Meeting in Taquile

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Meeting in Taquile
On the 26th of April a large delegation, formed by handicraft producers and Minka staff, left Lima's airport at 06:00 am. Our first stop was Cusco where representatives from two organisations joined our group. Later, we arrived in Juliaca, Puno where we met more delegations and then proceeded to the city of Puno - one hour by car - where we boarded two motor boats owned by people from Taquile.
The trip started with a solemn rite with coca leaves asking the Apus (or tutelar gods of the Lake, of the highest mountain, and two Catholic virgins) for a good voyage. There were good auspices as a light green blanket of plants floated on the surface of the lake. This very rare phenomenon indicates that this will be a good fishing season. Our skipper wore the typical clothes of Taquile: black pants, white shirt, white waist coat, a calendar belt or faja. His lovely and brightly coloured chullo showed that he was a married man.
In four hours across lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake on earth, we enjoyed breathtaking landscapes. Lake Titicaca, at nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, is on the boundary between Peru and Bolivia. A highlight in our trip were the reachable white clouds that we could see from the side instead of from beneath as we usually do.
A short stop at the Uros' totora island surprised us all. The Uros are an ethnic group separate from Quechuas and Aymaras, while totora is a cane that grows in the lake and is laid in bunches to form a floating floor on top of which Uros have built houses, schools and even rear some sheep. Although this floating floor is quite stable, if you stand too long in the same place your shoes get wet. In 1983 - during El Nino phenomenon - the abundant rains caused a great increase in the Lake's volume and several Uro totora islands drifted with the wind into Bolivian waters.
High altitude may produce minor disorders (headaches, nausea) that can be prevented with coca leaves, muña - a herb that grows wildly in the area - and glucose. So we all prepared ourselves to avoid the altitude malaise known as soroche.
The lovely trip allowed us to enjoy the scenery formed by islands full of terraces with tin-roofed houses and patches of yellowish and green tones. The silvery waters of the Lake reflected a very warm sunshine that encouraged smiles and songs.
After three and a half hours we saw a round abalone-shaped island called Amantaní, close to a long and much larger one: Taquile. Local legends say that Amantaní is the goddess of the moon and Taquile is the sun god. These two powerful deities got married and their children are all the people of Taquile (Taquileños). Folklore solution for droughts is to place 12 frogs in beautiful clay containers with colourful flowers. Frogs are then taken in procession to a special spot where they sing and ask for rains to come and - of course - this works.

Island of Taquile on lake Titicaca
As we approached the island our laughter and conversations halted, impressed as we were by the majestic presence of the red-rock island whose terraces displayed all shades of green, brown and yellow. In the background, tall eucalyptus topped hills and rocky contours while pebble beaches with translucent and crystal turquoise water surrounded our boat.
Friendly Taquileños welcomed us and helped us all with our luggage. We then started our journey to the site where our meeting would take place. The road we took was much easier to follow than the very steep entrance with 538 steps that Taquile features at its main harbour. We all proceeded slowly and received bunches of Muña to smell. This fragrant and wonderful herb is good against stomachaches, colds, respiratory problems and soroche. Many handicraft producers are used to high altitudes and left us behind. However, we, people from the Coast took our time and enjoyed the marvellous landscape that rewarded our climbing efforts.
Taquile was an island that belonged to a Spanish Count of Taquila who sold most of his lands to estate-owners from Puno. The taquileños looked after their lands and animals and travelled to Puno - for 12 hours on sail boats - every year to deliver the products of their toil to the landowners.
Because of its isolated location Taquile was once a prison-island for political prisoners. Sánchez Cerro, political rival to the then president Leguía lived in exile in Taquile for a long time, befriended by the Taquileños. Encouraged by Sánchez Cerro, the Taquileños decided to become true owners of their paradise-island. Through hard work and savings they gradually bought every plot of land. Taquile belongs to the Taquileños.
Taquileños are very special people: very proud of their culture, dignified and friendly. It surprises you to receive very warm, polite and horizontal treatment, so different from the generally humble approach of Indian peasants throughout Peru. Taquileños are so honest that they do not use padlocks or fences, they never steal and do not expect others to do so. There is no police in their island and the judge of the peace complains of his lack of work!
The island is inhabited by some 230 families and the population is estimated at 1,500. There are 60 communal enterprises that manage various small-scale concerns: fishing, handicrafts, dances, transportation, folklore music bands, restaurants, shops, etc. There is one underlying principle: everybody must have the opportunity to be benefitted by tourism and other economic activities. Members rotate to display their products at the shop and every fare paid in the motor boat is distributed among its partners.
Public education in peasant communities is a great problem all over Peru. Teachers simply do not show up or else they attend school 2 or 3 days each week. They frequently go on strike and Education authorities pay no attention to protests from the hinterlands. Therefore, Taquile has built its own private school and hires its teachers directly thus making them accountable to the very demanding community.
The Taquileños have organized themselves to cater tourists services. A lodging committee appoints a guide-host to each visitor. For a very low rate, you get a comfortable and clean rustic bed-room, with beds on stone foundations covered with totora mats and a mattress. You are also provided with very warm blankets --most welcome in the cold nights of Taquile. These rooms have been especially built for tourists and many houses also have latrines.
There are two types of authorities in Taquile: the official ones representing the Government, and the traditional ones whose moral power and experience grants them full obedience by the people. They are all democratically elected in general meetings with hands-up vote. As in any human group there are different trends and opinions, however once agreements are reached they are universally implemented and complied with.
In this frame the Fifth Annual Meeting of Producers with Minka developed with the very best auspices. It was a very special experience to have organisation leaders from the northern coast, the northern highlands, the jungle, the central and southern highlands, the capital city, the violence-stricken areas. Men and women from all over Peru met, eager to learn and exchange experiences.
We woke up at the cock's crow when a pink shade lighted our windows and the working sessions started very early. Collino - Taquile's handicraft organisation - had carefully arranged for our meals to take place at the school facilities where smiling girls and boys served us our breakfast.
The first day of this meeting was devoted to Cultural issues. Following a very interactive method, Minka's education team provoked a rich reflection on the multi-cultural character of our country. Artisans from Cusco, Puno, Huaraz, Ayacucho spoke their local Quechua versions and delegates from Maroti Shobo, from the jungle talked in Shipibo, their native language, one of the 33 different languages spoken in the jungle alone.
The various elements of culture were discussed: the difference between formal justice and communal justice, between formal education and the education given in the family, in the community. Food and meals, transportation, agriculture patterns, even traditions such as naming their alpacas with loving and respectful names etc. that vary from one place to the other.
After long and fruitful debates consensus was reached on the following:

