Indigenous Cultural Center

Support the Expansion of the Amaru Cultural Center

Pachamama's Path  is a 501(c)3 that dedicates itself to sustaining traidtional culture by working together for the protection, promotion and cultivation of Andean culture - www.pachamamaspath.org Based in the Sacred Valley of Peru is the Kusi Kawsay Association which realized the implementation of the mission and vision of Pachamama's Path.  Together, we are raising funds to support the indigenous community of Amaru in building their Cultural Center.

Amaru is traditional indigenous highland community that is consciously preserving and practicing their ancestral heritage. The community is known for their incredible naturally dyed wool and intricate weavings. The Kusi Kawsay Andean School is fortunate and honored to have Lucia Ccana from Amaru as their weaving teacher.  The Amaru community is part of the Ñawpa Ñan movement of cultural preservation, celebrating culture and tradition. Ñawpa Ñan is one of the three projects of the Kusi Kawsay Association.

All that was to come sprung from the seeds of Ñawpa Ñan, which is Quechua for Ancient Path. Ñawpa Ñan serves as a strong and vital foundation for all of Kusi Kawsay's projects. With each passing year, our contributions and dedication to the investigation of our ancestral heritage along with our personal experiences surrounding highland traditional communities, keeps the purpose of these projects breathing. We consciously share an interconnected and interdependent life commitment to preserving our ancestral indigenous culture. Communally, we weave our experiential knowledge and together practice our traditional customs and values to create a long-term vision and path not just for our children but also for all of the Quechua communities that we have the honor of sharing this experience with. We are strongly rooted in traditional music, dance and ceremonial practices of the Andean Calendar.

Every year, we celebrate Inti Raymi (Solstice) from the 18th – 21st of June. Indigenous communities from around the world have joined us to mark this momentous event. In 2017, the community of Amaru will be the host of Inti Raymi. The community gathering space we wish to construct for this special time will not cease to be purposeful. Our vision is that this cultural space will serve as a long-term impact to come together, to share, sing, dance and celebrate – a space of exchange and connecting. After the Inti Raymi, the housing will provide a place for people to gather, to stay and integrate into this beautiful cultural experience. With your support, we would be able to build a permanent hospitality welcoming indigenous peoples and visitors to experience the Andean culture throughout the year.

While Amaru has begun constructing what they can, little by little, what is in place is only a skeleton structure and with the extreme weather events happening, the community must finish the construction and expansion of their cultural center at a faster pace than anticipated.  Tucked away in the high Andes, Amaru is a 40 minute drive from Pisac and 1 hr and 30 minutes from Cusco.  We need to transport the construction material to the community and the experts who are supporting this community in building their Culture Center space.  Support us in realizing this great necesity for Amaru and Ñawpa Ñan.

Please help us to safeguard the sacred and important wisdom of this beautiful culture by constructing a space where the community has the ability to continue practicing, preserving and celebrating the Andean culture and tradition.  

Urpillay Sonqollay – Expression of Gratitude in Quechua.

Budget Breakdown:

Needs to realize the expansion of the Amaru Cultural Center:

4 Doors, 4 Windows, 8 Beds, 8 Nightstands and 4 Wardrobes = $ 2400

Floor (Wooden) = $ 1600

Labor = $ 700

Construction of Bathroom (including Labor) = $3500

Roofing = $ 1250 (Funded thanks to New England Biolab Foundation)

Transportation (Amaru is an hour and half from Cusco where most materials are purchased and is located in the high Andes at 4300 meters) and Extras = $ 2600

TOTAL: $10,800

*The total does not include the price of the roof as that has been implemented thanks to funding from NEBF.