Culture Shock! Bolivia - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

The Bolivian People 77

profound way, by the militant movements in the fi rst six years
of the new century. Meanwhile, agronomists are tempted
to redevelop an indigenous irrigation system that prevents
fl ooding by raising the level of fi elds and surrounding them
with canals, a technique which also served to maintain
an even temperature and prevent freezing of crops in the
Altiplano regions. According to The Chronicle of Higher
Education, ‘efforts are on to popularise this simple but brilliant
method of cultivation.’
Terraced agriculture around Lake Titicaca is another
example of Aymara and Inca ingenuity, allowing the Inca
socialist theocracy to provide food for all. Indigenous
medicinal plants and herbs are today being taken seriously
by Western trained medical researchers, and agricultural
products original to the Altiplano
and nearby valleys, such as the
quinoa grain, are becoming
select exports. Kellog wanted
to market a quinoa cereal but
Bolivian quinoa harvests would
only meet 15 per cent of the
United States market. This leaves
quinoa under the control of Bolivia’s private sector, which
markets the supergrain in organic form, in cereals, breads,
sweets, instant soups and pipoca (popped quinoa). Quinoa
averages 16 per cent protein, compared to wheat’s 12 per
cent. Quinoa also supplies ample amounts of iron, calcium
and vitamins B and E.
No cursory summary can cover the depth of Aymara and
Quechua cultures. In later chapters of this book, the reader
will have the opportunity to share experiences of visitors to
Bolivia who have interacted with these peoples.

Kollas and Cambas

Borders of Spanish American countries were based on
the original Spanish colonial viceroyalties, with little or
no attention paid to ethnic considerations. Independent
caudillos (warrior políticos) further contributed to carving
out boundaries. The indigenous Aymara nation is split into

For the Tiahuanaco Aymara

and Quechua leaders who

developed quinoa from

wild plants, this grain was

sacred. The surplus produced

enabled the development of

great civilisations.