150 CultureShock! Bolivia
Last Sunday in March—Domingo de Ramos. Varying
celebrations throughout Bolivia: a cattle fair in El Alto, a
procession of child angels in Sucre.April
Semana Santa—Easter Week. The pilgrimage to the shrine
at Copacabana blends Catholic ritual with offerings to the
gods by Aymara Yatiris (shaman). Tarija’s Semana Santa is
more Spanish. Similar religious festivals are held around
the Jesuit mission communities near Santa Cruz.
15 April— Tarija’s Departamental Anniversary. Serenaders
and dancers in the streets. Competitive events including
a rodeo the following day.May
3 May—Fiesta of the Cross. Throughout Bolivia, this event
is more pre-Columbian than Christian. Remote indigenous
villages hold T’inkus (ritual combat that may erupt into
fi erce violence when participants are governed by the
effects of hard drinking; occasionally leads to death).
Bolivian director Mela Márquez’s gutsy fi lm, Sayariy,
is the most insightful portrayal of this indigenous festival
ritual. “I was the only member of the fi lm crew,” Márquez
says, “who didn’t have a violent experience.”
The fi lming took place in a village fi ve hours from the
nearest phone, during four weeks of extremely primitive
living conditions. The T’inku’s nearest equivalent in
Western culture is ritual professional wrestling. The
moment when a legal rough check in ice hockey erupts
into a fracas may also bear something of a visceral
resemblance.
But if a T’inku participant were to witness a
professional wrestling match, he might be overcome with
bewilderment. Why does the audience sit there without
getting involved? Why does this imitation brawl not erupt
into the real thing?
Most Bolivians and visitors alike would agree with me
that of all the events in Bolivian culture, the T’inku is most
likely to provoke a culture shock. But let us turn the tables.