Meeting With The Fortaleza Community

View of the whole community walking up the hill for the meeting with tools in hand.

Sunday, February 3rd  7AM
I'm up early once again to get ready for a big community meeting in the community of Fortaleza...the community that is the closest to the main Saqsaywaman complex.  We've been working closely with the past President of this community, Fernando Sallo, since we arrived to tell his story.  Today, we meet with the whole community to show them our film Stone & People, and hopefully gain their trust so we can continue to work with this group. 

Dalton Gaudin and I worked hard to re-edit the film to put in Spanish subtitles and make it a little shorter.  Today will be the test to see if our work in the past justifies to this cohesive community our continued presence amongst them. Given the less-than-enthusiastic reception we've had in the other two communities, I'm up early this morning not because my alarm went off.  I'm nervous.

As we drove up, we found ourselves behind what seemed like the WHOLE community with picks, shovels and machetes marching as a work crew up the hill for their meeting and then our screening.  I'm struck with how every able bodied man and woman has turned out on this rainy Sunday morning.

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9AM Start of Overall Community Meeting
One characteristic we've come to expect, when we are in these communities, is that decisions are made by the community as a whole.  No matter it be something simple or as complex an issue as facing them today.  The work crew is assembled to run a electricity line and it has to cross someone's property.  And, that person just happens to be our main informant, Fernando Sallo.  So, the community meets to get everyone's perspective on how to run the line when to do so may mean drastic changes to Fernando's property.  After they discuss this and other matters, we are given the opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to the community and invite them inside to see our film.  As with other communities, we are met with a mix of mistrust and suspicion...are we working with the Ministry is one of the main concerns. Once we convince them we are independent, the mood shifts to curiosity about our film.  Everyone runs inside to get the best seat.  We ended up with our 75 people...a great crowd!  We brought juice and a bag of coca leaves...which were a big hit.

After the screening, Adrian Sallo poses with Dalton and Maren before we all head off to the work party.

9:30 - 10AM Screening
After a brief introduction to the film by Dalton Gaudin, we decided to show the entire film.  We were tempted to skip some of the history in the beginning of the film, but it turned out that the whole group of 75 people were totally focused during the entire movie.  There were even period of laughter as they recognized Adrian Sallo in one scene and Fernando in another.  As a whole, this community seemed to really appreciate what we had done in 2010 to 2012 and understood the value of film to communicating their situation as living culture on an active archaeological site.  A brief question and answer period followed the screening with some really good questions being raised.  We were thanked for our work and we were welcomed to continue our work starting with covering today's work party.  They are also really interested in us coming back for the March 1st community festival; an event they feel will give us a good sense of what all the communities do as a whole to honor traditions and rituals.

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Dalton films the second community meeting outside Fernando's house where they all weigh in on how best to run the power line. This meeting is a good example of the concept of Ayni.

10:30AM - 3:50PM  Community Negotiations About Running New Power Line
Running power to these communities is always a challenge, but today's job poses a unique problem.  The power line needs to be run right through the front yard and already constructed bathroom house of Fernando Sallo.  As is the custom when there's a disagreement in a community, ALL the members get together and discuss.  So, they all meet outside the fence of Fernando's house and everyone weighs in about how to go about running the line with the least disruption to Fernando's property.  Bottom line, some type of destruction must be done on Fernando's property, but I'm impressed with how they all try their best to find a solution that will be good for all.  This attitude about working as a community was explained to us by Fernando as coming down from ancient Inca times and described as a system of Ayni, Minka & Mita. 

Ayni:  It was a system of work of family reciprocity between the members of the ayllu, destined to agricultural works and to the constructions of houses. The ayni consisted in the help of work that a group of people did to members of a family, with the condition that it corresponded in the same way when they needed it, as they say: "today for you, tomorrow for me" and in return They served food and drink during the days the work was done. This tradition continues in many peasant communities of Peru, helping in the work of cooking, herding and housing construction.

