Ayllu

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Just yesterday, a young student named Inti Sotelo was killed in the second national peaceful protests against our de facto government, following the impeachment of Martin Vizcarra. Inti’s family is originally from Cuzco and holds strong connections to Quechua culture naming their children under fundamental aspects of their community: Inti (Sun), Killa (Moon) and Pacha (Universe). Inti risked his life for the greater community, and has now been recognized as a national hero and a true advocate of the Ayllu way of life.

It’s hard to take this in. If we were living under different circumstances, I would be discussing Quechua fooways and their importance towards Andean identity, but, this is not the case. Peru is experiencing one of the worst political crises since the 90’s, and if anything, it has served as a brutal reality check on how our core values have been completely lost and corrupted over time. It has been heartbreaking to endure days filled with helplessness and rage towards all that we have lost, and to see our own government turning away from its people has left us all with nothing but our voices to cope.

Yet, I can confidently say that I’ve never felt such a strong sense of community in Peru, which is usually an extremely polarized country in terms of social relations.  During this past week, people from all regions have come together and taken the streets, chanting and protesting to reclaim our values. I can safely say that if there is any way by which I can talk about a revitalization of sacred reciprocity, it has to be in relation to what we’ve experienced as a nation. At this instant, Peru is a single, unified nation, and I can only say that it’s a good moment to appreciate the Quechua values that are seen reflected upon our actions this past week.

Today, the entire country is in mourning of Inti Sotelo, so I too resort to this platform to commemorate his life.

“Salir Adelante”

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The latino desire to yield their skills to American multinationals has always been present in Latin American society, mostly recognized as “The American Dream”. Benson and Fischer’s article put forward an interesting dive into the hidden aspects of un-traditional crops production that as consumer, we often don’t see. Yet, it wasn’t something that surprised me in the least, given that even my own family has pursued this dream at some point in time. This fact leads me to a sort of frustration that I assume second/third generations of immigrant or Indigenous families face. In a paradoxical way, family values upon Latin American families circle around the communal effort to salir adelante or pursue a better life, yet most descendants of these families (which have already embedded themselves into a modern lifestyle) have too fallen into a somewhat ignorant consumption of crops, oblivious to the origin or process by which it arrived to their table.

For instance, in a similar way in which broccoli became a staple food which connotates towards a healthy lifestyle, there has been a recent grow in the marketization and consumption of the Açaí berry, which typically grows in Brazil. It’s not uncommon to go into into a vegan café or restaurant without encountering the famous açaí bowl. Even I have been tempted to try this new trend, and once purchased açaí in a local market. However, I can be certain that even if this product is advertised as “exotic” and “unusual”, there is tons of ignorance surrounding the process by which it is distributed in the market. While i’m sure that the rise of this product, especially given it’s high price, can give Indigenous or rural farmers a means to sustain their families whilst also promoting their national identity and food, I’m still skeptical about labour practices. Ultimately, I believe that this is a phenomenon that brings many benefits to this communities, and if there’s any work to be done, it must be within the distribution sector, ensuring ethical dynamics between workers and intermediaries as well as optimal working conditions.

On “Mestizaje” and Identity

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Engaging in research to uncover the meaning of syncretism and mestizaje, nurtured my understanding of cultural exchange, and allowed me to connect with my environment and heritage. Within Peru, there’s a strong prevalance of “mestizo” ethnicity, showcased through an interesting mix between Incan and Catholic religious practices and rituals. Moreover, it is perceived as homogenizing and unifying, as it brings together the country as a national identity, and serves as a nod to our past and history. However, it sometimes makes me question whether this enorcement  of “mestizo” cultural practices attempts to erase some of Incan identity before colonization, given the strong predominance of Catholicism in the country. For instance, last week marked 528 years since Columbus arrived in America, and in Peru, it’s still celebrated as the day of the “discovery” of this continent, rather than its “colonization”. Thus, it has always remained a huge issue in peruvian society, that they often praise the Spanish side of our “mestizaje” at the expense of ancestral Incan traditions.

