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Yesterday, after exploring the ruins of Machu Picchu (featured above,) we arrived in the city of Cusco. Cusco is up higher in the Andes than Ollantaytambo, and I can definitely feel the altitude! In Quechua, Cusco means naval because it was considered the center and capital of the Inca civilization. Today, we got to explore the city a little bit more. In the main plaza, there is the Corpus Christi religious festival and procession happening, which has been amazing to witness. The festival used to be an Inca festival during which there was a procession of all of the mummies of the 14 Inca Kings. When the Spanish came to Peru, they destroyed anything that was related to the Inca religion. Thus, during this special festival, the Spanish forced the Inca people to carry 14 saints in the procession instead of their mummified kings. Still today, during the procession, one can see 14 saints being carried throughout the city. The Corpus Christi festival is a fascinating example of the old Inca culture peeking through the Spanish, Catholic culture of modern day Peru.
Along with viewing the Corpus Christi festival, we also visited many Inca ruins in and around Cusco today. These ruins were primarily religious temples; the largest of all, Saqsaywaman, was a temple dedicated to worshipping the sun. We also visited a temple of fertility and a temple of water. These ruins are amazing, and yet are all partially or mostly destroyed. However, they still stand because of the outstanding job the builders did of making these temples earthquake proof. As I mentioned earlier, when the Spanish came to conquer the Inca people, they destroyed anything related to the ancient indigenous religion and imposed Catholicism on the people. Often times, the Spanish built their own churches on top of the foundations of destroyed Inca temples. We saw an example of this phenomenon today when we visited the Coricancha church and convent in the heart of Cusco.
Tambomachay (The Water Temple) in Cusco
Coricancha is a huge structure which was built on top of and around a complex of several important Inca temples. At one time, this area was the center of Inca administration and religious activity of the entire Inca civilization. When the Spanish discovered this place, it was covered in gold and silver. These metals did not have monetary value for the Incas, only religious value. The Spanish, however, stole all of the gold and silver off of the temples and covered the temples in plaster. They painted over the walls and turned the complex of temples into a convent, building a huge church right on top of the Temple del Sol. Eventually, the people of Cusco completely forgot that Coricancha was ever a place of Inca worship. It wasn’t until the huge earthquake of 1950, which completely destroyed the plaster of the church and unearthed the Inca temples underneath, that the place was once again recognized for its Inca origins.
The Courtyard at Coricancha
So, in class we have been discussing the relationship between culture and power. I think Coricancha is a perfect example of this relationship. The dominant culture that has the power tends to cover up other cultures, just like the Spanish plaster hid the Inca temples for hundreds of years. It takes an earthquake, a revolution, or a concerted effort for these cultures that are not dominant to be appreciated and celebrated. In education, we talk a lot about the dominant culture being enforced upon all students in the classroom. The question is, is education like Coricancha? Do teachers cover up their students’ cultures with plaster, so to speak? As educators, we need to make sure that we are not forcing our students to assimilate to the dominant culture. However, the dominant culture is related to power, and we need to find ways to empower our students. Thus, educators need to start having more discussions on how to help students to be successful within the powerful, dominant culture while finding ways to promote their own cultures. Ideally, teachers should work to break the power of the dominant culture by celebrating and strengthening the assets of their students’ cultures. They shouldn't act as the Spanish, who used other cultural foundations to promote their own power; teachers should be the earthquake that uncovers the wonder, power, and wealth of their students’ cultures and backgrounds.