“We are returning to the old systems—ayni, family, agriculture. As there is no economic movement, this is how we are living.”

Jun 14

Rocío Cjuiro Mescco (roh-see-yoh kweer-oh mess-koh)

water protector, activist, guide

IMAGE SOURCE: Colleen Connolly. “The Uphill Battle To Stop Peru From Building A New Airport Near Machu Picchu.” Blog post. smithsonianmag.com. 24 Feb. 2021. | TEXT SOURCE: Colleen Connolly. “The Uphill Battle To Stop Peru From Building A New Airport Near Machu Picchu.” Blog post. smithsonianmag.com. 24 Feb. 2021.

QUOTE CONTEXT: “As unemployment skyrocketed across the country (due to the pandemic), young (people)who had moved to Cusco and Lima for work returned home, and the pace of life slowed. The community began to participate in the Inca tradition of ayni again—a Quechua word meaning “reciprocity,” neighbors helping neighbors.”

QUOTE QUESTION: What old systems do your People return to in challenging times?

IMAGE CONTEXT: “Rocío Cjuiro Mescco, photographed near the airport site in Chinchero, Peru, in 2019, has been trying to stop the construction project across the highway from her home. "These megaprojects violate our human rights," she says.”

IMAGE QUESTION: How can your hands protect the waters?

MEDIA LITERACY CONTEXT: The quote and photo are from a blog post.

MEDIA LITERACY QUESTION: How does social media help to keep your People in touch with others?

“We are returning to the old systems—ayni, family, agriculture. As there is no economic movement, this is how we are living.”

Rocío Cjuiro Mescco (roh-see-yoh kweer-oh mess-koh)

“The spirituality of our Inca ancestors lives in our way of life. In the way that we remember where we come from in order to have a stronger presence in this world.”

“My grandmothers speak Quechua—my family passed their roots onto me…This is where my social responsibility to protect, value, respect, and love Quechua as well as our ancestors was born.”