For this reason, I found the lecture on the Garinagu to shift my perspective on how we perceive identity in the context of “Mestizaje”. This community approaches their roots in a completely different manner than Peruvian society, they recognize their identity in ways that acknowledges their heritage on the basis of pride. Whilst Peruvian identity stems from colonization, the Garinagu celebrate their resilience agaisnt those who attempted to colonize them, which consequently erases all possibilities of feeling ashamed of their past. Their cultural practices all revolve around the cultural exchanges of their ancestors, and are represented upon their daily life and foodways. This celebration of “Mestizaje”, which places it at the center of their daily lives makes it pivotal to their identity and creates an environment of pride and admiration for their history. By reading about the Garinagu, I managed to learn that there are different facets to “Mestizaje” and that it’s not simply based upon a history of oppression and shame.

Ayahuasca: Escapism in the Western World

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The global interest and commercialization of Ayahuasca isn’t something that I’m a total stranger to, on the contrary, I’ve experienced it first hand and questioned it for a long time. For that reason, I found this week’s readings to be eye-opening and in some way, managed to put in words the series of questions I had been unable to communicate through the past years. Peru’s income depends greatly upon the tourism sector, so its focus on Indigenous communities and traditions has always been present, yet in the midst of constructing the tourist experience, much of the traditions are lost. I found the interview with Dr. Smith to pose this concept in a really interesting manner, especially when discussing “authenticity”. given that paradoxically enough, it doesn’t really reflect authentic Indigenous practices. Upon listening to the interview, it was clear to me what the value of authenticity meant for the Western visitor, and that it stems from their need to escape the cosmopolitan way of life, at least temporalily. There is a longing to be a part of something ancient, and an urge to give in to the spiritual, even if it doesn’t resemble the traditional healing rituals. I find this paradox to be really interesting, and looking at it whilst thinking about our readings from Unit 1, especifically the Insider/Outsider problem, I believe that even though these tourists are looking for authenticity, by doing that, they are separating themselves even more as outsiders, given that they will never be able to experience in the same way the Shipibo experiences Ayahuasca.

Something that has also prevailed in the Shipibo-Konibo landscape is the fact that they’re are also invested in the tourism industry, as explained by the podcast lecture. Most Shipibo peoples are aware of the interest of foreigners in their art and culture, so they have been able to adapt to great lengths to generate income. As indicated in the podcast lecture, globalization has brought many changes to the Shipibo-Konibo peoples, and I particularly thought that the idea of the youths straying away from their culture to be extremely present nowadays. For instance, when I visited Iquitos last year, there were many tourists sites where Shipibo-Konibo communities would perform their ritual dances such as the Anaconda, a tribute to the serpent. During this performance they would be dressed with their traditional Kené clothing and native instruments, which captivated the tourists. Yet what surprised me the most, was that once the toursits were leaving after the performace, the dancers would quickly change into regular clothing, grab their backpacks and leave for the city. I managed to talk to a girl that was performing and she told me she was studying for a politics degree in the local university, and in order to pay for her tuition, she would perform for tourists, yet she told she didn’t connect with her community in the same way her parents did. I found this to be shocking, given that it completely contradicts the “authentic” experience that the tourists are getting, and manages to show that ancient cultural traditions are ultimately becoming a business.

“Commercializing” Culture

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Cultural appropiation had existed as a very vague concept within my understanding for a very long time, especially because it had never been properly discussed in my local environment, yet reading about it this past week has made me realize that’s it’s an essential concept that we must all open up the discourse to. Upon reflection, I’ve managed to observe that cultural appropiation is present virtually everywhere and, in most cases,  it’s hugely underlooked by our modern society. Though there are instances where cultural appropiation has been called out in the media in the form of, say, celebrities like the Kardashians profiting off of Black culture, there are still thousands of micro actions and behaviours that we have normalized as a society, which blatantly appropiate and commercialize a wide variety of cultural elements without acknowledging its traditional value. We see this everyday in clothing, in instagram influencer’s posts, and in products that are being sold to us by the media. The topic of cultural appropriation has become so normalized to the point that even rural communities in Latin America, such is Peru are adopting it as a means to promote “eco-tourism”, such as through the popular Ayahuasca retreats, which in most cases hold little to zero acknowledgement of the ancestral practice of Ayahuasca consumption. I believe that what appalled me the most from reading about this concept was the fact that it contributes to cement the domination of Indigenous communities that have been colonized, further establishing an oppressor/oppressed dynamic.
Alternatively, I was pleased to read more about Indigenous Agroecology, mainly because I’ve grown up in an environment where traditional agricultural practices have been mostly respected and learning about the benefits that it can bring to Indigenous communities and the economy has encouraged me reflect on how valuable it is. For instance, Peru still honors the traditional Incan method of growing crops via “andenes” which are platforms built into the mountains that make for an extremely effective agricultural system. Although not many countries make use of Indigenous agricultural methods due to the industrialization of these practices, I believe that it would be a great alternative to take into consideration, within the current state of the world.

