Honoring Pachamama Central to Bolivian Culture

 

As they wait for a food seller to cook their food, members of a family pour a small amount of their drinks on the ground. Then, they each take a taste.

The family is on vacation at Lake Titicaca in La Paz, Bolivia. The pouring is a small offering to Pachamama. In return, Pachamama is said to bring blessings².

In South America's most indigenous³ country, a belief system called Pachamama is part of everyday life. Pachamama is a goddess beloved by people of the Andes Mountains. She is also sometimes known as Mother Earth.

Pachamama represents the earth's fertility. She rules over the planting and harvesting of crops, as well as the mountains. She also causes earthquakes.

The word "pacha" means earth, cosmos⁴, universe, time and space in the indigenous languages of Quechua and Aymara. The second part -- "mama" -- means mother.

Belief in the earth goddess can be found in other parts of South America such as Peru and Chile.

In Bolivia, at least 60 percent of people trace their ancestors to native tribes that lived in the area when Spanish colonizers arrived. Many ethnicities, in both major cities and small villages, believe in Pachamama. Parents teach their children that gratitude⁵ for Mother Earth must be a central part of their lives. Many are practicing Catholics who join the customs together.

"It's a combination," Jose Luis Campero told The Associated Press. He is a 30-year-old engineer from La Paz who is Catholic. "God is not just one religion."

Through rituals known as "challas," Bolivians show respect for Pachamama by pouring drinks and throwing flowers and coca leaves on the ground. Challas sometimes include songs or dances.

Jose Saravia, a 46-year-old engineer from La Paz, said he and his coworkers always say a blessing¹ for Pachamama before starting new building projects.

"We give thanks to Pachamama so Pachamama gives us blessings. That's a tradition from our ancestors," Saravia said. "We go to Mass because the Spaniards brought the Catholic Church to Bolivia."

In Bolivia, Pachamama is everywhere, yet nowhere. There is no official painting, image, flag or statue in public places or inside homes. Yet people often honor and include it in Christian⁶ religious events.

There are some ways in which Pachamama is seen in daily life, however. A flag called the "wiphala" represents indigenous people. It has several colors in very small squares. Under Evo Morales' presidency⁷, it became an official government flag along with the three-colored red, yellow and green Bolivian flag.

The belief system enjoyed renewed attention and celebration under Morales' nearly 14-year presidency. During that time, he performed Pachamama offerings at official government ceremonies. In 2019, an animated⁸ film called Pachamama was released on Netflix. It told the story of a 10-year-old Andean boy during the time of the Spanish conquest of Bolivia.

The mix of Christian and ancestral religion came from indigenous Bolivians who had to hide their beliefs under Catholic ones. But it has become more common in recent history to publicly celebrate both.

This was especially true during Morales' presidency. The mix of religions is recognized by Bolivia's constitution under the term "Andean cosmovision." And it is widely practiced.

Morales angered some Catholics when he rewrote the constitution in 2009. He removed special recognition that had been given to the Roman Catholic Church.

But the move did not seem to anger local Bolivian Catholic religious leaders. Instead, they respect the relationship that exists between the two belief systems.

The church's current mission is to avoid confrontation⁹ and try to better understand the Aymara/Inca culture, said Abelino Yeguaori, a local friar.

Not far from Yeguaori's church, an indigenous guide pours a drink on the ground to bless a woman and her husband in their prayer for a new home.

Words in This Story

indigenous – adj. a word describing people who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area, in contrast to groups that have settled or colonized¹⁰ the area

blessing – n. a prayer asking for God's favor and protection

practice – n. something that is done often or regularly

gratitude – n. a feeling of appreciation¹¹ or thanks

ritual – n. a formal ceremony or series of acts that is always performed in the same way

Mass – n. the central act of worship in the Roman Catholic Church

conquest – n. the act of taking control of a country, city or something else through the use of force

animated – adj. produced by the creation of a series of drawings and pictures that are shown quickly one after another

cosmos – n. the universe especially when it is understood as an ordered system

friar – n. a member of a men's Roman Catholic group who studies or teaches about Christianity

1 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

2 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

4 cosmos   

n.宇宙；秩序，和谐

参考例句：

• Our world is but a small part of the cosmos.我们的世界仅仅是宇宙的一小部分而已。
• Is there any other intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos?在宇宙的其他星球上还存在别的有智慧的生物吗？

5 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

6 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

7 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

8 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

9 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

10 colonized   

开拓殖民地，移民于殖民地( colonize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The area was colonized by the Vikings. 这一地区曾沦为维京人的殖民地。
• The British and French colonized the Americas. 英国人和法国人共同在美洲建立殖民地。

11 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。