Salka Wind: Cultural Notes
by Oakley E. Gordon, Ph.D.

 

Salka Wind

Context

Miscellaneous

While I focus in my writings and teaching on what the Andean culture has to offer that could enhance our world view, the culture certainly also has its share of problems. I don't particularly want to dwell in that area--as I am more interested in sharing what I find beautiful and significant in their culture than I am in providing a complete account--but I do want to acknowledge it.

One of the things I value the most in my interactions with the Andean people is the degree to which I am accepted and welcome based upon my ability to open my heart to them. This is not true with all the people I have met or in all the places I have gone in the Andes--a few of which have been quite frightening--but the open-heartedness of the people has been a major and valued part of my experience.

Politenesses

The following information is drawn primarily from Inge Bolin's book (see Recommended Readings).

  • When something, such as food, is offered to you with both hands this represents that they are offering it to you with all their heart, to accept the offer in the same spirit receive it with both hands.
  • The people often embrace when they meet, it is a somewhat open (i.e. at arms-length) embrace, leaning forward and barely touching each other's shoulders or upper arms .
  • In some social ceremonies a glass of liquor will be passed to each recipient in turn but they will only pretend to take a sip before handing it back (you might want to be on the lookout for this before chugging it).
  • An invitation to chew coca leaves is an invitation to participate in a social interaction. See The Coca Page for more information.

Men and Women

The following applies more to those areas where the pre-conquest Andean culture is more prevalent than where the post-conquest culture is predominant. Here I have relied upon both Inge Bolin's and Catherine Allen's books (see Recommended Readings).

Men and women have equally important but distinctively different roles in the culture. The relationship between husband and wife reflects the Andean organization of reality into complementary opposites that make up a unified whole. The Andean term for 'man and wife' is the single, composite word warmi-qhari which literally means 'woman-man' and refers to the 'fusion of two different but interdependent kinds of human beings.' (Allen, pg 54). The different roles of women and men in the Andes correspond to the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the cross (a mystic symbol found way beyond the boundaries of Christianity). When women and men are gathered together they tend to sit with people of their same sex, the men often take a vertical position (standing or sitting on chairs) while the women often take a horizontal position (not by laying down but by sitting on the Pachamama). Sitting on the ground also puts the women into right relationship with the Pachamama. The patterns of the men's clothing often run vertically while those of the women often run horizontally. The operation of the horizontal (ground) loom is considered to be a woman's task while that of the vertical (pedal) loom is considered to be a man's task. Many of the tasks performed by the people are identified quite clearly as being either a woman's task or a man's task, but while this distinction is clear and important it is also the case that when necessary a woman will do a "man's" task and a man will do a "woman's" task. The only exception I have found to this in the literature is that when working the fields the seeds must be planted by a woman if they are to grow (Bolin, 119).

Husbands are much more likely to speak up at meetings and to hold office than are wives. From this, and from the tendency to segregate by sex at gatherings, early chroniclers assumed that men have the more powerful role in Andean society and women a more submissive role. This, however, is misleading, for the husband is merely the spokesman for the couple and decisions are made in consultation between husband and wife (Allen and Bolin). It has also been my personal experience that the women of the villages give off a great sense of power, not an aggressive power, more like a power that is in touch with the foundations of the Earth.

Allen reports that the women of Sonqo asked her whether her husband beat her or not. While all of the men denied beating their wives they expressed suspicions that their sisters were beaten by their husbands and from what Allen writes it seems likely that some amount of wife beating occurs. A friend of mine witnessed an instance of this in an Andean village as well. In the Andes the men often need to leave the village to work as laborers or sell produce, there 'they often meet with humiliating treatment and return home drunk, ashamed, and furious.' (Allen, pg 60). Bolin, who writes about a community that is more isolated and less entwined with the post-conquest culture, presents a picture of a people for whom prevalent wife beating would be hard to imagine.

Status of Runakuna in Society

Speaking of 'humiliating treatment' (see above) it is hard at times for me to believe how the people I travel so hard to be with and whom I value so highly are sometimes treated by other's in their society. The runakuna (the indigenous people of the Andes), particularly those who follow the ancient ways, occupy a position at the very bottom of their society's social ladder (occupied at the top by those who are most European in looks and have money). They are dismissed by some as ignorant pagans and their coca chewing is viewed as a disgusting practice. In the media of their countries they are often portrayed as buffoons. In Cusco the Q'ero--easily distinguishable by their traditional clothing--are sometimes accosted by teens riding around in pickup trucks who stop to beat them up. Some restaurants will refuse them service or bring them obviously inferior food (while serving better food to non runakuna sitting at the same table).

This is both hard for me to believe and easy for me to believe, for it is not just the South American societies who have these values, the predominant powers from my culture have essentially the same attitude. Capitalists want them to stop their sustainable lifestyles and become bigger consumers. Western mining companies have their sites on the most sacred of the Andean Apus. Missionaries want them to stop their 'pagan ways' and are doing all they can to stomp out the traditional culture. In any event it is worth knowing that if you are on this path you will run into others who despise or at least look down upon the Andean people for the very same reasons you value and respect them.