After a short vacation with Moises, my long haired heir, I'm back in Cauca where I'll spend most of July. This time I came to Popayán by plane. Moi returned to Brooklyn. The time we spent together went by flying.
But why the title for this post? Andean cultures, including the Nasa, traditionally celebrate the New Year at the end of June, on the longest day of the year. The summer solstice celebration has been known as San Pedro for a long time here in the Cauca region, and we were invited to take part in the event and document efforts being made by members of one particular community to give back the celebration its original form and meaning.
Some, like Julian Condori (left) who is from Machu Pichu but is working here and participated in a video workshop we did in February, believe the Inca federation used to include what is now the Muse Ukwe reservation, where we gathered over the weekend.
There are indeed Quechua words in the Nasa language, like minga, but I am told the linguistic structures of the two are completely different. It really isn't clear what the relationship was between these peoples. Like much about pre-columbian history, who the Incas were and how far their influence reached remain unanswered questions, even to their direct descendants. The current Inca derived New Year celebration is called Inti Raimi (Sun Celebration, in Quechua), and recently Andean countries like Colombia and Peru have witnessed a strong re-emergence of this tradition. The forms of the Inti Raimi have become popular among the young in Cauca, although many locals percieve it as a foreign influence. What we had here this year was a combination of many traditions.
Synchretism at any rate is a tradition of its own in Latin America. This image of San Isidro (patron saint of agriculture) in Nasa garb presided over the celebration in Muse Ukwe. The potatoes at his feet closely resembled people.
Following a ritual outdoors, food started being served at midday on Saturday. The music makers warmed up as the guests began arriving. The containers at the musicians feet in the picture below are full of chicha, the beverage of choice across the Andes.
And so the hours passed, day turning into night...
There was much dancing involved.
While the more traditionally inclined stayed in this area, many youths respectfully went to another spot to engage in the highly energetic "pan-Andean" style currently in vogue.
The little ones also got to stay up late and play.
The Nasa consider themselves "sons of thunder," as the Yanakona (another Indigenous group in Cauca) for instance, are "sons of water." So when lightning appears in the sky during a significant event, it is seen as a sign that the spirits of their ancestors are glad and are accompanying them. All through this night thunder roared in the distance.
A large group, many of them "non-Indigenous" guests from the area, danced to loud tropical beats less than a hundred yards away, much to the musicians' annoyance. But the community is proud to have its neighbors over every year to share in the merry-making. Over five-hundred by my count were offered food and drink in the two days we were there.
In olden times, according to colonial chronicles, this event lasted nine days. This year it lasted three.
As the night slowly reverted into day, the celebration continued. People simply took breaks at their convenience.
While electricity was lost at times, the live music flowed on uninterrupted. Inocencio couldn't film this time, so all the picture taking fell to me. He was busy leading Kwesh Kiwe (Our Land, in Nasa), the traditional music ensemble he founded over twenty years ago. The core group, which on this occation included his son Wepe on flutes, played for almost 48 hours straight.
The young man on the left (below) was responsible for organizing and covering the costs of this year's party in Muse Ukwe. A different individual or family is in charge each time, and taking on the role of fiestero is a very serious matter. The preparations for next year began during the celebration itself when, after long deliberation and cajoling, the "cage" (the colorful object hanging towards the top) was passed on to the new fiestera. She has a year to get it ready.
It could take decades for people in Muse Ukwe to fully reclaim the meaning behind this celebration and revive the rituals associated with it, a young man involved in trying to make this happen told me. "Five-hundred years of Christian imposition won't vanish overnight." But this year's event was a step in that direction. The video we are working on reflects this process and explores deeper layers of the tradition. It is to be used as an educational tool in Nasa communities like Muse Ukwe.
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