(Editor's Note: This article was written in reference to the Pawkar
Raymi festival of 2004. This year's festival takes place from January
31 to February 7 in Peguche)
PEGUCHE. FEBRUARY, 2004. The silence
of the small temple was broken by the sounds of the slow steps of
an elderly indigenous woman. She was carrying a bucket of water full
of flowers towards the church's altar. On her knees and with closed
eyes, she began to recite a barely audible oration. It was 6:00 in
the morning. Despite the cold and our sleepiness, we witnessed as
more women entered and took their place in the pews of Peguche Church.
They were preparing for the ritual of Tumarina, the central
cultural event of the Pawkar Raymi.
Ten days earlier, accompanied by a co-worker and
some friends, I traveled to the indigenous community of Peguche (located
in the province of Imbabura) to participate in the Fiesta
of the Flowering of the Maize, also known in kichwa as Pawkar
Raymi.
Like many indigenous celebrations, Pawkar Raymi
coincides with a Christian celebration, in this case Carnival.
The reason for the coincidence is that many Christian celebrations
are dependent on lunar and solar cycles as are indigenous and pagan
celebrations. For example, Carnival (or Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras) takes
place each year exactly 41 days prior to the first Sunday (Easter)
that follows the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.
The Pactaripashunchik Initiates
the Fiesta
We arrived early on the first day of the Pawkar Raymi festivities.
A riot of color, people in movement and music gave us our bienvenida
(welcome). The Pactaripashunchik, or Inaugural Parade,
was scheduled to begin at 9:00, and we watched everyone getting prepared.
Peguche is a kichwa community of
5000 habitants, located 10 minutes from Otavalo. The town is famous
for its colorful textiles, its handicrafts and for its talented artists.
Among its natural attractions is a sacred waterfall Peguche
Faccha, whose cold and crystalline waters are said to infuse
energy and power into the community.
According to the organizers, the festivities of
Pawkar Raymi have a 10 year history of official celebration.
Its origins, however, can be traced back to the 1970's and even to
the colonial era. "The festival's main objective today is to
exist as a space for the meeting of cultures and generations, to be
a joyous week to experience inter-culturality."
A series of cultural and sporting events highlighted
the planned activities for this year. The Indigenous Olympics and
the election of the Pawkar Ñusta, or Festival queen,
were the two most important events in these categories.
The parade finally began, led by the prioste,
the Coraza on his horse, the Yumbos, and the festival
organizers. In the background, a typical banda de pueblo (town
brass band) played: "tan-taran-taran-taran... tan-taran-taran...
chis!" Next came the various soccer, basketball, volleyball and
biking teams as well as dance groups. The parade wound around the
entire town of Peguche as the townspeople watched and threw flowers
from their balconies and doorsteps.
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