Social Organization
Traditional Colla society is organized on the basis of family and friendship ties among people living in the same locality. With the official constitution of indigenous communities under Indigenous Law Nº 19.253, these social groups became legal representative bodies that made decisions by assembly. The Collas do not presently have traditional authorities, but do have ceremonial figures who preside over local rituals.
The Colla population is relatively small, with just 3,198 individuals self-identifying as such in the 2002 Census in Chile, and the number of members of official Colla communities is even smaller.