Rural Communities

When we talk about the Q’ero Nation, we refer to the territory that includes the rural communities of:

• Japu
• Quico
• Marcachea
• Q‘ero Totorani
• Hatun Q’ero

All of which are located in the Andes mountain range in the province of Paucartambo, southeast of the city of Cusco.

Geography

The geography of the place is abrupt with glaciers, inter-Andean valleys and jungle brow areas. The maximum altitude is 5600 and the minimum 1400 meters above sea level (Irco vilca, 2016).

Q’ero Nation Importance

The importance of the Q’ero for the Peruvian culture was given thanks to the Cusquenian anthropologist Oscar Flores Ochoa.

He refers Núñez del Prado (2005) that: “in 1949 in the festivities of Paucartambo Oscar observed the presence of some men, who despite sharing the humble poverty of the other peasants kept a composure of unusual dignity”(p,18).

These men claimed to come from the Q’ero hacienda, from this moment he decided to make an expedition to this place.

When he arrived at the hacienda, he realized that they still conserved customs and traditions that could be traced back to the Inka period, regarding agriculture, llama and alpaca herding, textile art, social organization and their spiritual customs.

Also at this time, the indigenous communities in the Andes were exploited by the hacienda system, suffering abuses and injustices. The Q’ero also had to go through this, being rented to employers in the haciendas of Cusco (Núñez del Prado, 2005). Thanks to Oscar and other factors that influenced the agrarian reform, the peasants began to take possession of their lands.

Myth of Q’ero Inkarri

In Q’ero we found the famous myth of Inkarri that in a few words refers to the transforming force that promotes order instead of chaos (Getzels, 2005). As well as the philosophy of life as the spiritual sense of Pachamama, the Apus as guardians of human wellbeing, among many other information concerning the philosophy and religion of Andean man.

That is why this town keeps strong elements of a tradition that comes from many years ago.

From the 80’s onwards many of the Q’ero came down from their community to work especially in offerings and other jobs.

Currently many of the Q’eros went to cities like Cusco and other provinces, to seek education and better economic future for their families keeping with them the Andean life wherever they go.

Author: Joan Rukmali De la colina Roman

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References:

• Flores, J. (2005). Los q’eros. Últimos descendientes de los incas. En J. Flores, J. Núñez del Prado y M. Castillo (Eds.), Q’ERO, el ultimo ayllu inka.
• Peter Getzels (2005). Los ciegos: visión de la identidad del runa en
la ideología de Inkarrí-Qollam En J. Flores, J. Núñez del Prado y M. Castillo (Eds.), Q’ERO, el ultimo ayllu inka.
• Irco Vilca. Mirtha (2005). La cultura como recurso económico: caso Q’ero (2005-2010). Tesis UNSAAC.

The Andean man involves exploring the cultures of the Andes. From the Pacific coast to the foothills of the tropical mountains.

Once again invoking the experts of these Andean cultures, we will encounter various human groups leading up to the emergence of the higher societies and cultures known as the “children of the sun.”

The magnificence of these Andean cultures is that in their birth, growth, and decline, they did not experience a radical break or complete disappearance.

On the contrary, future generations transmitted and preserved the essence of their knowledge. Even today, many of these practices and teachings remain relevant, adapting to the paths of this century.

Throughout these eras, a common spirit united the Andean man, always revered in the land as his mother.

This is why we have found in many of their material remains a symbolic continuity and iconography that transcend time and space.

These seeds germinated in various Andean communities, bearing fruit for the children of the Sun to harvest as they sought to plant new seeds while forming the great empire of Tawantinsuyu.

However, all of this was cut short when the new god, the white man, arrived.

The new era for the Andean Man

We are in the tenth Pachakuti, a time of transition and great change. Our children and this generation will be the architects of this new world. They’ll respect every living entity and raising the flag of the rainbow to consciously become the example of life for our fellow human beings.

The new Pachakuti features the significant presence of the mother. It represents the feminine aspect of the planet after 500 years of rest.

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References:

Merejildo, J.A (1997). The awakening of the puma. An initiatory path. Astronomical evidence in the Andes. Chaski. Cusco, Perú.

In the Andean worldview, lightning is a very important element. It serves as the messenger of the sky, announcing significant events in the lives of people.

In Hanan Pacha, people believed that the “auquis” struck with their slings, producing sparks that reached the earth.

