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Today much of the Quechuan identity and story is preserved in their complex weavings, despite centuries of cultural suppression under Spanish colonialism. Now it is the forces of modernity and globalization that pose a threat to practices that have survived millennia. Yet many Quechuans still cull wool from their own alpaca, llama, and sheep to weave intricate works of art that are both practical and intrinsic to their cultural identity. Anthropologists such as Andrea Heckman and Anne Kendall have been critical in recognizing the importance of this tradition. As a result of their work, organizations such as Awamaki are working to make sure this priceless cultural heritage of humanity survives, at times reintroducing techniques that were on the verge of extinction to communities in the region.

In appreciating the Quechuan weaving tradition, one should recognize that not only is it central to the Quechuan sense of pride and identity, but both the process and the end result contain an immense beauty and value that transcends their cultural and political context.

The Quechuan Weaving Tradition

Looking from the perspective of a civilization in which nearly every item of importance is manufactured and sold, it is difficult, illuminating, and ultimately, gratifying, to appreciate the rich textile practices of modern Quechuans. They are a people who still weave much of their own clothing by hand, using techniques inherited at least as far back as the Incans, who ruled over 500 years ago.

Quechua was the language of the Incans, and their descendants occupy the Andean highlands surrounding the old Incan capital of Cusco, ranging as far as Ecuador and Bolivia. As with almost all ancient American civilizations, the Incans did not have a written form of their language; they did, however, exchange information through sophisticated and still not completely understood systems of woven codes. It is said that the Incans prized their textiles more than silver or gold - both abundantly mined materials - and that they burned many of their works rather than let them fall into Spanish hands. Textiles were essential to Incan expansion and economy, serving as tributes to various tribes under their rule and comprising a cornerstone of trade with lower altitude regions that possessed more diverse building and food resources.