WHAT IS A HUACA?
By definition, Huaca is the quechua (which is the ancient unifying language of Andean people - one language with many dialects) term for a
sacred place. But in pre Columbian times there was no difference between administrative and religious authorities. Therefore, Huacas are
all of pre Columbian monumental and architectonic heritage such as temples, administrative quarters, fortresses, burial sites, etc. Based
on this historically generic condition we are not choosing those places to be included in this episode because we have selected them as
sacred. They were sacred by definition early on, and this fact relieves us from any further analysis for our present day purposes. Past meets
present in a very nice manner.
heritage marathon
SOON TO BE:
HUACA ÑAN
MORE INFORMATION
IN JUST A FEW DAYS
FACTS
Peruvian society has been disconnecting, day in, day out, from its past, as it has understood wrongly that to be modern it has to deny
its past. This is made evident by denying respect, interest or acknowledgement of any value as well as the need to use wrongly or
destroy any physical evidence of past cultures. Authorities are really worried about this process, but the supposed solutions only
make things worse as Huacas and archaeological sites are simply closed with fences, walls and gates, boosting rejection, ignorance,
lack of identity and coherence and lack of understanding of the value that these sites have.
HERITAGE MARATHON - the tribute
This is an invitation to take part in a national event that will be a showcase of games that are needed for the entertainment of Peruvian society.
This will be the starting point, amongst other multiple benefits, to strengthen national identity and tourism. No previous circumstances are
needed to determine if this episode can occur. All we need is a little bit of imagination and knowing certain elements of local culture.
DESCRIPTION
To counteract on this circumstance we invite you to be part of the MARATON DE LAS HUACAS - el tributo. Our proposal is a day of
tribute, acknowledgement, thankfulness to our ancestors. In traditional Andean terms this would be similar to an Andean pago, when
you pay mother Earth for what it has given you. This is not a religious episode, it is an activity of the civil society that combines joy,
pride, art and sports / athletics. This event can be easily described as a massive visit to the Huacas which sit next to an inhabited
place all over Peru on a Sunday. Basically, it is an occasion to do some introspection where our pre Columbian past is accepted,
not as something taught in a course of Peruvian History, but as a relationship with life, making continuity an externalized, conscious,
collective process for the community. The idea behind the FESTIVAL DE LAS HUACAS - el tributo is to generate a national process
of respect based on a real time episode. In Lima there are hundreds of Huacas that can be part of the event.
The HERITAGE MARATHON - the tribute is a social, sports, artistic, cultural event that meets the following goals:
1.- IDENTITY
This is a topic that helps reaffirm our identity, as it implies the acknowledgement of what our pre Columbian ancestors were, meaning
we are paying respect and being reverent (similar to the day of the dead and all saints). The MARATON DE LAS HUACAS - el tributo
will be one more element (its magnitude and transcendental value will depend on those social agents that get involved as well as their
level of engagement) in the rescue of our past, to develop coherently and give us an option for our own future, as we develop an
identity that provides us with collective pride. There is neither education nor technology that can be applied in a positive manner that
is not backed up on a properly rooted identity, as the latter implies that the internal coherence, needed for progress, exists in the
individuals in a society.
2.- ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND MEDIA DYNAMICS
We need leaders who are neither politicians, nor sports people, nor communicators; and this event shall bring artists into such a front
position, no matter who the artist is. The MARATON DE LAS HUACAS - el tributo shall allow us to re value artistic activities as artists shall
become mediators, the priests; interacting between the community and their ancestors. We shall coordinate and promote the encounter
of performing and visual artists during the MARATON DE LAS HUACAS - el tributo, in the area around the different Huacas. Invited or
official; performing artists shall have stages prepared for them for the occasion. Amateurs will also be allowed to participate on non official
stages. Visual artists will have other spaces conditioned for them to prepare and leave their creations exposed to an audience. A large
panel will be prepared in front of every location, where every artist can imprint self expression as part of a gigantic graffiti. The way media
get involved, shall take the MARATON DE LAS HUACAS - el tributo, its previous circumstances, its development in real time and the
consequences for posterity to another level and another audience. We should include the development of an artistic meta language that
provides everything related to the MARATON DE LAS HUACAS - el tributo with a much larger aura, giving it the characteristics of a
macro episode.
3.- SPORTS COMPETITION
The creation of competitions and to be able to take part in them is always important for everyday citizens. Physical challenges are very
interesting to most people, both as spectators or as athletes. A race, of whichever type (marathon, walking, skates, roller blades, bykes,
motorcycles, cars, public transport) is to sports the same as the right we all have to sing, dance, scribble or whistle are to art. We can all
do this, nothing excludes anyone, no one is marginalized. A novelty in our scheme is that this event includes a competitive element
based on the knowledge of Peruvian history that will be implanted by means of a game as part of the MARATON DE LAS HUACAS
- el tributo. This is a hurdle race where we are talking of an intellectual hurdle. This variation is rarely seen and it shall allow for a
combination of physical ability and knowledge of Peruvian history. It is a game situation par excellence. The competition shall also
imply a traveling dynamic that forces people to move to different Huacas - by the most diverse means such as walking, running, skating,
roller blading, cycling, motorcycling, going on cars or on public transportation. Competitors can form groups or compete individually -
as they get to know the Huacas.
4.- TOURISM
The MARATON DE LAS HUACAS - el tributo shall create a new way to look at our cultural heritage, presence and aesthetic values, as well
as sports… the way we practice them here. We shall develop a magical concept based on elements of local culture and universal interest.