The ray embodies the trinity, representing three distinct forces in a single phenomenon.

They call the zigzagging luminous sword “Kkjya,” the violent roar “Kkunnnnunnu,” and the flash “illapa.” Chroniclers report that for witches to exist, they needed the material and mystical imprint of lightning.

How to become an Auqui?

Family members and neighbors head to the site carrying white flags, and each person attending must bring something white.

They approach the deceased and observe:

• If the person’s eyes look to the west, the family buries them immediately without ceremony, except for the customary prayers.
• If the deceased’s eyes turn toward the east, it signifies a good omen. It indicates that the person has been chosen as an “auqui” and will protect their family.

Ceremony of Death by Lightning

When there is no Paqo for the ceremony, the oldest member of the group, assisted by the youngest, performs it. They conduct a ceremony and place various objects, such as a despacho mesa, coca leaves, and wrap them in a colorful uncuña.

Near the deceased, they open a grave and sprinkle it with liquor and chicha, asking the spirit not to neglect its family and friends. They place white flowers and more coca leaves in the grave.

They bury the deceased and place some clothing, personal belongings, and mementos on top. Then cover it with earth and place four white flags around the quadrangle, surrounded by white flowers.

Then, an instrument plays a melody while participants sing and share what remains of the liquor. Each participant places a large stone on the grave, forming a mound called Apacheta.

Singing and dancing, they move away, promising to return on the day of compadres with food, drink, and clothing. Participants must make this visit for three years to ensure the communal benefits become a lasting reality.

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References:

Candia M, C. (1997) Popular Andean Medicine. Andean Books N°15.

Sanchez Macedo, M.O. (1998) Machu Picchu of the Priestesses, Witches, and Seers. Imprenta HGT S.R.Ltda.

The Tawantinsuyu, during the Inca period, integrated many ethnic groups spread across Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina into its kingdom.

Inti illuminated the Andes in its four dimensions, and we saw the sacred Kúntur soar above the rainbow. The Children of the Sun became one with Wiracocha and Pachamama.

• Collasuyo: Located to the southeast of Cusco, this Suyo was the largest in Tawantinsuyu but had the smallest population. Its territories began in Urcos, south of the imperial city, and extended through the Titicaca region.

• Contisuyo: From the southwest of Cusco to the coastal region, the territories of Contisuyo comprised lands between the valleys of the Quilca and Ica rivers.

• Chinchaysuyo: Chinchaysuyo extended to the northwest of Cusco, from Ayacucho and Ica to the Ancasmayo River.

• Antisuyo: The lands of Antisuyo began to the northeast of Cusco and stretched to the High Jungle of the Amazon, as the climatic conditions and geographical features prevented further expansion.

The Tawantinsuyu

At the end of the Eighth Pachacuti, the visionaries of the Sun Empire spread the name of Wiracocha to the four corners of the earth. They universalized a common language among all peoples and leaving their eternal voice in the stones as a message for future generations.

The major expansion of the empire began with the presence of King Pachacuteq.

• Tawa: Four, the four directions, four elements.
• Inti: Sun, Father of Life, King Star.
• Suyu: Land, region.
• Tawantinsuyu: The four regions of the sun, the four lands of the sun.

How many Incas existed in Tawantinsuyu?

A total of 13 Incas ruled Tawantinsuyu, with Manco Cápac as the first and Atahualpa Cápac as the last, following the arrival of the Spaniards on the continent.

Pachacuteq Yupanqui, the ninth Inca, was one of the most important emperors in the history of Tahuantinsuyu due to his efforts in expanding the Inca territory through the conquest of other ethnic groups such as the Ayarmacas, Chancas, and Suyos.

At the same time, other peoples joined the empire peacefully, including the Cotanera, Omasayo, Cotapampa, and Aimarae.

Inca Pachacuteq ordered the construction of the legendary Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the great legacies of Inca culture in Latin America, which still attracts thousands of tourists daily.

Initially, it was thought that the ruins of Machu Picchu served as a fortress, but years of research have concluded that it was a place of rest and meditation for the Inca and his family.

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Today, the streets of Cusco are filled with Inca history and remnants of the impressive Tahuantinsuyu Empire, such as the Coricancha Temple, the main Inca temple, Sacsayhuamán, and Tambomachay, among others. Additionally, Machu Picchu represents a unique energy, history, and beauty that everyone should experience.

