Newsletter May 2007

Dressed in the traditional clothing and masks of the Señor de Q’oyllur Riti festival, more than 2,000 Quechuan marchers and dancers flooded the streets of Cuzco on March 5th in an effort to protect the sacred site of Q’oyllur Riti from mining activities. The demonstrators came in on foot and by bus from eight different Andean communities of the district of Ocongate, 6 hours away from the city of Cuzco.

Dancing demonstrators.

Q’oyllur Riti, meaning “snow-star” in the Quechua language, is a snow-capped mountain in the district of Ocongate. The Q’oyllur Riti festival, one of the most important indigenous festivals in Peru, takes place in June during the full moon closest to the Andean winter solstice. During the festival thousands make a pilgrimage of several days through rough terrain to the footsteps of Q’oyllur Riti to honor the spirit of the mountain. Young men dressed as Ukuku, or Andean bear, go even further to the top of the mountain at 20,873 feet above sea level and later come back down carrying huge blocks of ice on their backs as offerings for the Pachamama, or Mother Earth.

Ukuku.

Andean Bear.

Felipe Achahui, president of the Brohterhood of the Lord of Q’oyllur Riti, claimed that the Ministry of Energy and Mines had leased an area within the traditional festival site to mining company Minsur. Abel Ayerza Romero, spokesman for the Ministry of Energy and Mines, said that the protest was a result of a misscommuncation and that there were no mining activities taking place within the sanctuary. Regardless, due to the protest, a special commission has been created to clearly mark the sacred region as off-limits to any mining acitivities. Romero said that the region had been declared a historical monument in 2004, but that the previous administration of the Ministry of Culture had failed to complete the necessary proceedings and paperwork.

During the demonstration, protesters went into the offices of the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of Culture and brought government officials onto the streets with them. Romero said he was glad to join the demonstrators. He said, “This is a demonstration that has profound roots in the ancient Incan culture of Tawantinsuyo. Government officials in the future shoud complete their necesasary tasks a lot faster. It’s a message for all of us who work in the public sector.”

Source: indiancountry.com

PAST NEWSLETTERS:

• Newsletter December 2007
• Newsletter November 2007
• Newsletter October 2007
• Newsletter September 2007
• Newsletter August 2007
• Newsletter July 2007
• Newsletter June 2007
• Newsletter May 2007
• Newsletter April 2007
• Newsletter March 2007
• Newsletter February 2007
• Newslette January 2007