2008 Field School - Students’ Reflections
Andean Culture and Society
 The Andean people have maintained a strong sense of kinship and community
relations. Community values are what have allowed Andean culture and
society to survive for thousands of years; Andean spirituality and respect for
their surroundings and one another has touched me in so many ways.
 Through the vast biodiversity found here, people have developed a symbiotic
relationship and understanding with their surroundings, and are capable of
maintaining a self sustainable lifestyle without completely destroying the
sheer beauty existing here.
 Despite structural limitations, I don’t see a lack of vibrance in Andean culture.
People work together to ensure that their needs are met. They have vast social
networks that they call upon for fiestas. They organize themselves to ensure
that women give birth in a healthy manner. Educators and parents cooperate to
guarantee decent education. I have seen community organization in the Andes
that puts the US to shame, all without any form of coercion, neither economic
nor physical.
 The words for health and body do not exist in Quechua language - their
genuine notions of interconnectedness are expressed in relational terms, so
that their ails are inseparable from those of their neighbors.
 I felt welcomed as an outsider even when intentions were unkown and was
allowed to walk among the people without prejudice.
 I have felt a strong acceptance from the small communities we have visited; it
saddened me to leave. The generosity has far exceeded my expectations.
 The Andean cultural concept of Patsa Mama (Mother Earth) is something that
encompasses all aspects of my learning experience here. The strong link
Andean people have with the land is evident in the way they sow and reap, the
way they speak, and the way they relate to the four parts of their cosmovision.
 The ways in which people interact with the natural world demonstrate a deep
respect and responsibility to Patsa Mama that is more reciprocal than the
relationship many people I know have with the earth.
 In the context of fiesta, offerings are made to Patsa Mama, a gesture that to
me strengthens, or rather, maintains the connection between us and the natural.
 The conscious presence and influence of mountains pervade every facet of life
here, from the source of water to food variety and cultivation, to the myths and
folklore.
 The lunar phases appear in Andean perceptions of agricultural cycles – with
time represented in a circular counterclockwise direction, rising and setting
east to west.
 In Andean culture, the trees, mountains, sun, moon, water…are all like family
members, things to be adored, which you raise and which raise you at the
same time.
 The thing that impresses upon me the most in Andean life, that seems to bind
each arena I’ve been accustomed to perceiving as separate, is the forward and
backward simultaneous thinking, the temporal connectivity of the present. We
have seen this play of time enacted and lived in fundamental parts of life from
growing and planning to community networks of support and obligation, from
the tangible to the social.
 I’ve learned that unearthing potatoes for the present, for food in this season, is
a reward for hard work the season before, and for the foresight of selecting a
successful assortment of seedlings to save for planting. Each potato brought to
light is a gift of the ancient practices of seed selection, and as such, Andean
heritage is stored in selection relationships and practices as well.
 I was impressed repeatedly during this program at the trade and gift, or
obligation relations that serve to tightly integrate one family with another,
spreading out a resilient, enduring and self-perpetuating support network to
prevent total loss in times of stress.
 As with potatoes, the fiesta is of core importance to the integrity and
maintenance of concepts of community. The enactment of the fiesta calls upon
and reinforces social bonds by which the community persists and by which it
understands itself as a community, but likewise the enactment plants the seeds
and lays the groundwork for reinforcing these social and community identities
in years to come.
 Andean music played for spirits ranges from the spirits of the mountain to the
moon, music for the heart is extended to the hearts of animals and plants. One
does not just “play” music – one becomes the music and unites with spirits and
nature, and also reaches the various dimensions of being in Andean
cosmovision, which together create a sense of holism that binds communities
with the earth.
 Although it has been only a short period of time with Quechua classes, I feel
that I have learned a lot. Even more, learning Quechua has allowed me to gain
a better understanding of Andean culture. It has been exciting for me to open
my mind to new ways of understanding the world.
 The Andean way of life is under constant threat of modernization, economic
struggle, health problems, and the consequences of the current global warming
crisis. If the glaciers continue to melt, the Andean world will forever change.
Field Work
 I have learned not to be afraid to jump in, get my hands dirty, ask questions,
learn from doing – no matter how hard it might be; experience the learning,
learn the experience!
 After participating in the cosecha de maíz, I realized that Anthropology cannot
be taught in a classroom. Diving in head first is the only way to go. As we
helped harvest, we joked around, told stories, asked questions and answered
some, too. This interaction, the process of building a relationship in the
middle of a cornfield, is key.
 There are many ways to take action, but first one must be open and committed
to participate. This is what I’ve learned about doing fieldwork.
 Overall, it was made very clear that unless a community is involved actively
and fully in a project and its implementation, the residents will not feel the
drive, enthusiasm and personal responsibility for changing anything.
