- Otavalo -
Unraveling a "Miracle"?
Streetart in Otavalo
Paja - a typical plant of the highlands
Streetart in Otavalo
How did the conquest by the Spaniards influence the tradition?
With the second great conquest of present-day Ecuador by the Spaniards in the 16th century, the native tribes were confronted with another culture, with different traditions, with a different world view and with a different influential religion: Christianity. As a result of colonial oppression the indigenous groups adapted elements of Christian belief. In current days the Christian saints are linked to Andean deities. For instance, the Christian God is associated with the Andean creator Virachocha, whereas Pachamama, the mother earth, is associated with the Virgin Mary (cf. FU-Berlin). It is well known that the result of the conquest by the Spaniards was a great turning point in native-group history. Oppression and missionary zeal were tasks of the colonialization phase. The oppressed cultures had to adapt to the imperialist power, also adapting their clothing traditions. Therefore the Andean indigenous groups today are still wearing traditional clothing that were inspired by former traditional national costumes from Spanish regions like Extremadura, Andalusia or the Basque region (cf. Galeano 71).
What do the people of Otavalo celebrate?
Ritual festivities (in kichwa raymikuna) and traditions are very important for indigenous communities. The events unite the people within their communities and also the kichwa as one ethnic group. They are platforms to express shared beliefs, practices and traditions of their forefathers and reaffirm ancestral roots in this way. In the community of Otavalo the festivities acquire a significant meaning in the construction of a cultural identity because only the activities of Kapak Raymi is celebrated in the closed circle of the community, while mayor parts of the other indigenous main festivities take place in urban central places so that an interested public can also accede and participate in parts of the program. So the events are not only opportunities to reafirm a cultural identity within group, but also to reivindicate indigenous roots in front of a widespread mestizo and international public, that is attracted by tourism.
Where do the people of Otavalo celebrate?
Trade and music buisness spread the Otavalos all over the world. There exist communities in the United States, almost all countries of Europe, China, Japan, India and also Australia. These communities organize raymis too or travel home to Otavalo after having spent several months or years in these countries. This "cosmopolitanism" has visible impacts in the festivities, because on the one hand new forms of clothing, dancing or musical trends (Célleri, 2001; Yapud Ibadango, 2014) from these parts of the world become included and on the other hand the migration influences who takes part in the organization of the festivals as priostes.
Why do the people of Otavalo celebrate?
The agrarian circle has been the principle orientation for the organization of communitarian life of the Kichwa people. Therefore it also determines their festival and ritual life. The positioning of the sun to the earth takes the major role in this circle, because it provides the environmental conditions for different agrarian activities during the year. The sun and earth determine the time for seeding, growing, harvesting and resting that initiate with the two equinoxes and solstices. Every agrarian period starts at these points with a ritual and certain festivity (raymi), which are called:
Traditions
Why is tradition important for our research?
Tradition is like a mirror of a society and its culture. It can reflect changes in the social life and it inhabits elements of the construction of a cultural identity. In Otavalo this construction has changed in many aspects over the last decades due to the different periods of conquest and the recent dynamics of globalization processes. In the last ten years the Otavalo community has shown a strong revival of its indigenous practices. Therefore it is important to have a look at the Otavalo traditions, which show us the influence of centuries of struggle as an indigenous group in Ecuador.
Speaking further about ethno tourism and the admiration of the so called “Exotic Other” it is important to uncover the notion of this Exotic Otherness (cf. Trupp 144) and the reasons why these cultures are considered exotic and therefore seem to be so fascinating for western societies.
In the following sections we will explain the bases of indigenous traditions of the Otavalos, which indicate how their cultural manifestations have changed, but still exist because of the care for cultural life.
First we relate the Otavalo world vision and tradition to the history of conquest (Inka-Empire, Spanish colonization. Therefore we make a brief excursion explaining the main elements of the Kichwa - cosmovisón based on the Inka-Empire. In addition to that we deal with the influence of the Spaniards on Andean-/Otavalo- traditions.
And finally we cast a glance at the influence of globalization, migration and tourism, by taking the festivities of Otavalo as an example of expression of the cultural of the Kichwa-Otavalo.
How the Inca-Empire did influenced the former ancient cultures?
There is no doubt of a great cultural influence on the Andean region by the ancient and powerful Inca-Empire: Today you can still recognize this influence, even as tourists, all over Ecuador.
You can see them blowing everywhere on the rooftops of many Ecuadorian houses: The multi-colored rainbow flag. In former times this rainbow banner – the Flag of Cuzco – represented the great Inca-Empire Tahuantinsuyo, whereas in present times Indian rights movements like CONAIE - The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (originally: La Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador) or the Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement – New Country (originally: Movimiento de Unidad Plurinacional Pachakutik – Nuevo País) use the colorful, stripped flag as a symbol for “unity in diversity” (Brysk 73). We can record that the small and divergent indigenous nationalities of Ecuador (Otavalos, the Cayambis, the Peruchos, the Cochasquíes and the Pimanpiro) were substantially influenced by their earliest conqueror: the Inca. Today they are proud of their Inca heritage and like to present themselves as the direct inheritors of Inca culture. Besides this visible Inca heritage, there is also an invisible one, which forms the world vision and tradition of the Otavalo.
