When I first checked the schedule and saw that we were spending 12 days in Pisac, I was surprised and wondered how we would fill our time in a tiny town with only a dozen streets!? It’s only been three days and I feel like I’ve had a weeks worth of experiences. Between the ancient ruins, the massive market, and the variety of ‘cultures’ to observe, Pisac has not failed to disappoint.
I have to say that exploring the ruins has been my favorite experience thus far. Though we were unable to procure a guide for the site, the small introduction that we were given was quite informative. I liked learning about the varied reasons for the location of the site including military strategy for sling shots, the structural use of the rocky mountain, cultivation of potatoes and quinoa, and that it’s distance from Cusco is how far a llama can walk in a day. The man who relayed this information seemed especially proud to inform us about the the ingenuity and sophistication of the Incan people. Jon and Daniel pointed out areas of the ruins that looked to be reconstructed and I wondered if that somehow in-authenticated the experience. After a very short deliberation I decided that it didn’t. Provided that the reconstruction is an accurate representation, it probably helps to preserve cultural history by maintaining the interest of tourists or ‘travelers’. I should also add that I am continuously blown away by the physical strength of the the Incans, and their ability to not just live at such high altitudes, but execute strenuous tasks such as construction, farming, war, etc… (I walked up again today and nearly turned around). I does surprise me that the Spanish were able to conquer such an impressive community. If they didn’t have fancy armor and horses, I don’t think they’d have stood a chance.
Aside from the ruins, my encounters with ‘indigeneity’ have been through the people on the streets and it seems that it is being marketed to us in one or another. While many of the locals seem to be selling the products of their practices (ie. food, crafts, clothes, art), those that appear to have relocated here from other parts of the world seem to be selling the indigenous experience to us (ie. womb healing sessions, spiritual awakenings, and more). It’s interesting to me that the majority of those who are selling the ‘experiences’ seem to be from afar. Do these new-aged products really help people? Are they in fact indigenous? Is it wrong for foreigners to be selling them?
I’d love to hear some thoughts on this!
One reply on “Indigeneity in Pisac?”
“It does surprise me that the Spanish were able to conquer such an impressive community.” I could tell you that in part there was conquest but also negotiation. You have noted it very well: with pure violence it was impossible to defeat the Inca rulers. But if we focus more on the common population and not on the elites, we will see that in the archaeological sites there are traces of the effort that was made. I wonder what an encounter with those specific people would have been like.