Encyclopedia
The
Aymara are a native ethnic group in the
Andes region of
South America; about 2.3 million live in
Bolivia,
Peru,
Northern Chile, and Northern
Argentina . They lived in the region for many centuries before becoming a subject people of the
Inca, and later of the
Spanish in the 16th century.
History
The Aymara have existed in the Andes in what is now
Bolivia for over 2,000 years, according to some estimates. Some scholars, and many Aymara themselves, associate them with the highly advanced civilization centered at
Tiwanaku, though due to the lack of written history this cannot be proven conclusively, and does not fit with the linguistic evidence. The region where Tiwanaku and the modern Aymara are located, the
Altiplano, was conquered by the
Incas under Huayna Capac , although the exact date of this takeover is unknown. It is most likely that the Inca had a strong influence over the Aymara region for some time. The architecture for which the Inca are now known is clearly modeled after the Tiwanaku style. Though conquered by the Inca, the Aymara retained some degree of autonomy under the empire. There were a number of ethnic groups which were later to be known Aymara by the Spanish. These were divided upon different chieftainties. These included the Charqa, Qharaqhara, Quillaca, Asanaqui, Carangas, Sivaroyos, Haracapi, Pacajes, Lupacas, Soras, among others. Upon arrival of the Spanish, all these groups were spread in what today is
Bolivia.
Looking at the history of the languages, however, rather than their current distribution, it is clear that Aymara was once spoken much further north, at least as far north as central Peru, where most Andean linguists feel it is most likely that Aymara originated . In fact, the Inca nobility may themselves originally have been Aymara-speakers, who switched to Quechua only shortly before the Inca expansion: the Cuzco area has many Aymara placenames, and the so-called 'Secret language of the Incas' actually appears to be a form of Aymara.
Geography
Most present day Aymara-speakers live in the
Lake Titicaca region also known as the
Altiplano, and are concentrated south of the lake. The capital of the ancient Aymara civilization was the city of Chucuito, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca about 120 miles south-east of the modern city of Puno. The present urban center of the Aymara region is El Alto, a 750,000-person city near the Bolivian capital
La Paz. In addition, numerous Aymara live and work as campesinos in the surrounding
Altiplano. The Aymara language does have one surviving relative, spoken by a small, isolated group of about 1000 people far to the north in the mountains inland from Lima in Central Peru . This language, known as Jaqaru/Kawki, is of the same family as Aymara, indeed some linguists refer to it as 'Central Aymara', alongside the main 'Southern Aymara' branch of the family spoken in the Titicaca region.
Culture
The native language of the Aymara is also named
Aymara; in addition, many Aymara speak
Spanish, which is the dominant language of the countries in which they live, as a second language. The Aymara flag is known as the
Wiphala; it consists of seven colors quilted together with diagonal stripes. Aymara have grown and chewed
coca plants for centuries, and used its leaves in traditional medicine as well as in ritual offerings to the sun god
Inti and the earth goddess Pachamama. Over the last century, this has brought them into conflict with state authorities who have carried out
coca eradication plans in order to prevent the creation of the drug
cocaine, which is created by extracting the chemical from coca leaves in a complex chemical process. Coca plays a profound role in the indigenous religions of both the Aymara and the Quechua, and in more recent times has become a symbol of cultural identity.
Politics
There are numerous movements for greater independence or political power for the Aymara and other indigenous groups. These include the Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army, led by
Felipe Quispe, and the Movement Towards Socialism, a political party organized by
cocalero Evo Morales. These and many other Aymara organizations have been involved in activism in Bolivia, including the 2003
Bolivian Gas War and the
2005 Bolivia protests. One of the goals of the movement, as put forth by Quispe, is the establishment of an independent indigenous state, Collasuyu, named for the eastern region of the Inca empire which covered the southeastern corner of Peru and much of what is today Bolivia. Evo Morales has run for president in several recent elections with several close calls, and in 2005 he finally won a surprise victory, winning the largest majority vote since Bolivia returned to democracy and becoming the first indigenous president of Bolivia. He is also credited with the ousting of Bolivia's previous two presidents.
See also
- Gregoria Apaza
- Bartolina Sisa
- Socialist Aymara Group
- Wiphala
- Been without being
External links