Inca World view or cosmovisión in Otavalo
There is not a great knowledge or research about the ancient cultures and their traditions in the Imbabura region. What is well-known is that the Inca Empire had a great cultural impact on the former cultures. The official language Quechua was introduced as well as cultural and traditional elements, which make up the societies world view or so called cosmovisión.
The still remaining presence of the former Inca Empire Tahuantinsuyo indicates how much influence the culture and Inca tradition had and have on Ecuadorian-native everyday life. After the conquest of Ecuador in the 15th century, current Ecuadorian native tribes, like the Otavalo, adapted the Inca identity. They adapted the Inca language (kichwa) and took elements of their culture - of the Inca cosmovisión (cf. Farinango/Farinango).
What does the Otavalo cosmovisión consist of?
With the Inca invasion the former tribes Caranqui and Cayambi, which are now known as Otavalo, accepted the Inca deities in their pre-Hispanic believes. The main deities are (cf. Murphy):
Viracocha – Creator of the Earth
Inti – Sun God
Apu Illapu – Rain Giver (agricultural deity)
Pachamama (Paca Mama) – Earth Mother
Mama Quilla – Wife of the Sun God, Moon Mother and regulator of women´s menstrual cycles
Cochamama (Mama Qoca) – Sea Mother
The cosmovisión of the Otavalos shows the close relationship with nature. Two of the main principles of Andean cosmovisión are the concepts of reciprocity and equilibrium. These two concepts are closely linked and regulate the relation between human and deity. Therefore social and ecological interactions have to be seen based on the concept of reciprocity. (Fu-Berlin 2013)
The four divine principles are:
Circularidad - circulation
Complementariedad - complementary
Reciprocidad - reciprocity
Dualidad – dualism
How is the world view constructed by the four divine principles?
All existence is perceived in different pairs. For instance, there is a belief of a sensible balance between the masculine and the feminine. These dual pairs form insoluble unities. When different pairs meet, there will be change, maybe association or war. This belief of dualism forms the perspective on reality of the Andean people (cf. Fu-Berlin).
The understanding of time is not linear like in western hemispheres, but cyclic. Based on this concept of time are cyclic natural phenomena: Seasons, astronomical phenomena. Therefore life depends on the dual-pair: rainy season and dry season. The deep connection of the people with nature is based on the belief that everything has a soul. Keeping in mind the concept of circulation and reciprocity it is not surprising that Andean people have to ask their deities for permission if they want to take something from nature.
the festivity of the godfather sun on 21st of June (summer solstice)
the festivity of the warriors on 21st of December (winter solstice)
the festivity of the „noble wives“, on 21st of September (autumnal equinox)
the festivity of the flourishing on 21st of March (vernal equinox)
What is cosmovisión all about?
Concerning the Latin-American context the term cosmovisión describes the philosophy of life, which traces back to the conception of world-explanation by the Maya (cf. Schönhuth). Cosmovisión in the Andean region like in Otavalo does not only consist of religious aspects, but also of social and ecological ones. The belief that the smallest and the biggest things are linked to each other in material ways is also transferable to a mental and spiritual perspective.
How do Otavalo people celebrate the different raymis?
Each of the four celebrations is motivated by thankfulness to the gods for the provision of the harvest, seen as gifts of the nature to the humans. Every ritual includes acts of purifying that prepares the indigenous people for the encounter with the gods, in which they give something back in order to fulfil the responsibility of reciprocity towards the living nature (Pachamama) that kichwa-people feel according to the indigenous cosmovision. Pawkar, Inti, Kolla and Kapak raymi do not only consist in spiritual activities, but each festivity has its own festival program with socio-cultural activities and sports.
Are there other important events that are celebrated in Otavalo?
The four festivities mentioned above are the most important of the Andean year in indigenous kichwa communities. But there exist a lot of other festivities and events, where the indigenous roots of the Otavalo people are crossed with the colonial heritage of Catholicism. Sometimes christian celebrations are almost the same day as the raymis, so that they intermingle and are celebrated in one big event as it is the case of the fiestas of San Pedro, that coincidate with the Inti Raymi. One of the most interesting examples of indigenous and catholic melting traditions is the Mandiay (Allsouls). On this day, on November 2nd the families of Otavalo visit their deceased family members to pass the day at their graves dancing, sharing food and drinking. For this event a special drink of different fruits and maize – the colada morada - is prepared. People in Otavalo also celebrate Christmas and Easter, baptism and matrimonies. The last ones include indigenous rituals (maki mañay, ñawi mayllay or fandango dance) just as a civil and the ecclesiastical part, whose importance grew over the last decades while the traditional indigenous elements in the matrimonies decline.