Today, March 20th 2013, is the Autumnal Equinox here in Ecuador. This may seem strange to all of you in the Northern Hemisphere as it is Spring where you are, but the equinoxes are opposite north and south of the equator. To mark this important day the indigenous community of Agato held a Pachamanca celebration and Oakes and I had the honor of attending. Our neighbor and friend Ornella works for a foundation that supports sustainable development efforts in rural communities around Otavalo. She is working closely with this community and because of her connections/friendships we were allowed to participate in their ceremonies and celebrations.
The ceremony took place in a beautiful hilltop clearing surrounded by corn fields and forests. Through the trees I could glimpse the communities bee hives and hear the familiar hum of their inhabitants. Seeing these hives was reassuring as we have learned that most of the thick, sticky, honey-like substances sold here are actually sugarcane based. The communities organic honey production is one of the projects that Ornella's foundation is trying to support. On this particular day, there was a gentle breeze which helped to cool all of us as we baked in the hot equatorial sun.
Pachamanca is an Andean tradition dating back to before the time of the Incas. The term can be broken into two words-pacha and manca- meaning earthen pot. Essentially, food is cooked in a hole in the ground using volcanic rocks that have been heated in a fire. On this particular day the bottom of a hole was covered with hot rocks fresh from the campfire and then vegetables were layered on top (yellow potatoes, plantain, blue sweet potatoes, corn, carrots, a variety of beans wrapped in cabbage leaves etc.) This form of cooking is perfect for large community gatherings where the quantity of food needed rules out stovetop cooking, especially in an area where people traditionally have two burner cooktops. Once the food had been placed in the hole, a variety of fresh herbs were placed on top and a wet cloth was held over the hole. Because this day marks the end of the female (rainy growing season) period of the year, two women held the cloth and raised it to the sky four times as a prayer was said. Unfortunately for me, I didn't understand any of the prayer as it was in Kichwa. A pot of water was then added to the vegetables to help them steam and the cloth was lowered over the food. This was then covered by a reed mat and piles of black earth. The food needed to cook for about an hour and this time was devoted to thanking the gods for the harvest and for good health, for meditating and music and for welcoming the male sun god into our hearts as we begin the next phase of the year.
Although this ritual has been practiced by many generations here in the Andes, I clearly saw influences from other cultures during the ceremonies. A Tibetan singing bowl was used during one of the meditations, and a native american chant was performed. As I sat wondering how this evolution had occurred, the shaman in charge of the ceremonies told us that he had attended a gathering of native peoples from all over the world and that they had all shared parts of their traditions. Each participant was encouraged to take back new learning to their own people and in this way connect all native peoples to each other -cultural evolution in action.
After about an hour, it was time to uncover the food. As the earth was removed from over the hole, some people removed their shoes and stood in warm dirt, absorbing the energy of the Pachamanca. The food was brought inside and we all followed to enjoy this wonderful equivalent of the harvest festival we celebrate in the states. Although there were very few herbs and spices used, the food was incredibly flavorful. People sat at tables, and on the floor around a fire pit, chatting and enjoying eachother's company. Just as in our country, food seems to bring communities together. My time at this gathering was cut a little short, as I had to get back to the house to meet Sylvia's school bus but it was long enough to encourage me to include more ceremonies in my life, to slow down more often and pay attention to the world around me. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to share this day with a wonderful group of people here in Ecuador.
(Unfortunately, after shooting my first photo, my camera battery died. The following photos were taken by Ornella.)
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