Inka
The Q'ero nation work and live as a community of about 2000 people. They live next to the mountain Waman Lipa at 4.300 meters of altitude in the Peruvian Andes. The main activity besides agriculture, is weaving and it’s threw their weaving they have been communicating since they don’t have a written language.
The Q´ero believe that they are descended from the Inka and consider themselves the last descendants. When the Conquistador invaded Peru in the 16th century they fled up in the mountains and because of that the Q´ero managed to keep their knowledge and tradition intact. Knowledge that have lasted for thousands of years and are now being shared threw generations.
According to the Q´ero shamans it’s very important to be in right relationship with the earth, our families, our friends, our work, and each person and things we interact with, not just those we love, but to be in right relationship with every part of our lives, including ourselves. This is to live in AYNI.
Q'ero shamans Don Alejandro, Dona Maria and Don Mareano
A beautiful story from the Inkas about living in Ayni:
”There once was a village in the high Andes many, many miles from any civilization. There had been an extended drought and the villagers knew that if it did not rain soon there would be no potatoes that year, which would mean the babies would die that winter. So they called for a medicine person from the nearest village to come and help. After journeying many days they finally arrived. After noticing what was happening in the village they asked for a hut they could use and sat in ceremony. Within several days the clouds began to build and the heavens became grey, and it rained. When the medicine person came out the villagers were delighted and said “thank you for making it rain”. The medicine person said, “I did not make it rain”. This village was so out of balance, I became out of balance. I sat in ceremony to come back into balance, and then the village came into balance.”
