Who Are the Aymara?
The Aymara are an indigenous Andean people numbering approximately 2-3 million, primarily inhabiting the high plateau (altiplano) surrounding Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and Peru, with communities also in Chile and Argentina. They speak Aymara, a language family with uncertain affiliations that was widespread in the Andes before the Inca expansion spread Quechua. The Aymara developed sophisticated adaptations to life above 3,800 meters, including unique agricultural systems, llama and alpaca herding, and the remarkable Tiwanaku civilization (c. 300-1150 CE). The Aymara have been at the forefront of Bolivia's indigenous political movement, with Evo Morales becoming the first Aymara president of any country.
Tiwanaku Heritage
Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) was a major pre-Columbian civilization centered near Lake Titicaca's southern shore, flourishing from roughly 300-1150 CE. At its peak, Tiwanaku influenced territories across modern Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. The site features monumental architecture including the Akapana pyramid and the iconic Gateway of the Sun with its carved deity figure. Tiwanaku pioneered raised-field agriculture (suka kollus) that dramatically increased yields in the flood-prone altiplano. Though Tiwanaku's political structure collapsed before the Inca expansion, the Aymara are considered its cultural descendants, and the ruins remain central to Aymara identity. Bolivia's flag incorporates the wiphala, linked to Tiwanaku heritage.
Altiplano Adaptations
Life on the altiplano at 3,800-4,500 meters requires remarkable adaptations. The Aymara have genetic adaptations for high-altitude oxygen efficiency. Economically, they developed complementary systems: herding llamas and alpacas on high grasslands for wool, meat, and transport; cultivating frost-resistant potatoes and quinoa on slopes; and accessing lower valleys (vertical archipelago model). Freeze-dried chuño potatoes store for years. Lake Titicaca's totora reeds provide material for boats, houses, and even artificial floating islands of the Uru people (often considered culturally distinct). This ecological knowledge sustained dense populations in an environment most humans find challenging.
Contemporary Aymara
Modern Aymara achieved unprecedented political visibility when Evo Morales won Bolivia's presidency in 2006 on a platform of indigenous rights and resource nationalism. His tenure (until 2019) saw constitutional recognition of Bolivia as a plurinational state, expanded indigenous rights, and reduced poverty, though also controversies and his contested departure. The Aymara diaspora has grown in cities like El Alto, La Paz's indigenous-majority sister city. Traditional practices including ayni (reciprocity), ch'alla (offerings to Pachamama), and the Alasitas miniatures festival continue. However, climate change threatens glaciers and Lake Titicaca's water levels. Aymara political organization and cultural assertion remain strong.
References
- Kolata, A. L. (1993). The Tiwanaku: Portrait of an Andean Civilization
- Albó, X. (2002). Pueblos Indios en la Política
- Hardman, M. J. (2001). Aymara