“For us, the bridge is the soul and spirit of our Inca (ancestors) that touches & caresses us like the wind. If we stop preserving it, it would be like if we die"
Victoriano Arisapana (veek-tore-ee-ah-no ah-ree-sah-pah-nah)
chakacamayoc (bridge master)
IMAGE SOURCE: Still from “La Hija Del Maestro Del Puente.” Centro Cultural PUCP. 2013. | TEXT SOURCE: Abigail Tucker. “A Dozen Indigenous Craftsman From Peru Will Weave Grass into a 60-Foot Suspension Bridge in Washington, D.C.” Smithsonian Magazine. 22 Jun. 2015.
FULL QUOTE: “For us, the bridge is the soul and spirit of our Inca (ancestors) that touches & caresses us like the wind. If we stop preserving it, it would be like if we die… Therefore we cannot allow our bridge to disappear.”
QUOTE CONTEXT: Building a model of traditional Quechuan rope bridge on the mall in Washington. D.C. for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival: “I learned it from my father and grandfather,” says Victoriano Arisapana, who is believed to be among the last living bridge masters and who will be supervising the folklife project. “I lead by birthright and as the heir to that knowledge.”
QUOTE QUESTION: What makes the bridge to your ancestral soul and spirit?
IMAGE CONTEXT: ”Victoriano Arisapana seeks to preserve the continuity of his legacy. His children do everything possible to free themselves from that succession, given the conditions of extreme poverty and isolation in which they live.”
IMAGE QUESTION: Where do you stand to continue the work of your ancestors?
MEDIA LITERACY CONTEXT: The quote is an article in a magazine. The photo is from a film.
MEDIA LITERACY QUESTION: What are the best media forms to share the legacy of your People?
SUPPORT THE QUECHUA: www.quechuabenefit.org/donate
DOWNLOAD THE QUECHUA SLIDE DECK FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES: