SOME CHANGES

Last days La Paz, Bolivia has been celebrating 200 years of the independence, 1809-2009. However, something important to say is that indigenous peoples were not even allowed to enter the main square of La Paz, Murillo´s Square, during some decades of the Republic. However, along the time, indigenous peoples have been gaining positions in different levels.

INDIGENOUS REBELLIONS

Last June 26th. it was developed a seminar called "Indigenous Rebellions" at the Hall of the Vicepresidency of the Plurinational State in La Paz, Bolivia. Leaded by the Decolonization Viceminister, Roberto Choque Canqui, this was the second activity within a program of six events whose objective is to recover the ideological identity of the indigenous movements and leaders in Bolivia.

During his speech, Choque Canqui, briefly described the situation of indigenous peoples. "Since ancient times, indigenous peoples were owners of theirs lands in community, but with the arrival of invaders they started to lose them. This situation, got worse and worse with the time. Later, in 1874 the Government promulgated a law which would allow indigenous families to own lands individually. This law produced a lot of conflicts within the communities because before that law, ownership was in common ant they were accustomed to live that way. Taking advantage of the application of that law of 1874, strange people, with the help of local authorities, started to take lands from indigenous families by force and then, to keep these families as slaves, making them work without any salary. This situation, would produce frequent rebellions in different towns in rural areas of La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosí. Other reason to rebel during decades was the demand for schools for their children". Here, I have to point out that for years there was a high degree of illiteracy in indigenous adult men but mostly in indigenous young and adult women. In March 2006, President Evo Morales, inaugurated a big campaign to teach all illiterate people in Bolivia how to read and write. The first part of this program ended last year and this year started the second part and according to President Morales, this will continue with other steps.

GRAN PODER PARADE IN LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

Last Saturday it was developed one of the biggest parades in Bolivia. It is "Gran Poder" Parade which takes place every year in La Paz, Bolivia. About 58 groups participate in this parade starting in the neighborhood called Cementerio dancing kilometers and kilometers until to arrive to downtown. It generally starts early in the morning about 7:00am. and ends 2:00am. on Sunday. Each group of dancers aproximately dances about five or six hours from the beginning until the end of the route.

Generally, a big part of the citizenship participates in this event. This year, President Evo Morales accompanied this celebration too together with other autorities.

An author refers that during 1600, it was accustomed to make Inti Raymi (Celebrations to the Sun) celebrations in the Andes using lots of gold, silver and mullu (a kind of subtance used in rituals). As in the past, during Gran Poder parade female dancers used to have earings and ornaments made of gold.

Different kind of dances can be seen during this parade. Cullaguada, Llamerada, Caporales, Morenada, Diablada, Tinkus, Tarqueada and others.

AFRODESCENTS IN BOLIVIA

Last Monday May 18th. it started a Meeting of Afrodescendants that arrived to South Americas during colonial times. During three days they had the possibility to share the situation of afrodescendants in Bolivia and in other countries. In the bolivian case, the State Constitution approved last January 25th, 2009 recognizes all the rights of the afrobolivian people. I was something expected for a long time by afrobolivian because they were never included before in any Constitution, what is more, during the last census in 2001 there were not taken into account.

Yesterday, President Evo Morales, went to Chijchipa, one of the communities mainly inhabited by afrobolivians. There, he assured that in the next Plurinational Assembly afrobolivians would be included. Other important step is that since last March, an afrobolivian woman, Mónica Rey, for the first time in the history of Bolivia is responsible of a Direction that works towards the elimination of Racism and Discrimination.

There are different tools that afrodescendants have been using in order to ask for their rights. In Bolivia, it has been music and dance. As soon as they play their music, people accompanies them dancing. As afrobolivians say, they have opened doors with their art.

I INDIGENOUS CONGRESS 1945

228 years ago, May 18, 1781 one of the indigenous leaders Tupak Amaru, his family, his wife and his nearest followers were killed in front of a huge quantity of people. Amaru and his wife Micaela Bastidas before being killed, had to see how the other prisoners were killed. Some of them were hanged, other were cut their tongues before being hanged.

It seems to be a long time, however, from generation to generation the history of our leaders is kept in the memory of our peoples. As last January 25, it was approved in Bolivia a new Political Constitution where all the indigenous peoples in Bolivia are recognized, it is very important than younger generations know about our history to preserve our identity.

So, last Thursday it began a serie of conferences called "Retrieval from ideological identity from Bolivian movements and indigenous leaders", whose first conference was about the I Indigenous Congress celebrated in 1945. This Congress in 1945 was developed with the participation of the President of the Republic, Gualberto Villarroel. Since that time, it is the first time that the Plurinational State supports the realization of a conference to remember the Indigenous Congress. During the opening ceremony Vicepresident, Alvaro Garcia Linera, remarked the importance of these types of events taking into account that all the indigenous peoples are now included in the Constitution. Two historians were in charge of explaining the context, the development and the results of this Congress in 1945. But, I think that one of the main conclusions of this conference was to develop the II Indigenous Congress in the future.

QUECHUA SINGER, GREGORIO MAMANI

Gregorio Mamani was born in North Potosi, Bolivia. He writes songs both in Quechua and Spanish, Here we have one of his compositions.