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References:

• Merejildo, J.A (1997). The awakening of the puma. An initiatory path. Astronomical evidence in the Andes. Chaski. Cusco, Perú.

Pachacuti is “A Thousand Year”

Andean societies measured their lives by cosmic cycles called Inti or Sun, each lasting a thousand years. They divided this INTI into two halves of 500 years each, known as Pachacuti or half INTI.

Allegorically, each cycle was identified as either night or day, with one period of light and another of darkness.

Inca Yupanqui Pachacuteq

In his time, there was much death, hunger, thirst, pestilence, and destruction. For several years, the solar centers did not announce rain; there were many cries and burials of the dead.

But he came to change the world, becoming the Pachacuti, which means “the one who transforms the Earth.”

• Pacha: Totality, world (space), time, earth.

• Kuti: Return, inversion, transformation, comeback.

• Pachacuti: The one who transforms the earth.

The new era

In 1992, “the new era” began for the Andean world. During the June solstice of that year, the Children of the Sun gathered to celebrate the start of a new cycle. It will lead us on this ascending scale to the most remarkable revolution in our history.

At the end of the previous millennium, the Eighth Pachacuti began, marking the Andean people for 500 years—a time of splendor and glory, when our gods watched over us.

This era of the Eighth Pachacuti ended when the barbarians invaded these lands in 1492. It initiated a period of darkness that would last 500 years.

That is, until 1992, the year when the wise and the amutas decided it was time to return and share the ancestral wisdom of their culture with the children of Pachamama.

The time of glory and power of the Eighth Pachacuti gave rise to one of the greatest sages known. In our history, we call him Pachacuteq, the mythical being who embodied the force of Pachacuti.

Our history is being reborn. Do not doubt that each of you is called to contribute your grain of sand to elevate this great mountain toward eternity.

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References:

Merejildo, J.A (1997). The awakening of the puma. An initiatory path. Astronomical evidence in the Andes. Chaski. Cusco, Perú.

An Alto Missayoq is the highest-ranking Andean priest, attained through years of dedicated work in healing others.

An Alto Missayoq is not born

They become one through:

• Daily hard work

• Learning more each day about the surrounding elements.

• Sensing their living presence

• Acquiring the skill to understand each element’s intrinsic value.

It interprets the flight of birds and the movement of stones.

The Alto Missayoq can listen to the dialogue of plants and knows their magical properties

Where does this skill come from for the Alto Missayoq?

From extraordinary discoveries and the gifts received in very casual ways.

Hanaj Pacha illa Rumi

It is a fragment of a meteorite. When someone sees it falling, they don’t hesitate and head straight to the likely location where the special stone landed.

They search intensely, calling it with affection and begging for it to be seen and collected to benefit the community. It always happens that those who search diligently find the cherished stone. That grants its holders the ability to predict future events.

When someone receives this gift from the heavens, the villagers recognize them as trustworthy. They have gained enough knowledge to be consulted as a Paqo.

Kuntur Chuchillo

It is a crystallized mineral, a kind of medium greenish or dark glass, shaped like a dagger or knife. It is found very rarely in the roughest mountain ranges where the eternal snows lie.

The people of the Andes believe that the aukis, or spirits of the Andean landscapes, bless anyone who finds this sacred mineral three times with the gift of prophecy, and they call them “sonk’oyok” or seer.

Khuyak Rumi

Or humanitarian stone, is a mineral with an exaggerated weight and a black or dark green color. It is extraordinarily fortunate to possess one of these stones, as the person who has it can change anyone’s bad luck, make a business prosperous, and bring fortune to marriages.

Missayoq Rumi

It is invariably white, with defined shapes that can be extraordinary, including square, round, oval, and sometimes star-shaped. Those fortunate enough to find one of these stones achieve general recognition, as only a person who has possessed other virtues can receive the gift granted by these stones.

The stone is generally the home of a spirit, so whoever finds it can communicate with that spirit. There exist inexplicable beings in the spiritual world that take the form of condors and other animals capable of conversing with us—ancient figures of knowledge and surreal abilities.

Their own longevity is their greatest skill. They defy the boundaries of our reason and remind us that we are not alone; there are other worlds coexisting alongside ours.