There was a certain concern however, with missionaries destroying the Inka spirituality that was associated with the actual land occupied by the Incas. There is a Quechua story that says a ancient Inka civilization married Pachamama, mother earth, which went on to produce human offspring. (Dean 502) This tale and others are representative of the deep relationship that the Inka people had with the earth. In fact, while other civilizations chose to cut through and destroy rock whilebuidling, the Inka actually decided to build in conjunction with natural stone formations. Dean says, “I suggest that the integrated rock outcrop was used by the Inka to express qhariwarmi in the built enviroment. In particular it articulates the coming together of…
inhabitants were farmers (Andrushko et al. 2006: 63). They produced their food and clothes. The major crops grown were tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. The peasants also domesticated guinea pigs, dogs, llamas, and ducks. The llama provided them with wool and transportation services. In terms of communication, the Inca spoke in the Quechua language and did not know how to write. However, they were able to use…
seeking help from the king to stop the Spanish (especially the corregidores) from abusing the Andeans and separating themselves from Andean settlement. However, in a deep analysis, it is revealed that Guamán Poma sets up the letters in a clear, elaborate structure. Despite the many satirical remarks and the personal exhortations, there lying all that is a subversion of total civil and religious power of the Spanish colonial administration and nascency of a semi autonomous Andean state. Guamán…
basically a Roman Catholic Bruja that incorporates catholic elements such as holy water, religious candles, pictures of saints, crosses, etc. Brujas and Curanderos both are native healers or “witch doctors” and are very similar to Shamans in that have influence over the spiritual world and also use that influence to heal and nurture. In Peru, those who practice brujeria are often respected members of the community, and are sought after for many things; fortune telling, healing, advice, even…
for you to connect with your culture, community and also yourself. In my viewpoint, learning your native langauge is very important so certain languages don’t vanish. When I was reading the article ‘’Vanishing Voices,’’ Russ Rymer was trying to get to the point on how endangered languages really go into extinction. Rymer said that ‘’Languages follow power. In an increasingly globalized and homogenized era, languages that dominate world communication and commerce jump geopolitical borders and…
ALPACAS (VICUGNA PACOS) Appearance Alpacas, in my opinion, are very ugly creatures. What makes them ugly is their soft fleece. Although it looks ugly, the fleece is extremely soft, and highly valued. The colors of their fleece can range from pitch black to white, including brown. They kind of look like a small llama. Alpacas have hooves like a pig and they spit like llamas. A fully grown alpaca weighs about 48-84kgs and is 81-99cm tall. Habitat Alpacas originate from Peru. They are thought to…
Under harsh environments and geological challenges, many people couldn't survive under this condition, but two groups of people, managed to adapt, and worked around their surrounding and make the most out of it. These people are the Puebloans cliff dwellers from Mesa Verde, and the Incas from Machu Picchu. The Puebloans from Mesa Verde adapted to their surrounding and lived within cliffs. They build large cliff dwellings called 'The Alcove' which the biggest of them contains 150 rooms and 23…
Flood Myths: Montagnais and Quechua Culture Myths of the New World might surprise someone unfamiliar with the multiple iterations of the universal flood myth. The Montagnais culture depicts a story where the hero, Messou, is faced with the problem of losing his dogs to a large lake. After being informed by a bird about the whereabouts of his dog, the brave Messou attempts to rescue his canine companion from the lake, but the lake overflows and the world is ruined. Furthermore, with the aid of a…
When bargaining in rural markets, a Quechua word or two will not only appear to you to the vendors, but usually get you an extra orange or more juice! Several small lowland groups speak their own languages. Physical Ecuador is located in Latin America and next to the Pacific Ocean Ecuador encompasses a wide range of natural formations and climates from dry hot deserts to humid rain forests and it is also famous for its Amazon basin with a nice variety of colorful wildlife Cultural The…
Food, Power, and Resistance in the Andes: Exploring Quechua Verbal and Visual Narratives is a study by Alison Krogel that analyzes the food-landscapes that are present in different Andean art forms. She states that “This book is about the relationship between food, cooks, and power in the Andes. More precisely, it explores the ways in which indigenous female cooks use their roles as food preparers, marketers, or purveyors to access otherwise elusive socioeconomic (and sometimes political) power…