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Decision Made To Move Fernando's Fence And Build A New One For Him
Ultimately, the decision was made that Fernando's fence had to be moved...and possibly some of his bath house might have to be destroyed and moved as well.  This decision was NOT reached lightly, and Fernando tried his best to propose other solutions.  But, ultimately, the overall good of the community won out.  This negotiation and then Fernando's acceptance of the outcome was a great example of another Incan concept, Mink'a.  The whole community then pitched in to help build Fernando another fence before the old one was destroyed to make way for the power line.

Mink'a:  The minca, minka, or minga, is the community work that was carried out in works in favor of the ayllu and the Sun (Inti), a tax in work and in turn, that had as beneficiary to the State, where many families attended carrying their own tools and food. The families participated in the construction of premises, irrigation canals, forts, mines, cultivation of state lands, as well as assistance in the fields of the disabled, orphans and the elderly. Overall, the community good takes precedent over an individual's sole benefit.

Conflict Over / Now Everyone Pitches In And Has Fun
I was so impressed that once the work started, any disagreements were quickly put aside and everyone pitched in to get the work done quickly and with good humor.  Men dug the trench and brought stones to create the foundation for the wall.  Both men and women brought wheel barrels of stones to the work site.  All this went on despite the ocassional rain storm.  There was laughter.  An older woman, I think it was Fernando's mother, brought fresh chica for everyone to drink.  Constant discussion went on as to how to build the wall, and ultimately Fernando decided to hire a professional crew to finish the wall that was started by the community.  The whole process was done with a sense of group benefit.  And, we did an interview with Fernando mid-way through this process, during which he pointed out that his benefit had to be sacrificed for the betterment of the whole.  He pointed out that this was the perfect example of the Incan philosophy of Anyi, Mink'a & Mita. 

Travaxo "A System of Work" was outlined in (1615/1616), by Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala, in his chronical of Incan life.

Can The Andean Philosophy of Ayni, Mink'a & Mita Play A Role In The Conflict With The Ministry of Culture?
Over the last few weeks of interviews with the various communities, it has occurred to both Dalton and myself that the process of community involvement in ANY decision is NOT being practiced by the Ministry in dealing with the communities.  It seems, and we will confirm this this week when we talk with the park director, that the relationship the Ministry has with the communities DOES NOT follow the ancient practice of Ayni, Mink'a & Mita.  Why isn't this amazing group philosophy used by the Ministry?  We will seek to find out.  In the meantime, understanding the last of the concepts is appropriate.  Mita may hold the key.

Mita:  The mita was a system of work in favor of the Imperial State of Tahuantinsuyu, where crowds of people were mobilized to work in turn in the construction of roads, bridges, fortresses, administrative centers, temples, aqueducts, mining, etc. There was a mita for special services such as the work of Sapa Inca freighters, musicians, chasquis and dancers, those forced to perform this task were married men adults, but not women, whose age was between 18 and 50 years. 

So, the question is:  Is there a role for this type of intimate collaboration for the benefit of the State/Ministry of Culture in the name of preservation of this amazing archaeological site known as Saqsaywaman?  A site that is also known as HOME to these people who represent living culture that is just as important as the stones left by their ancestors?

It is these questions we walk away from today with and hope to get answered later this week in our meetings with the Ministry of Culture professionals.  Because, they too are Quecha community members and, as such, would benefit from the ability to have the in-depth negotiations about site preservation just like this community had hard conversations today about removing Fernando's wall.

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3:50pm  Time To Eat Our First Meal Of The Day
One of the aspects of doing this type of on-site, ethnographic research is that you NEVER know when you are going to be in the midst of a cultural moment that must be filmed for the study.  Today, we were able to film and didn't want to stop until we realized we hadn't eaten and it was almost 4pm.  Again, one of the most important traits a visual anthropologist can have is stamina...and a well stocked bag of goodies.  We lived on nuts, dried fruit, and potato chips today. 

Closing out today and starting our last week here in Peru, I am so thankful to know these people in these communities.  People like Fernando and his compadres in Fortaleza give me hope for humanity.  I'm honored to be here with them!

We were rewarded today with some cute moments with animals and beautiful plants.  At the end of a rewarding but long day, seeing a beautiful hummingbird, a cute doggie and a beautiful plant I've never seen before were rewards that were much appreciated.