Perception of need creates willingness, and doing fieldwork is an important
part of finding out whether that perception exists, how strongly it is felt, and
far it can be taken to institute community-driven change.
 Field work has influenced my personal philosophy which is now of
community advocacy; this means helping people help themselves.
 I have learned that it is important to spend time talking with people and paying
attention to their communication – verbal and nonverbal, regardless of where
fieldwork is done.
 Being in a group and working as a team to generate questions and learn about
this community was a new experience for me. I learned how to work as a team
by bringing out and encouraging other team members to do what they are
good at, and giving them other input. Acting as a mirror and reflection for
others and learning how to listen to team members express themselves was
beneficial.
 We worked well as a team. There seemed to be a perfect distribution of
interests and determination to carry out activities and get something out of this
research. This was clearly demonstrated in our variety of topics connecting our
final presentations.
 Experience seems to be the most concrete way of learning for me. The field
work experience in itself became its own sort of field work!
 After this experience I feel much better prepared for future fieldwork. I have
lots of ideas, methods, and more flexible approaches to bring to new field
opportunities.
 I have learned that the Experiential Learning Cycle does hold true – that
reflecting, analyzing, generalizing, and then modifying your experiences really
does seem like the best way to make progress in the field.
 Relying, to begin with, upon first impressions and flushing them out later
with the impressions of others, both insiders and outsiders, hearing about what
they saw, what stood out, what they thought, is an important field research
process.
 Another significant part of field training was navigation and adaptation;
finding ourselves in unfamiliar places, with foreign modes of transport,
sustenance and communication, made us take careful note of geographic
surroundings, make maps and drawings to guide us.
 Perhaps most importantly, we learned to be part of our surroundings. This
element of fieldwork is the basis for participating, delving into the gift
networks as much as the dances, joking and sharing food, and drinking chicha
from the communal cup.
 I was looking for a model of action and purpose in Anthropology, and I
believe the Community Action Cycle provides a foundation of this, and also
an opportunity for me to be able to retain the ideas, ideals, methods and goals
from my current profession of Education.
Alternative Energy Systems
 It was especially inspiring to see that Pocha, a self-taught individual without
an engineering degree or similar technical background is able to put these
methods into action, and made these concepts come alive for me.
 I am constantly amazed at the efficiency of the farm. Pocha’s explanations are
easy to comprehend, and as we continue to explore the farm we understand
more how it all works.
 I admire the dedication to renewable energy on the farm, such as the solar
stoves, ovens, hot water system, electricity, sewage, as well as the use of
organic food waste – the compost, animals devouring peels, and scraps, etc.
 By far my favorite ecological aspect of the farm is the waste pond. Someone
once told me that there is beauty in shit. I never really believed them until the
other day when you showed us the calla lilies.
 To be here is an inspiring experience. The hard work and intuitive design of
the farm is amazing. Sustainable design, alternative energy, organic farming
and integration with nature are worth learning about.
 It’s great to see an actual working example of someone making a minimal
impact on the environment. Pocha’s explanations of how she heats the water
and purifies our waste is inspiring.
 The fact that the ranch is basically self-sustainable with little negative impact
to the surrounding environment is a rare thing.
 The ranch serves as a model to community members to show that alternative
energy can be used and is the best way to diminish pollution.
 I have definitely learned more about energy and resource conservation here on
the ranch. I never was so explicitly taught reasons to conserve, and it inspired
my faith that each and every person can, in fact, make a difference by
changing our behaviors in our environment and community.
The Setting
 I could not desire a more peaceful setting to learn in.
 I like the fact that Pocha’s ranch is within the community of Cajamarquilla so
students have the opportunity to interact with community members.
 The “remote” setting forced us to interact with the local community early on.
 I appreciated the fact that it was a bit of a hike to get to town, getting to pass
the people on the path, and observe goings-on en route to town was an integral
part of the experience.
 This setting serves as a metaphor for a sense of sharing and reciprocity; from
the pre-fiesta lunch given for those who choose to contribute, to the sharing of
a single cup among a group of people drinking chicha, one gets a sense of the
importance of closeness and community participation in Andean society.
 The ranch framed my perceptions of the surroundings and provided a context
for what I saw as areas to improve environmentally. Many opportunities for
immersion experiences were presented, but never was it overwhelming. An
excellent balance.
 I loved being in a beautiful mountain valley and seeing glaciers (though this
made me sad - they are disappearing).
 The very natural setting brings people close together. Being so far out of one’s
element yet in such a peaceful one, facilitates learning and, moreover, personal
growth.
 At night, to be on the mountain in darkness and silence (aside from the
occasional fireworks) was ideal for contemplation.