The Bolivian People 57but nothing is farther from the truth. In fact, Kallawayas
are known as travelling doctors. Kallawayas participated in
the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, and they use their
extensive travel as a way to acquire knowledge of herbs not
found in their region.
It takes eight to 10 years for an apprentice Kallawaya to
pass a test administered by village elders.
Bolivia: Country of Doctors
The name Kallawaya was probably derived from the Inca word
Kollasuyo, which was the name of present day Bolivia. Kollasuyo
means ‘Country of Doctors’.Cholas and Cholos
In 1989, Remedios Loza became the fi rst indigenous woman
who wears traditional Aymara dress to sit in the Bolivian
Congress. This marked the beginning of what may break the
postcard stereotype of the Chola woman selling produce at a
market stand or working as a domestic employee.
I once interviewed the then Congresswoman Loza in the
new congress building in downtown La Paz. She wears the
typical bowler hat, usually black, dark green or brown, that
you would have thought, erroneously, had been imported
from London.
The Aymara Chola woman’s dark hair is braided into
two long plaits, joined by wool. The ornate pollera skirts
are worn over several petticoats, making most women
seem overweight.
The outfi t includes an embroidered blouse and a manta
(shawl). Quechua Cholas in the valleys wear a simpler, more
streamlined version of this outfi t. When in the street, Chola
women carry an ahuayo on their back, connected with a cloth
sling around the neck. This handwoven sack with colourful
bands may contain anything from a baby to groceries to
goods for sale.
The male counterpart, the Cholo, uses a Western style of
dress, and is less distinguishable. Without the symbolism
of traditional dress, he encounters greater obstacles in