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Week 2: Cusco the wonderful land of Llamas!
Posted by: emily que
This week we arrived in Cusco! While the journey was arduous and surprisingly difficult due to the high altitude, the struggle was 100% worth it. Being in Cusco, and staying in what is apparently the best hotel in Cusco during Corpus Christi is such an honour and a privilege. Although the first few days were difficult since we had to leave for the airport at 3:00 AM and were riddled with altitude sickness, and my two roommates got an intestinal infection, our time in Cusco so far has been really special. read full post >>
5. Bodies
Posted by: niki afsharpour
First thoughts on reading the beginnings of Inka Bodies and the Body of Christ by Carolyn Dean The Thursday that shines greater than the sun, “Jueves que reluce más que el sol” At around 11 am this morning, the announcing archbishop said these words: “Esta no es una fe sincrética.” The translations of some of […] read full post >>
Playing About Violence
Posted by: Gabrielmcameron
I am fascinated with the way children develop their own unique forms of justice, or hierarchies. At the boarding school in ‘’Deep Rivers’’, children would physically fight against each other, almost ceremonially. The game names sides after Peruvians and Chileans, and it explicitly imitates war. There is, collectively, a need to reenact political violence, and […] read full post >>
Conquered Stones and Corpus Christi
Posted by: benc331
While I have long been aware that many of the buildings in Cusco are built on top of Inca structures, I realized that I have never *really* taken the time to consider the origins of the materials for the colonial buildings that sit atop these Inca remains. The second chapter of Inka Bodies by Carolyn Dean explains that The Cathedral of Cusco was constructed using the stones that were taken, or perhaps more appropriately, stolen from Sacsayhuamán, an Incan citadel that lies just north of where we are now. The...read more read full post >>
Week 2: “But why didn’t the flock scatter?”
Posted by: Grace Baker
Having now shifted from Lima to Cusco, I have felt the differing landscapes of these cities to be reflected in my overall mood. Cusco- once known as the center of the universe to the Incas- holds much history and life in every corner. I was extremely moved during my reading of Deep Rivers. In my […] read full post >>
Arguedas and Identity
Posted by: eaflucki
As I explored the novel Deep Rivers by Jose Arguedas, I began thinking about Indigenous identity…who counts as indigenous and who does not? Is more weight placed in genetic inheritance or the lived experience of being brought up in community. While some may be direct descendants of an indigenous bloodline but grow up disconnected from […] read full post >>