Peru features many cultures and we must all be proud of them.

Ancient cultures showed great respect towards nature and their environment, this wisdom must be preserved and imposed.

We are handicraft producers, closest to culture than other workers, it is therefore our responsibility to rescue our culture and to promote it everywhere.

This cultural training was supplemented with a Cultural Marketplace (Cultura Qhato in Quechua) in which each organisation exhibited items related with their local culture, traditional medicine, characteristic produce of their villages, etc. Items were displayed on tables and walls with small cards identifying the names and main features of their articles. The two delegates from each organisation took turns to stay at their stall giving information to the other producers, while the other - with his notebook in hand - interviewed his colleagues from other areas.
The women from Santa Rosa displayed their products: dresses for mixers and other kitchen appliances, bayeta¹ bags decorated with faces, in which jigsaw puzzles are stored. They also brought with them yellow potato and corn from Huanuco, in the lower forest area of central Peru.
Tacamani from Juliaca in Puno (an area of high plateaus in southern-east Peru) exhibited lovely sweaters, the puskana (spindle) and cañihua, a very protein-rich cereal typical of high altitudes. Also from Juliaca, Cochanquinray displayed original scarfs decorated with small dolls and the small but very tasty Ruky potato.
Antipampilla from Juliaca showed a very warm woollen petticoat and colourful chullos knitted with industrial wool. Estrella from Juliaca is experimenting the decoration of small knitted bags with fringes and pearls.
Corisuyu from Juliaca displayed a very attractive Mistura sweater. Ccorpa featured a warm vest knitted with industrial wool and a Manta used in their folklore dances called PULLU. Cochapata displayed a large and warm sweater with horizontal designs and a very colourful scarf. Pucachupa [First Committee] proudly displayed the tasty cañihua.
Cuyo Grande from the Sacred Valley of the Incas: Urubamba, brought a large ceramic doll, surrounded by tiny ceramic figures. The famous Urubamba corn with large white kernels attracted as much attention as the many medicine herbs: cola de caballo used in the treatment of cancer patients, Toronjil and cedroncillo to cure kidney diseases. Supay Karku is an anaesthetic and its name means "he who expels the devil." A typical custom dress for the Fiesta del Carmen was greatly admired.
Kusy Koyllor from Puno proved that their handicraft-producing skills run parallel to their knowledge of traditional medicine. They showed the following medicine herbs: Chokecha against the cough, Sasahui against skin diseases, Chank'romi against fever, Pupusa against stomachaches.
Maroti Shobo from the jungle of Ucayali, in central Peru, proudly displayed tropical produce, the Cocona fruit, cassava and cassava meal, green bananas; and very coveted necklaces made with tree seeds called pashako, shiringa (rubber tree) and bacalao.
El Araña from Ayacucho in the Central South andes showed off multicoloured kernels of corn (brown, purple, yellow, etc.) a small and delicate lliclla and some fine tapestries. La Avispa decorated the wall with large rectangular blankets bearing geometrical designs.
Chaqueccpampa from Ayacucho displayed an interesting carpet with a snake as main motive and geometrical background. A key attraction was an antique manta from Ayacucho that took more than one month to be knitted by hand, and delicate egg-retablos delighted all visitors (especially children). Producers from Rasuwillka, Ayacucho brought with them Huaracas (slings made exactly as in Inca times), a large piece of pink Huamanga Stone, and ponchos dyed with vegetable dyestuffs. They also displayed tuna and chickpeas.
Awaqkuna brought with them a tapestry of San Pedro de Cajas and jigsaw puzzles with animal shapes.
Coosamm women displayed junco baskets of various sizes and colours, and they brought from their environment in the northern desert coast of Peru: grey sand, maracuyá, apples and strawberries.
Santa Luisa displayed small green lemons. And Tawaq from Ayacucho displayed produce: lentils, wheat, cancha (toasted maize) and potato, next to their delicate sugar pots and nativity sets.
