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Geographic and ethnic area of ASUR's work
Casa Capellanica. Calle San Alberto No 413
Telefono (591) (64) 53841
Fax (591) (64) 62194
asur@mara.scr.entelnet.bo Casilla
662 - Sucre - Bolivia |
INSTITUTIONAL SCOPE
ASUR carries out its projects among indigenous peasants in the following
regions of the Department of Chuquisaca:
- Jalq'a communities (Cantons of Quilaquila, Marawa and Potolo in the
Province of Oropeza)
- Tarabuco communities (Canton of Icla in the Province of Zudáñez)
- Ch'utas communities (near the city of Sucre).
Description of the beneficiaries
* The Jalq'a
This is an ethnic group which is spread over both sides of the border between
the provinces of Chayanta (Department of Potosí) and Oropeza (Department
of Chuquisaca).
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The population is close to 26,000 people living in low puna, heads
of the valleys, and valleys, cultivating potatoes, wheat, oats, some quinoa,
maize, peas, beans, squash, green vegetables and a few fruit trees in the
lowest areas. Sheep and goats, together with some oxen and donkeys, form
fairly small family herds.The region's agriculture (all of it rain-fed)
is quite unproductive, as the the land is severely eroded. The scarcity
of roads, bridges, transport, and irrigation infrastructure add to the difficulties;
in addition, there is a complete lack of alternative income sources. All
of this makes earning even a subsistence level of income very difficult. |
The cohesiveness of the Jalq'a culture is demonstrated in its origin
myths, music, dances, rituals and, especially, in the traditional dress.
Without doubt, the weavings that comprise this dress are among the loveliest
in the entire Andean world. Aesthetically beautiful, they have a complex
conceptual-ethnic content and are unique in their intensely figurative style.
* The Tarabuco
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Different communities for whom the town of Tarabuco is the local centre
appear today as a unified: they speak the same language (Quechua), they
celebrate common festivals and rites, and above all they wear a characteristic
costume that that allows them to be recognised by outsiders as "Tarabuqueños".However,
it was not always this way. When the Spanish reached this region they found
it populated by different ethnic groups from very distant places. |
At some point in a history still very little known, the descendants of
these different groups began to adopt similar customs and a costume which
-- in spite of minor differences in the design of certain garments -- gave
them a common appearance.
In spite of this unity, Tarabuqueños do not themselves have a
name for all those communities which persist in wearing a montera (a sort
of Spanish-style helmet), nor do they possess collective forms of organization
which might indicate a single origin for them all. Even so, the unity of
their costume and music testify to the dynamism of the Andean peoples, able
to create new identities not only in the distant past but right in front
of our eyes.
* The Ch'uta
In the areas surrounding the city of Sucre, and in Oropeza Province to the
North, various Quechuaspeaking communities called Ch'utas are neighbours
to the Jalq'a.
They are thought to have originated in their present form at the beginning
of the 20th century. At present, this culture is in danger of extinction
because of the rapid process of acculturation provoked above all by its
nearness to Sucre.
Ch'uta territory is characterized by two ecological tiers. To the South,
there are closed and open valleys, highly suitable for cultivating maize,
beans, peas, potatoes, etc.; to the North, there are the puna highlands
where wheat, barley, quinoa, lupins (tarwi), etc. are grown.
Among their productive activities, ceramics occupied an important place
in their daily routine. This has passed from one generation to the next,
and is still, for many communities, a vital source of income.
Summary of the group of beneficiaries:
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| *Jalq'a-Tarabuco Textile Project: |
|
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| Female weavers: |
|
1.005 |
| Male weavers and administrators |
+ |
101 |
| * Ceramic Workshop Program |
|
|
| Potters (men and women) |
+ |
60 |
_____________________________________________________ |
| Total producers |
= |
1.166 |
| (multiplied by approx. 5 people per family) |
x |
5 |
_____________________________________________________ |
| Total direct beneficiaries |
= |
5.830 |
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It is worth noting here that the communities in which ASUR
works are dispersed widely throughout their respective zones (Jalq'a, Tarabuco
or Ch'uta). Although they are relatively close to one another (at a distance
of 10 to 20 Km.) and each zone is only 65-70 Km. from Sucre (with the exception
of the Ch'utas communities, which are quite close to Sucre and to each other),
it must be remembered that the rainy season dramatically impedes access.
During this time, access to all of these communities is quite difficult,
and some communities become completely isolated, due to the impassible condition
of the roads and the flooding of the rivers. |
[ASUR] [Geografic Area] [Museum] [Textiles] |