Spanish records indicate that this tribe lived in and around the Aburrá Valley, near present-day municipalities like Itagüí, Envigado and Sabaneta, and the towns of Toledo, San Andrés de Cuerquia and Ituango.

In 1998, the Nutabe cacique Virgilio Sucerquia Chancí was assassinated in a confrontation with a paramilitary group.

Their society was organized into small chiefdoms hereditary, individually scattered and lacking any central power.

However, compared to the Spanish conquest (and against other situations overall incidence), these tribes used to join in a federated so to call it around the chief who had shown more courage in any of their tasks warriors.

The Nutabes despite belonging to a group of peaceful tribes of the area were recognized Antioquia also as warriors typically when protecting their territory.