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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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The medicine men and women of Peru are sharing their traditions openly with people from the west. They recognize that humanity and Mother Earth have much to learn and gain from their ancient medicine traditions. As they freely share their traditions with us, we wish to share things of value with them. This is reciprocity, or in Quechua "ayni.” Ayni has been a fundamental social tradition in Peru for hundreds of years and still is prevalent today.

We need support for the Pacca Community Now

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Read Letters from the Pacca Community

Initiatives We Support

Pacca Community Support

The people of Pacca live very traditional rural Peruvian lives. They live in compounds on small acreage; their homes are traditional mud brick structures with thatched roofs. Generations of families live together in these compounds. They work the land by hand to grow corn, potatoes, beans, and other crops. Agriculture is their primary means of living. They often raise livestock; chickens, llamas, and guinea pigs - a traditional Peruvian protein source.

There are not many cars or trucks in Pacca and they often rely on public transportation (busses), they share the few vehicles in their possession to transport their crops to the market in nearby Anta. By western standards, the people of Pacca live very simple lives without many material possessions. Everyone in the family shares in the work in the fields. Children often go to school, and work in the fields in the mornings and afternoons, and for extended times in the summer months.

There are many basic needs in the Pacca community. We will be purchasing school supplies for the children; pens, pencils, markers, crayons, paper, scissors, glue, etc. They do not have access to supplies such as these. It is a great benefit for the teachers and the children to receive these materials. We will also help with textbooks and other necessities.

In addition to helping the children and schools, we are supporting training for the women in the Pacca community which facilitates sustainable trade skills, such as traditional Peruvian weaving. By helping the women learn the necessary skills, they are able to craft items for sale at the local market and gain independence within the social framework. It is rewarding to the women and helpful for the families to have additional income from their work.

In Peru, the school year has just begun and we are hoping to get a shipment ready and off very soon. We need donations now so that we can procure and ship supplies to the Pacca community. We also need funds to purchase supplies for the women and to support the educational programs that help the families. Any heartfelt donation is meaningful to us as well as to the people in the community. For example, one package of crayons or markers is such a blessing to the children as they simply do not have access these materials.

The Preservation of the Andean Medicine Traditions

Marco Nuñez lives and works in Cusco, Peru. For the past few years Marco has been researching and compiling data about the Andean medicine traditions that will eventually be published in a book. Marco is researching at the University in Cusco, and in Lima, the ancient religions and traditions of the Andean people. What makes Marco's work important and unique is that Marco is a native of Cusco, Peru, and his work is written from the inside of Andean society as opposed to another western anthropological view of Andean tradition. Many authors, mostly from the west, have written and documented Andean shamanism but always from an outsiders viewpoint. Marco lives and works in Cusco and his work is carefully crafted to provide an unbiased, authentic account of the medicine ways of the Andean people. To the Inca people, Cusco is the center of the empire and was known as the navel of the world. Marco's research and forthcoming book's perspective is from the inside out, not from the outside like so many of the available western accounts of Andean tradition.

Marco makes his living as a guide at Frontier Expeditions. For over twenty years, Marco has led expeditions throughout the Andes. In his travels, Marco has met and worked with many Andean shamans and has apprenticed under some of the most well known medicine men and women in the Andes. Marco is a shaman in his own right and his commitment and dedication to preserving the Andean medicine traditions is unparalleled.

Marco needs funds to continue his ongoing research. Wild Spirit Foundation fully endorses and supports this important work of preserving Andean traditions. Please donate today to help in this vital work.

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