Early morning, November 17th, attendees from all over the world gathered at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House, united by a deep passion for the Quechua language and Andean culture. The 4th Quechua Alliance Meeting celebrated the Quechua language and cultivated profound discussions surrounding its preservation through a full day of speakers, workshops, awards, and performances. Organized by Penn’s Quechua Program and supported by Penn’s Latin American and Latino Studies Department, the annual meeting aims to bring awareness about this endangered language, cultivate enthusiasm among language learners, and provide a network of support for native speakers.
The event was an immersive trilingual experience, as speakers wove together English, Spanish, and Quechua with tremendous ease, displaying the importance of maintaining such beautiful diversity of language. Quechua is a South American indigenous language family mainly found in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia with an estimated 7 million speakers. Despite its vast number of speakers, the language remains unknown to the world at large and in danger of extinction.
The day began with an introduction from Penn’s Quechua Language Program Coordinator Dr. Mendoza-Mori, who described the meeting as a “message of the relevance and vitality of Quechua this far away from the Andes.” He added, “[Quechua] is not a thing of the past, you are celebrating your identities and your complexities”. This message of the global and present-day relevance of Quechua (as well as all indigenous languages) was a common thread throughout the day.
Following the introduction was a Q’oa, a Quechua Mother Earth Offering. The main speaker in the ceremony noted “We are from Mother Earth… we must respect her and reconstruct her.” The ritual continued with beautiful words praising the earth and all she provides. A colorful woven blanket was spread across the stage and a variety of seeds and leaves were placed upon it to create an ofrenda for Mother Earth. This offering served as a reminder that resources from nature haven’t been found or taken but instead received from a greater being, who must be thanked.
Following this offering, the meeting broke off into various interactive workshops, providing nuanced perspectives of Quechua language and Andean culture both through personal experiences and pedagogical standpoints. Irma Álvarez Ccoscco presented her project entitled “Qillqay”, which explored orality and writing in Quechua. She played a short film in Quechua documenting her efforts to teach Native Quechua speakers to write the language. Ccoscco later elaborated on her own experience learning to write the language, noting how empowering it was to write in her native tongue. She hoped to provide other native speakers with a similar sense of empowerment.
Another speaker, Carlos Molina-Vital from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, described Quechua language education in the US. He noted that only eleven US universities had Quechua language programs (Penn and his own university included). Molina-Vital briefly explained the major issues of current Quechua education, such as the problematic motivations for studying the language. In many other more “traditional” foreign language options for American students, there is a motivation for studying the modern culture. Yet with Quechua, and arguably many indigenous languages, the motivation is often linguistic or anthropological. He stressed the importance of understanding Quechua within its current cultural context. Molina-Vital noted that traveling to the Andes would allow for immersion in the present-day language and culture, but also considered the use of a virtual space allowing students to chat with native Quechua speakers.
The Alliance meeting continued on with a live concert by Liberato Kani, a Quechua hip-hop artist. His songs connected Spanish and Quechua with such adept fluidity that languages shifts were unintelligible. In between passionate live performances, Kani told personal stories of his childhood, his family, and his inspirations. He engaged the entire crowd through several call and response moments and the waving of hands. Kani’s pieces told incredibly profound messages, often through the repetition of simple yet powerful phrases, such as “esto es lo que tengo de mi pueblo de mi raza.” Covering a wide range of topics, from a tearful ballad for his mother who had passed away to a cheeky response to racists, every song revealed deep pride for his Quechua identity.
After this intimate performance, Penn’s Quechua Department presented the 2018 Quechua Award for Lifetime Achievement to Elva Ambía, founder of the Quechua Collective of New York. At the age of 14, Ambía left the highlands of Peru for the city of Lima, before moving to America with her older sister to earn money to send back home. Ambía was devastated when she left her country behind and has spent decades since doing all she can to preserve her culture. In 2012, she formed the Collective, which today teaches very successful Quechua classes and hosts events featuring Quechua traditions, folk music, and Peruvian food. The group brings together natives who deeply identify with their culture and connects individuals who are just starting to learn about their heritage.
Ambía was extremely gracious and humble in her acceptance, stressing the indispensable support she receives from others on her team and thanking her family members. She went on to note many problems that threaten the preservation of Quechua in her home country. Peruvian primary schools don’t teach Quechua, forcing children to disregard their native language. She explained tearfully: “No es justo que tengamos que aprender otras idiomas en su lugar.” Quechua native speakers often move to cities, leaving behind their Quechua and not making an effort to teach the language to their children. Ambía was deeply troubled by this loss of pride, vowing to continue her efforts to create change.
She did, however, express her excitement at seeing such large and passionate meetings for the Quechua language. They gave her hope to continue onwards in her fight.
“Sí hay esperanza para seguir adelante… trabajando para que la Quechua no se extinga… para que no se muera… Ojalá que sigamos adelante.”
The Quechua meeting continued with a panel led by native Quechua speaker Mirian Mazaquiza, an Ecuadorian official for the Indigenous Peoples and Development Branch of the United Nations. Mazaquiza described the important work being done by her branch to expand and protect the rights of indigenous peoples all over the world. Continuing this discussion, linguistics professor Liliana Sanchez of Rutgers University noted the obligation of the state to provide indigenous peoples with access to interpreters and professionals speaking their native languages. She highlighted the large misconception that bilingualism is only required for indigenous peoples and argued that instead, bilingualism should be a goal for everyone. For example, non-Quechua natives should feel motivated to learn Quechua just as native Quechua speakers are motivated to learn other languages. The path of language learning need not be a one-way street.
The 4th Quechua Alliance Meeting finished with beautiful live traditional folk music and plenty of dancing. This ending was a testament to the beautiful resilience of Quechua language and Andean culture in the face of threats of extinction. The meeting revealed that Quechua and its speakers are far from extinguished. However, making this truth known still remains a pressing issue. Mazaquiza left attendees with one request “spread the word that this language is alive.”
Written by Catalina Ruiz