Kollino, our host in Taquile, displayed their fine chullos, vests, small bags, head bands and their famous Fajas (belts) greatly admired by all artisans.
Las Tres Marías from Cajamarca was represented by a woman as knowledgeable in straw knitting as on medicine herbs. Her straw hats were coveted by many locals. The Toquilla straw comes from Rioja, on the northern lower rainforest and is knitted in Celendin. Hers was the largest display of medicine herbs, and she explained their uses: female Manzanilla (chamomile) for stomachache and male manzanilla that you boil and pour in your bathtub to sooth your nerves and dispel fear. Tomato root is good against infection and it is especially recommended for stressed people; eucalyptus is used against cough. Suncho is ground, boiled and screened, it cures child infections; supiqueo is good against cramps. Ishpingo comes in two colours: white and yellow, it is rubbed to cure evil eye. Parsley reduces high blood pressure, llanten is anti-inflammatory; light malva is good for kidneys and stomach; hierba moro cures infections, headaches (applied with wheat meal in patches on the head). Black nettle is wonderful for bronchus, paico is good against parasites and is considered good for the intelligence. Pie de perro (dog's foot) is great for kidneys and pumpkin seeds throw away parasites.
Sagrado Corazon, in competition with Kuntur's carved and coloured gourds in animal shapes, delighted all the children of Taquile with their naive arpilleras.
Technologically, Arco Iris was the star. All producers were eager to learn how they make their natural dyestuffs and carefully wrote down the erudite talk given by their friends from Huancayo. A chart of colours showed that Cochinilla is used to get wine colour, red, pink and lavender. Chilca is used for yellow and green tones, Aliso gives green shades, nogal is used for brown and papelillo for yellow colours.
After this exhibition took place, producers exchanged their comments.
Some conclusions were:

Peru does not have one culture, it has many varied cultures.
Next time producers should bring with them more products.
It is very useful to promote the exchange of techniques.
It allows us to know the reality of the provinces through their handicrafts.
Products should have been priced.

What they liked best:

Maroti Shobo's because they brought with them very varied goods: cloth, ceramics, bijouterie, edibles.
Dyestuffs from Hualhuas.
The delegations from Cusco and Maroti Shobo because they included many medicinal herbs.
The very fine belts from Taquile.
Carved gourds with their ash technique.
Araña dyestuffs will be tried on junco.
All handicrafts are lovely because they grow from our heads and are made with our own hands.
Shipibos said they wish they could take all these products to their villages in the jungle.
All these lovely products are made with our own efforts, we use no machines. Cloths are painted by hand, without rulers or other instruments.

We all learned a lot. Was this exercise useful, and if so, why?

Very useful. We now know how other groups work.
We have learned more about our culture.
We have learned to love and promote our culture wherever we go.
We use what Nature gives us.
What we make with our hands is not only a product of our culture, it is made to support our families and our communities.

Other comments:

Our rulers do not know how to manage this country, they have not encouraged the cultural expressions of our people.
Every politician is only interested in his personal profit: that is wrong.
Handicraft producers are starting to change Peru.
All Peruvians should use our own Peruvian handicrafts which are very beautiful, the most beautiful ones in the world.
Handicrafts generate great profits to our country and yet handicraft producers are not promoted.
Taxes collected from handicrafts should be given to handicraft producers to buy inputs.
There is no national policy supporting local producers, foreign products are cheaper in Peru.

What is the role of handcraft producers?

To spread our culture.
To always make good products.
To exert pressure so that we are heard: we have no laws to protect us.

¹Sheep wool material

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