Whilst reading Introduction by Tuhiwai Smith, Tuck & Yang I couldn’t help but think about how colonization is deeply rooted on our behavior, as well as on the academic landscape. At first glance, it was overwhelming to have gained awareness of how damaging colonization has been to the land, culture and our hectic modern lifestyles, yet after a few more reads I found hope that we could reshape some aspects of our behavior. Although the reading very clearly explains the concept of decolonization and urges us to understand that it’s not merely I metaphor, I believe that the alternatives that the authors pose to shift our habits to include indigenous knowledge are really innovative. I particularly liked the focus that Tuhiwai Smith poses on pedagogy and how Western notions of education attempt to “fix” Indigenous knowledge under the idea that they “know better”, when academia could easily include Indigenous scholars into the curriculum. I was especially drawn to Smith’s introduction to the second chapter, which talks about how we could take a land-centered approach to education, and understand that ultimately, it’s our first teacher so we can engage with our history through the land and become our relationships with others.

The concepts put forward in Introduction stuck with me even when looking at the other readings, and I found that these ideas are also seen when we talk about food. Before reading Belasco’s text, I had an extremely superficial view on food, which aligned greatly with the Industrialized perspective of food distribution and consumption. The reading managed to expand my horizons on the concept of food, and I was surprised to find the fascinating philosophy that lies behind it. It allowed me to be self-aware of the fact that I have too been conditioned to forget about the thrill and excitement of enjoying a meal, and understanding its journey to the table. This was the reading that I enjoyed the most given that it prompted me to gain a new perspective on food, and helped me to connect with my eating habits and how I can change them in a way that I can make it enjoyable.

For instance, I’ve always been aware of the fact that my mom keeps a vegetable garden in the house, so we get most of our ingredients and spices from there, yet I never acknowledge the effort and care that goes into harvesting it for consumption. After reading Belasco’s text, I immediately asked my mom to help me learn her process, so now we’re growing our food together! It has been an incredible to connect with my mom and the land in which I’m located, since we are growing tons of native goods with traditional agricultural techniques.

ps. Here is a picture of a couple of veggies we’ve been growing 🙂

Introduction

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I am from Coca,

from Andean hills

and mountain springs.

I am from yard and shears,

tensile and sharp,

reassuring.

 

From protecting your history.

From Carmen

and Alba.

From Cedron

and Ichu.

 

I am from the whisk,

smoothing, blending,

roasts,

rosemary,

and tango.

 

 

Hi!

My name is Valentina and I’m from Buenos Aires Argentina, but I’ve lived most of my life in Lima, Peru. It was really fun to write this poem since I could identify the huge mix between Peruvian and Argentinian culture in my family. I’ve always been interested in learning about the indigenous communities present in both of my hometowns and love to connect with the history of the land. That’s the main reason as of why I was so excited to take this course! I recognized most of the indigenous communities we’ll be discussing from places I’ve visited around Peru and I can’t wait to know more about them.

I’m currently in second year in the faculty of arts, but looking to transfer to film production, which I absolutely enjoy and find it to be a great medium to discuss a wide range of societal and cultural issues. My hobbies include listening to new music and attending concerts as well as traveling (both of which we can’t unfortunately do right now haha), but recently I’ve been dedicating my time to read and watch as many movies as I can! I’m thrilled to get to know all of you and to participate in this course. I’ll leave you guys with a photo from a long trip I took to the Amazon river during my gap year.