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The Guytamari Cooperative
Huarpe Community Tourism Project
The Huarpe community with its history of 8000
years, originally nomadic, had a population of 100,000 when the
colonist arrived to Mendoza.
  
Their region was spread in Mendoza from the north to river Diamante,
San Juan, San Luis and according to some historians to the south
of Rioja. Influenced by the Inca civilization that was dominating
the area before the conquest, the Huarpes were a peaceful and
hardworking people who were dedicated to hunting fishing and agriculture.
The technique of the loom was incorporated into daily life for
the making of ponchos and blankets, as well as other crafts such
as pottery and basket weaving. The original dialects of Millcallac
and Alliantic have been lost in the process of acculturation.
Thanks to the work of Claudia Herrera and Francisco Candido in
the recent years the cultural and regional identity of the Huarpe
people has been revived. In particular they created the
community of Guaytamari in the valley of Uspallata near Aconcagua.
The community is organized in a cooperative form based on solitary
work that permits the community to recover its roots and the conservation
of its cultural heritage: archeological, architectural and historical.
In Mendoza there are in actuality 12 recognized Huarpe communities
among those Guaytamari has been the first to obtain legal recognition
as such granted by the National Ministry of Indigenous Matters
(INAI).
The Guaytamari Ecological Reserve that occupies about 200 square
meters offers the tourist the possibility to know native flora
and fauna, guanacos and llamas, as well as an ecological farm
with domestic birds, goats, sheep and more. Also, the visitors
may visit the community workshops of weaving and ceramics and
share in the popular legends, history, folklore and native cuisine.
In 1994 the Guaytamari created the "Guardians of Cultural
Heritage" (GUAPUCU) fundamentally integrated for the youth
who are put in charge of preservation, conservation and promotion
of the cultural wealth of the area. The GUAPUCU, with its headquarters
in the Historic Monument of Bovedas, safeguards the immense archeological
and historical wealth of the Uspallata area, making guided visits
to the most important tourist circuits, with the authorization
of the Her¬as Municipality. The ceramic workshops maintains
the original techniques of production and symbology proper to
the region and its indigenous ethnicities manifest in the clay
molded and colored with natural oxides while fired with wood fuel.
As well they run in the workshops of weaving, where the llama’s
wool is processed. The apprentices who learn the indigenous techniques
produce their crafts that match the interest of the tourist.
The project of the cooperative goes well beyond that of a mere
economic enterprise, it attempts "by means of solidarity
work to recover the ancestral traditions that maintain relations
of total cooperation" its president Francisco Candido tells
us "our community has this way of living as a specific alternative
of survival. We need to rescue the fragmented man, the hopeless
man, the solitude and the inhuman competition. Following the techniques
of our ancestors based in the respect of all the living beings
of the planet, we need to come to the understanding that in the
cycle of life we are one next to each other- beyond the role specific
to each one - and it is from there where we can resist, from the
roots of the earth comes the respect for the values and the cooperation."
He adds "We organized ourselves as a cooperative because
it is the form of organization closest to that of the original
people". "To be cooperative humanizes the economy"
says Claudia Herrera, vice president of the cooperative.
Within the activities that develop the Guaytamari Cooperative
are a radio program "Awaken the Roots" Fridays and Saturdays
on 102.3FM, Uspallata, where the elders of the area tell about
their own experiences, information is given for the tourists and
native and popular folk music is broadcast. It gives priority
to Mendozan and Latin American singers and the making of a video
produced with the support of the Heras Municipality called "The
Dream of Millcallac" which is being shown for the visitors
of Bovedas and in schools and universities.
The activity of cultural diffusion that extends to the recovery
of the language, cultural heritage and the history with cycles
of conferences, camps for music and popular art with participation
of visiting professors. Also they organize the planting ceremony,
a prayer for the sowing of the entire region is during November,
and The High Mountain Festival conjunctly with the High Mountain
Commission by the Municipality. The community received a distinction
from the National Institute of Associative and Social Economy
(INAES) in the celebration of the day of cooperativeness.
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Challenge to the
Dessert and the bringing together of cultures.
San Miguel de Los Sauces, Mendoza Comunidad Huarpe
The Challenge to the Dessert is a race
of 100km that runs annually at the end of April in San Miguel
de Los Sauces, a little community to the north of Mendoza to the
limit of San Luis.
  
The rural school 8-404 of San Miguel is used
as a base. The School accommodates more than 120 Huarpe children
permanently, given that some live or have homes more than 100km
of that place. There is only 30km of asphalt of the 150 km of
distance to Lavalle, the capital of the homonymous department.
There is no running water and the water is transported from Lavalle
in water trucks. All of the work is made for a cooperative of
rural parents and teachers who dedicate their life to this work.
The idea of having the race in this isolated place is to bring
together people of different classes and possibly to get them
to collaborate with the school. Now for 2 years the racers have
come and returned enthusiastic and they build strong bonds with
the local people.
The race contributes economically with the school by paying for
the stays and the food of the racers. All of those who participate
in the organization of the race contribute each person’s
skills and learn from each other.
The fact that this is a sporting event is a good example for the
children. There is not only a race for the visitors but also one
for the children of the school.
During the days of the race the locals organize cultural and other
events to get together with their running guests and the whole
little town is bubbling with enthusiasm for the event. Being there
even with out running is anyway a unique experience.
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