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Dear Friends,
Greetings from our hearts to yours. We've had some busy months! We wanted to reach out and share a few stories and photos with you, welcoming you to embrace this humbling and beautiful time. In June, we came together, weaving indigenous cultures from Abya Yala [the Americas] to honour a special winter solstice gathering. We hope you enjoy our stories and images from our community and our sisters and brothers who came to share, dance and sing with us. We also look forward to sharing some artwork and stories from our students and teachers with you. Know that you are with us - we carry you in our hearts throughout this journey.
Love,
Kusi Kawsay Community
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Inti Raymi - Winter Solstice
June Junio Intiraymi Killa
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In June, the sun is small, it is young and weak. In this time, it is not sacred. One is sacred when one gives, not when one receives. Now we humans are huacas, sacred. We are giving, and with the deepest of gratitude, we practice ayni reciprocity with the sun, Taita Inti, making bonfires all night, sending him warmth, feeding him. Now it is our turn, dancing and singing we give the warmth and tenderness of our hearts.
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*Don Sebastian and son Tomas - Q'ero community
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Welcoming our sisters and brothers
What an honour for our Kusi Kawsay community to welcome our sisters and brothers from Abya Yala [Americas] for a memorable gathering - our largest to date. We visited Intiwatana - the beautiful Apu (sacred mountain) with Inca ruins that embraces Pisac and our Kusi Kawsay school. We shared music, dances and games at our cultural centre and at our school too. Our students loved seeing all the different communities share their traditional dances and songs. It was incredibly moving. We also had the honour of welcoming Tupak Huehuecoyotl (Tonatierra) and his wonderful family. Tupak shared history, struggles and solutions to many challenges confronting indigenous communities and also gave us a lecture on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This is why these gatherings and spaces are so important - to share knowledge, empower, connect, heal and be able to return to our homes humbled and strong, ready to who up, bring the best out of us so that we may thrive in a healthy and beautiful community. It makes us feel hopeful that we have sisters and brothers who are honouring Pachamama, while seeking recognition, fairness and justice by keeping their culture, tradition and indigenous way of life alive, flourishing and present. Urpillay Sonqollay.
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*visiting Kusi Kawsay classrooms
** Photos by Matt Dayka
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Kusi Kawsay celebrates the Andean Ancestral Calendar throughout the year. Through music, song, dance, and in our every day lives, through our actions, choices and thoughts. Check out some of our students' artwork and poems (in Spanish and Quechua) honouring Inti Trayta (Father Sun).
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Celebrating Our Teachers
Every day we appreciate and give gratitude to our teachers for their dedication, their commitment and their love. In July, on Teacher Appreciation Day, our Kusi Kawsay students prepared fun, amazing and entertaining presentations for our teachers. They danced, sang songs and gave their homeroom teacher and Andean legacy teachers handmade gifts. It was a very sweet and heartwarming day and our teachers enjoyed it very much.
Urpillay Sonqollay to our teachers and all teachers, including our students - who are teaching us every day as well!
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*Students giving their teachers handmade gifts
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Thank you for your continuous love and support
Thank you for being here. You are wonderful and we are grateful for each and every one of you!
Urpillay Sonqollay - Gratitude from all of us at Kusi Kawsay.
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Kusi Kawsay is committed to sustaining Andean tradition and culture through education, agriculture and celebration of the Andean Calendar.
Join us on our journey of good living, reciprocity and creating healthy, strong and empowered communities.
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Sign up to receive the monthly Words of Andean Wisdom here.
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