Interviewer: Kamryn Hampton Person Interviewing: Luis Quispe Illa, Age 14 Q: What is your daily life like in your culture? A: I live 11,000 feet high in the Andes Mountains in one of the many villages of Chumpe and Poques. It is very hard living so far. We have to walk long distances over mountain roads in sometimes freezing temperatures to get to our destination. We wear clothing that is very unique. Quechua men wear colorful ponchos to shield from the chill of the Andean highlands. It’s made of wool of llamas, alpacas, and sheep is spun, dyed in vibrant colors, and woven into blankets and clothing. Handicrafts plays a major role in our community. It’s important to our culture and our economy. We hold festivals like Inti Raymi in Cusco that …show more content…
A: My community originated somewhere in the central Peruvian coast, later people moved to the north into the central regions and further north, to Ecuador and North Peru, and south to South Peru. The Inca tribe’s expansion took place over a period of less than two centuries. Many of the areas the Incas moved to were already speaking Quechua tongues some of which were very similar to the Cuzco tongue which was the common language of the Inca’s empire. Q: What are some distinct arts and music your community is known for? A: The flute is really known in my country. Q: What are the gender roles in your community? A: One of the gender roles is if a man wants to marry a woman, the man’s mother presents her with a potato named for its ability to “make the daughter-in-law cry.” The daughter-in-law must carefully peel the knobby tuber, which resembles a pine cone in shape. If she removes more than is necessary, she will not be allowed to marry the woman’s son. REFERENCES: 1. http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/quechua-guardians-potato 2. http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?menu=004&LangID=5 3.