The Aya Uma

The Aya Uma - Imbabura, Ecuador 

July 7, 2017

 On Thursday July 7, 2017, we arrived at the San Clemente community, one of the many Quechua speaking communities’ in high sierra mountains of Imbabura, Ecuador.  This group of people identify themselves as the Karanke people, they work as a community in cultural tourism. We stayed with them for three days and two nights. In this exchange, they shared with us their history, customs, traditions, homes, and voices in exchange for our active listening, care, and hope of being a part of their movement to stand up for underrepresented and overlooked communities. There were many stories, foods, and places shared with us, one story shared with us that stood out to me was about the Aya Uma, it is a mythical character believed to be the spirit of the sierra mountain. At the beginning of a new agricultural season a dance is performed in honor and adoration to mother nature, in hopes of having a great harvest that year. To represent the presence of the Aya Uma, one member of the community is elected to wear the costume, it includes a mask and bottom suit. The mask has two faces, to represent night and day, and 12 horns to represent the 12 seasons. It is believed that the person who wears the costume is liberated and becomes another person while dancing. Those in the costumes are amongst dancers and musicians throughout this celebration, everyone has in mind the three main components they find essential to life, the sky (moon and sun), earth (landscape and bodies of water), and our day to day lives (feelings, interaction, and love). How they move and dance symbolizes the natural courses of life.

I found this dance interesting because the entire community could contribute to this celebration and it connects everything there is to life. As someone who lives in United States in the inner city, I am not used to thinking of the seasons, landscapes, and mother nature in my daily practices because everything I need could be bought in a store or easily accessible. In this community, everyone grows and produces what they need, and celebrations like these show what they value in life. It made me realize how out of tune I am with life and nature, I think being in school and achieving my goals is all there at times, but this world is much larger. In particular, the spirituality they incorporate is admirable.  After visiting the San Clemente community, I decided I was going to ask my family to tell me about their traditions that they learned in their home country. I think it is important for me to learn about my community’s traditions to understand who I am better and to not let their stories die out.