The Condor & The Bull (Continued)

A procession of Indigenous villagers emerges from Peru’s Andes Mountains like beacons in the dawn. It’s the first morning of Qoyllur Rit’i (the Festival of the Snow Star), held when the Pleiades constellation returns to the equatorial sky. Thousands of Andean people have made an arduous pilgrimage nearly 5,000m (16,400ft) elevation to honour the Apus (sacred spirits of the mountains), along with the Sinakara Glacier, and the arrival of the harvest season.

Ukukus (the half-man, half-bear guardians of Andean culture and tradition)  haul heavy, wooden crosses up to the glaciers they protect. Others dressed like black-and-white birds oversee the festivities from the clifftops. They represent the Andean condor—the symbol of the Quechua people, still fighting for their freedom under Spanish reign.

Qoyllur Rit’i is a syncretic event: Catholic imagery and national flags intermix with traditional tassels, feathers, and flutes that intertwine in a three-day trance. It’s an example of Indigenous survival and adaptation—resistance and coexistence—through 500 years of colonization.

This struggle is expressed in Yawar (“Blood”) Fiesta, a rodeo-like tradition which culminated with a live death match (now banned) between a condor and a bull: that symbol of the Andean people strapped to the back of their Spanish rulers.

Today, the Quechua culture is still vibrant, yet traditions such as Yawar are at risk, and the Quechua language—which once connected the Inca Empire from present-day Colombia to northern Argentina—has been reduced to smaller pockets. Now, with the impacts of globalization, climate change, and the relentless demand for resources driven by capitalism, the Quechua people are confronting unprecedented challenges to their culture and lifestyle.

The Andean festivities celebrate the rich history of its people through vibrant dance and tell their story. Traditional battles showcase their strength and resilience. They also serve as sacrifices to Pachamama—The Earth Mother. In the Andean worldview, life is rooted in Ayni—reciprocity—where offerings are essential for all that has been given, sometimes requiring blood.

This worldview is often at odds with the western culture of the ruling class and often results in conflict which has escalated in recent years as the people fight back against corruption, racism, and exploitation. 

This is a story of brutality and beauty. Clashes and coexistence. And an indomitable spirit that has the power to protect people and culture, as well as the land that gives life to both. The Quechua, like many Indigenous peoples around the globe, are fighting to reclaim their rightful place in this world at this crucial moment in history. The Quechua want the world to recognize their presence and strength, and that they are here to remain—Presente!