage reflection on these issues, some of which converge in support of political agendas, and others that focus on different aspects of regional life, with analytical connections to national or global spheres of varying degrees and scope.