Indigenous Defense of Land in the Andes

“Life comes from the land, we are only the guardians”

The Start
The Inca empire was an impressive civilization that began around 1200 A.D. The history of the Inca began in Myth with the first king named Manco Kapac. He founded the Inca civilization in Cusco. Their were 11 other Inca rulers after Kapac and the King named Pachacutec is typically given credit for founding the Inca Empire. The Origin of Inca Empire
Empire included approximately 690,000 sq miles. extended southward from what is now the Patia River in Southern Colombia to the Maule River in Chile and eastward from the Pacific Ocean to the edge of Amazonian jungles. (Andrien J. Kenneth Andean Worlds Indigenous History, Culture, and Consciousness under Spanish Rule . 1532-1825. 2001)

History/Evolution
1529: Francisco Pizarro received permission from the Spanish monarchy to conquer land (Peru).
1532: Pizarro led Spanish soldier to capture Sapa Inca Atahualpa at the Battle of Cajamarca. Fighting through the decades and Spanish colonization were catastrophic. It led to disease, forced slavery, and a forced conversion of religion. The Inca’s did not have a strong written history, so not sure of the exact events but was interpreted through Huarochiri Manuscript. (Andrien, Kenneth Andean Worlds Indigenous History, Culture, and Consciousness Under Spanish Rule,1532-1825. 2001 Pg. 1-2)

History/Evolution
1880-1912: Rubber became popular and foreign companies came to the Andes, forced labor, took their land and resources.
( Castillo, Beatriz. Indigenous Peoples in Isolation in the Peruvian Amazon, Their Struggle for Survival and Freedom. 2004 Pg. 53)

History/Evolution
Throughout the 19th century, the elites wanted changes but would not let go of their past. Capitalism took hold with the railroads, steamships, and the hunt for minerals; and this brought a return to liberalism. the indigenous communal properties where divided and land was taken causing natives to become workers in the mine and subsistence farmers. All though their lives changed drastically the indigenous Andean people were able to hold on to some of their properties and way of life.
(Larson, Brooke Trials of Nation making; liberalism, Race, and Ethnicity in the Andes, 1810-1910 Cambridge. 2004 Pg. 51)

History/Evolution
In the 20th Century the violence and fighting for land had been mostly replaced by the political and social movement. The indigenous people held protest to gains support from leaders and further their cause and gain their birth right. they use the social movement to raise new demands and defend their cultural values. Although they were met with opposition, they continued to battle with those that have claimed their land unfairly. The social movement continues today as the indigenous Andean people continue to struggle to reclaim their land. (Vargas Hernandez, Jose Historical Social and Indigenous Ecology approach to Social Movements in Mexico and Latin America 2010 Vol 2, No 2)

History/Evolution
From the 1950’s through the 1970’s Peru legally recognized indigenous communities. These communities were redefined as “Peasant communities” to allow land holding to be divided through cooperatives.
Agricultural colonization of tropical low lands that were thought to be underutilize caused friction as Andean ownership was not considered. This led to conflicts concerning deforesting road building and resettlement in the 1960-1980
( Http://www.FAO.org, Indigenous Peoples, Land Tenure and Land Policy in Latin America. Pg. 1-3)

Present-Day Relevance
2011 Indigenous people Consultation Law states that the Peruvian Government must consult with Indigenous peoples that are directly affected by the development.
The Constitution of Peru recognizes native communities even if they are not registered as legal but for them to get land titles, they must be officially registered. The 1974 Law on Native Communities allows indigenous communities title to land for agriculture and a right to use land that is suited for forestry. The government does not place a priority on granting land titles and therefor the process is very slow which allows outside companies and governments to take advantage of the land.
( www.Amnesty.org, Peruvian Congress Unanimously Passes Indigenous Consultation Law, August 25 2011)

Present-Day Relevance
Indigenous Andean people have a relationship to the land. They continue to negotiate with authorities to regain possession of their ancestral and sacred lands. In many cases mineral deposits on these lands have been exploited and the Andean people have not received compensation by governments and foreign corporations.
( Brockett, C. 1990. Land, Power, and Poverty: Agrarian transformation and political conflict in Central America. Boulder, USA, Westview Press.)

Relationship to Themes during Class
The Indigenous defense of land in the Andes is important to all themes previously introduced in class. The Andeans lost their land to the Spanish and were forced into camps and slavery which caused some to flee. The indigenous people tried to gain assistance from the King of Spain to stop the Conquistadors from unlawful taking of land with no success. The indigenous people have continued through the centuries to fight many different enemies for their land and its valuable resources.

Relationship to Themes during class
The Andean people continue to this day to fight in order to maintain the birthright to their land, its natural resources, their culture, and their way of life.