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| Figure 1: The Aymara |
Today’s blog post will explore the vibrant culture of the Aymara (Figure 1),
an indigenous population of the Andean highlands of southern Peru, northern
Chile, and Bolivia. The Aymara have a
long history living and thriving in the Andean highlands, and despite interventions
among ancient cultural groups and colonization by the Spanish they continue to
persevere to this day. This post will address
the various aspects of their culture, including their language, dress,
economics, subsistence strategies, and challenges to their way of life.
The Aymara received their name many centuries ago. There is no known meaning to their name, and
it is believed it is derived from a long-forgotten language no longer spoken in
the region. The name of their culture is
also the name of their language. The
Aymara have and continue to reside primarily in the Lake Titicaca region of
Bolivia and Peru, although many have migrated to urban centers throughout Chile
and Peru (Figure 2). Their populations are so
abundant in the urban areas of Chile that they are the second largest
indigenous population in the country.
Traditionally, the Aymara were and continue to be an
agrarian society. They grow a series of
cultigens, including potatoes, corn, beans, chili peppers, and quinoa. They traditionally raised a variety of camelids,
specifically llama and alpaca, for meat and wool, as well as guinea pigs. They also used to fish in the Lake Titicaca
Basin, although these exploits have decreased due to the pollution of the lake
that is causing various issues for the environment and to the Aymara
communities. Today, many Aymara either
have permanently relocated to urban areas or temporarily move to the urban
areas to make money for their families back in the highlands.
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| Figure 2: Aymara geographical distribution |
Traditionally, the Aymara wore their hair in braids, with
two braids for women and one for men.
Men today typically keep their hair short, but Aymara women still wear
their hair long and in braids. The
Aymara traditionally and continue to be avid weavers, producing their own cloth
and clothing from alpaca and llama wool.
They create vibrant and colorful clothing from natural and artificial
dyes, which they used as trade goods in the past and today sell to interested
parties. Aymara not residing in urban
areas typically wear their traditional clothing, which consists of long tunics
for men and skirts and blouses for women.
They will also wear hats that cover their hair and ears. These are also widely sold to locals and tourists.
The Aymara are very dedicated to preserving their cultural
heritage. This is due to relative
isolation that occurred among them until recent decades. Their homelands being in the Andean highlands
made it difficult to reach them among outsider groups, and they were isolated
due to the inaccessibility to regularly contact them. This means that they have maintained much of
their traditional ways as a result, and the recent contact with outsider groups
unfortunately threatens this way of life. The Aymara continue to teach their children
their native language, and many Aymara, particularly women who reside in the
highlands, do not know any other language.
Only those who rely on regular contact with Peruvian, Bolivians, and Chileans
either speak conversational or fluent Spanish.
The push by the local governments toward more Spanish speaking Aymara
has met some resistance due to the fear of a loss of cultural and traditional
ways, which the Aymara are fiercely protective of.
Works Cited
Lewellen, Ted, Paul Broan and Winifred Mitchell. Aymara
Indians - Adaptation and Survival in Southern Peru. September 1986.
Electronic. 30 July 2019.
Minorities Rights Group. Aymara. 2019.
Electronic. 30 July 2019.
Native Languages of the Americas. Aymara Indian
Fact Sheet. 2015. http://www.bigorrin.org/aymara_kids.htm. 30 July 2019.
Owens, Matthew. Aymara Culture Protects Their
Children from Psychological Distress. 3 February 2014. Electronic. 30 July
2019.
13 comments:
The Aymara seems like a very interesting culture. i find it interesting how they've kept much of their traditions by keeping themselves isolated. i also wonder why the government is pushing for more Spanish speaking Aymara?
-Breonia G
Breonia, it is standard practice among several governments and organizations to use the dominant group's culture or language as a way to culturally removing minority cultures. They often claim well meaning intentions, such as making these individuals more marketable, and these intentions might be well intentioned. Unfortunately the result is cultural loss on the part of minority cultures.
My first time seeing an example dressing of Aymara was an interesting view. They wore bright colors and one of the most long-lasting culture that sticks to their traditions. Observing them as a bystander they love their culture and what they do for their ancestors. How do Aymara’s get their stitching and real fabric for their clothing.
-Crystal Riley
Crystal, that's a good question. As we discussed previously in class the Aymara use camelids, such as llamas and alpacas, to weave their wool.
I find it fascinating how bright the Aymara get their clothes. I know the women keep their hair in braids but is their hair texture coarse? I could imagine because the braids help the hair stay in a protective style.
-Maya Collier
Maya, I am not sure. The Aymara are a very diverse group of people, so it is difficult to answer that question. I believe that it is traditional to keep their hair long and braided, so it may be customary. Also, long hair can get in the way, so they may braid it for functionality.
The one thing I can relate to in this article is how the women wear 2 braids in their hair. My natural hair is always pinned in 2 braids. Its good to learn about the Aymara's and how they still live in urban areas and provide for their families still in the highlands.
-Jasmine Busby
The first part of this blog post resonated with me because in Sierra Leone, the main languages are English and Krio, however there are many other languages spoken there and the names of our tribes are the names of those languages. -Malalia Siafa-Bangura
I like that they stick to their traditions. I wonder why the men keep their haircut now instead of long in the braid. I also love they bright colors they wear. What was the language spoken that they don’t speak anymore.-castrele hoy
I absolutely love how the Aymara people take hold and responsibility of their language and tradition. They haven't changed for anyone and basically refuse to, even when the government presses down on them. That's so respectable to me.
- Chyann Taylor
Being an agriculture major, I have a deep appreciation for this post and the people discussed in it. It is a shame that pollution is becoming such a harm. It affects every type of farming, big and small. I hate to see this for these people trying to keep their practices alive.
This article of Aymara people is amazing. their hair and their attire reminds me on the Indian culture, also how isolated they are reminds me of an Indian reservations.
-lavonza marshall
It is truly ironic how the only way to maintain ones culture is to be off the grid or "too far" to colonize. The Aymara people are fighting for their culture and not allowing it to go away with time as it passes through generation to generation. I mainly love that language is still being taught and passed down so that their language doesn't become a dead one.
-Kennedy Thompson
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