For the Quechua peoples in the Andean communities of Amaru and Paru Paru, Peru, the potato is the one of the most important crops to their way of life. It is a staple to their diet and an important aspect of their ceremonial and cultural heritage. Within Peru, over 2,800 varieties of potato exist that originated in the country. The Quechua use the different types of this crop as a food source, a treatment of illness, and for various cultural practices. One such practice is a ceremony surrounding the harvesting and planting of the potato. Throughout this ceremony, called quintu, the Quechua show respect to Pachamama, or Mother Earth, by placing llama fat and sets of coca leaves into the first hole in which potatoes are to be planted.
Peru's Potato Park, located in Pisaq, Cusco, is an indigenous territory with six Quechua communities who are dedicated to protecting their land, potato varieties, and culture. They help ensure that the different varieties will not be lost over time and plant around 1,400 varieties of potato within the park. The communities also prevent the loss of the many potato varieties by combating the threats to the conservation of these native types. These threats include the illegal commercialization of biological materials, or biopiracy, climate change, and genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. By fighting these problems, the Potato Park hopes to guarantee the safety and preservation of the native potato varieties and make sure they will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Reference Cited:
Stephenson, Amanda
2012 The Quechua: Guardians of the Potato. http://www.culturalsurvival.org, accessed February 26, 2015.
Parallels Between Cultures of the Past and Present
ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting because of the reliability on one particular crop in the Quechua culture. As an American, I have so many food sources to choose from. If I were to go to a grocery store, I would have a plethora of different fruits, vegetables, breads, and so many other items to buy. We hear about past cultures being reliant on one food source and having a major catastrophe if that food becomes scarce, but it is not often discussed that other cultures today could end up having the same problem. I believe this could be an example of the idea of activated ignorance. The issues threatening the many different varieties of potato in Peru are a direct result of the activities of humans from around the world who do not understand that their actions are harmfully affecting other people.
As a student majoring in anthropology and history, I have also become aware of the way many cultures over time have had to adapt to their surrounding environments. The reason the potato is so important for the Quechua in Peru is because of its impact on their diet, society, and health throughout history. They even have ceremonial traditions that revolve around the potato, which emphasizes its significance in their cultural heritage.