Of course it was not their choice, it was one forced upon them. The same with conquered/slave cultures in all parts of the world. What is, as you say, sad, is that so many things are still organized around those events. For example in a museum such as this, especially one dedicated to local culture, why organize the whole exhibit around the dates of what the Spanish conquistadors and later settlers were doing? Yes, obviously, that time period had a major impact on culture, and things changed radically, so there’s a certain natural “break” if you will.

But I think, if indigenous (or first peoples or whichever term is currently in vogue) cultures want to reclaim their heritage, they need to start treating that period as simply another event in their history. As long as they give so much power to it, it will continue to dominate their lives. Organize museums and exhibitions around events that they’re proud of in their culture, not the lowest moments.

Much the same thing was (and probably still is for some) a big part of the black culture in the U.S., as you brought up – when I was a kid, 40-50 years ago, in the midst of the big civil rights movement in the U.S. there were always references to very specific events that seemed to be defining black culture in many ways, or at least the conversation about it – the era of slavery, and then the civil war and end of slavery. I think it wasn’t until the conversation turned to look at the future rather than continually dwelling in those past events as defining, that movement forward truly began. Martin Luther King’s famous speech was “I have a dream that one day…” not, “I had a nightmare about what happened 500 years ago…” One shouldn’t forget those events of the past, but there comes a point in the development of the future where it’s time to look forward, not back. The same is true for our Native American culture.

When you find a culture, of any sort, that seems stuck in the past, it very likely is – the underlying conversation is about the past, rather than the future. Those cultures that move forward are those that alter the core conversation to one of the future and what’s possible.

Started the day with a visit to the Museo del Arte Precolombino, hmm, it occurs to me that so often I hear from Latin Americans how much they dislike the whole conquistador thing which they lay the beginning of at the feet of Christopher Colombus, but how many things are referred to in pre and post his time period… Anyway, fascinating, if small museum

When I read this, at first, I got mad, then, I saw it for what it was, and then, I became sad. Sad because I totally see your point, I see your perspective. But I also know that looking at that same idea from a different angle, one lets say you had no choice but to assume; it was not the indegenous cultures of AMERICA LATINA that willingly chose to adopt a way of living, of looking at the world, of feeling and believeing that wasn’t theirs to begin with. The sadness of the story is in the fact that our ancestors did not have a choice.

So, as an ever so proud Colombian, please understand that Conquistador, to our innert most self, sounds lique slave owner. Black people also had not choice in that regard. Yes, I’m talking about slavery.

It is all the same…all of it. So sad we can’t see it.

Enjoy the rest of your adventure, I truly wish I could be traveling right now. If you want to find one of the many jewels of South America, go to Colombia! You will not regret it. If you do, I”m sorry 🙂

Santiago

Regarding the picoroco, Texas food writer Robb Walsh wrote an article on it a several years ago in Natural History magazine, and it is indeed a giant barnacle. There’s a chapter about Chilean seafood in his book Are You Really Going to Eat That?, which you can do a search on Google for (the URL is very long). He refers to piure as looking like a “dirty sponge.” I have eaten picoroco, but I can’t say it was my favorite. I do love locos, especially in the form of chupe de locos.