Erin Bucklew
erin592013@yahoo.com
Understanding the Many Faces of Latin America through Art and History:
Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism
Lesson Plan 1
Goal: Explain world view of the landscape – Incan paradigm of geography
I would like to explain this paradigm to students and have them compare it to their own paradigm.
Information presented: World View of the Landscape – Incan paradigm
World is seen in terms of three geographical frameworks:
Pacha Mama – the crops
Tirakuna – places which you inhabit
Apu – highest points – mountain gods
Show photos of Peru and discuss the three categories.
http://www.culturefocus.com/peru-machu-picchu.htm
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ytHhYvNzbm8/TRebKhrHfPI/AAAAA
AAAEq0/5Uf2mSswI00/s1600/Valle%252BSagrado%252Bde%252Blos%2
Now let’s talk about these terms in terms of our own lives.
Living in Eugene – show images
https://www.google.com/search?q=photos%20of%20eugene%20oregon&ie=utf-8&oe=utf8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp
Pacha Mama
Tirakuna
Apu
Do these categories make sense for Eugene? What three categories would you use?
More Background:
Pachamama: feminine, nurturing spirit of the earth in general
likes to get frequent offerings of food, drink, and the essence of coca by blowing on the
leaves
apus and tirakuna, or Places: usually masculine spirits, more individualized
live in, or are, the spirits of particular mountain peaks, rock outcrops, or other
geographic features
apus are the most powerful ones, located at major mountain peaks
have powers and concerns for certain things or places (herds, rain, human health, social
relations, etc.)
each has his own personality, likes, dislikes, and appropriate ways to be propitiated
these concepts of the animate landscape and spirits of particular places and rock outcrops
are often invoked by archaeologists to understand apparently ritual sites
Andes S 2006 / Owen: Andean thought and society p. 4