Race, Ethnicity, and Indigenous Politics

            In Otavalo, the native Indians have kept much of their culture and many of their daily rituals, even after Spanish conquest, Ecuadorian independence, and a shift in other towns and cities to modern life. They are proud that they have not changed and do not want to change. If anyone from another place comes to Otavalo and tries to change the Indians—make them blend more with the modern life that surrounds them—this outsider is ostracized, and the Indians want little or nothing to do with them.

            The Quechua word “causay” at the time of the 16^th century had many meanings. Over time, the meaning of this word evolved to “kawsay” and its meaning changed to being a concept of “good living” or “sweet life.” An implication of this word is good health, including eating clean foods and taking care of one’s body. Further implied with kawsay is social justice and environmental protections. These are given attention to in kawsay because if we are mistreating other people or our planet, we cannot truly be living a good and healthy life. Andean indigenous peoples understand kawsay to mean that they should continue with their traditional customs of eating and caring for the earth, and that they have the right to do so. Kawsay, as a result, also encompasses the well-being of these indigenous people. This word and a few variations of it have been included in legal documents of multiple countries in South America to protect the rights of these people, but sometimes their usage is subjective and contrasts between countries. There is no universal, exact meaning of kawsay. Further complicating the matter is the word “Pachamama,” which refers to “mother Earth” and the life she gives. People understand kawsay and Pachamama to be two different concepts, but there is no pinpoint answer as to how they are different for everyone. Kawsay in legal documents recently has had other words attached to it in attempts to make its definition more objective and understandable in relation to Andean people and their way of life. Ultimately kawsay has been consistent in its meaning as an ode to taking care of our planet and our own lives.

            A strong movement in South America that has emerged in the last couple decades is the Ecuadorian indigenous movement. The movement started as a sort of opposition to Ecuadorian politics. The movement, since its beginning, has been led by the Confederación de las Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador; CONAIE). The group has been successful as emerging as an autonomous, independent political party. The indigenous movement is based on the belief that indigenous people in Ecuador are marginalized and belittled, and it wants to change this by implementing what has been termed a “plurinational state.” A plurinational state is a non-capitalist government where all nationalities are given equal rights and treated with respect. The efforts of the indigenous movement were recognized in the 2008 revision of Ecuador’s constitution. CONAIE plans to keep moving forward until they feel they have earned justice for indigenous people.

            There is a high population of Afro-Ecuadorians in Ecuador, particularly in the Esmeraldas province. They have not typically been recognized as part of Ecuador’s culture and identity in the past. The rise of the indigenous movement, however, has prompted black people in Ecuador to raise their voice and claim their identity as a group of Ecuadorian people.