The Weight We Carry: Intergenerational Transmission & Cycles

We are our ancestors. They are responsible biologically for our genetic makeup. But is it possible that they may have given us a larger endowment than just our genes? Do we carry their knowledge and lived experiences? Have we inherited their emotional intelligence and their traumas? How does our connection and relationship to our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, great, great -- yeah, you get the point -- affect us in the present moment, as both individuals and as a greater collective? What weight and memories do we carry from our lineage, consciously and subconsciously?

This month, we have been pondering these questions. We have delved into the deepest and darkest crevices of our family, home, and community to explore the gravity of our genealogy and re-think what we have inherited in order to decide whether or not we would like to keep holding and perpetrating certain behaviors, beliefs, and cycles.

Image: Traditional celebration of Inti Raymi with the community of Pintag (Summer 2019). 

Our Oldest Ancestors: Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind

At the beginning of September, we had the honor of participating in a Temascal, or traditional sweat lodge ceremony, at Casa Machan Kara. In the temascal, the leader or taita reminded us that our oldest ancestors are the earth, fire, water, and wind. Upon entering the dome-shaped sweat lodge, the taita explained its symbolization of our return to the earth’s womb. At the heart of the lodge, he poured water over heated grandmother stones and the vapor created a sauna-like environment. These stones beared witness to millions of years, and they were thus sacred for their wisdom. The purification ceremony consisted of a series of four intense rounds or “doors” within the sweat lodge. Each door honored a different element of the earth and incited spiritual and mental reflection. The ceremony was intensely stimulating for all of our senses; it challenged and humbled us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  

The ceremony reinforced how interdependent our relationship is to the earth. We can pollute our air and water sources, wreak havoc in the Amazon Rainforest and abuse the earth, or we can respect, protect, and nourish the land that thus respects, protects, and nourishes us in return. Habits and attitudes we adopt from our family influence our relationship with and our perception of our oldest ancestors; additionally, the way past generations have treated the earth directly impacts our lives and those of future generations. The temascal allowed us to explore our oldest ancestors and re-think while revitalizing a conscious relationship with the earth in the present here and now.

Image: Temascal ceremony at Casa Machan Kara (Summer 2018). 

Stories Heal: Llaktayuk

In this semester of Rehearsing Change, our Participatory Narration Course focuses on speech, movement, and oral tradition. We recently finished Llaktayuk, a multiple-day workshop led by Javier Cevallos Perugachi. Yuk means “that to which you belong to,” and llakta represents one’s hearth and home, family, and/or community. This intensive workshop allowed us to explore our malkis by creating, sharing, and reflecting on our family history. We did so by drawing our family trees and identifying the person that was most responsible for affecting and moving our entire tree.  

Through this process, we noted different patterns that were either beneficial or toxic to our trees, on both an individual and collective level. We became conscious of beliefs, behaviors, or patterns that we may have subconsciously inherited; we also observed the direct connection of cycles throughout generations that run in parts of our lineage. 

Stories heal. In order to cure these wounds, we can tell our stories; we must tell these stories.  And once we have let these stories come out of us, we have the power to do something magical. We can hold on to what serves us and choose to leave the rest behind. Denying parts of our identity or selves is dangerous because as much as we try to ignore or negate them, we cannot contain these volatile truths, and they end up spurting out and hurting those we care most about. Llaktayuk allowed us to collectively create stories and performances based on these realizations and bear witness to our powerful transformations, as a class.

Image: Drawing of a local participant's malki family tree (Fall 2018). 

September Challenge & Upcoming Visit to the U.S.

For September, we would like to invite our Pachaysana family and friends to ponder your llaktayuks, your relationship to the earth and your ancestors.  We challenge you all to similarly reflect on your families and their patterns, share your stories, and consciously decide what you want to inherit from your ancestors. In doing so, you can strengthen what nourishes you, as well as heal what plagues you and your tree. In the spirit of the temascal, we hope this process is both challenging and purifying.

We want to let you know that Daniel Bryan, our Executive Director, will be presenting workshops at various universities throughout the U.S. starting in late October. If you are interested in meeting and learning more about what we do, please review where he will be below:

October 23rd: Yale (Education Studies Program)
October 28th: Rutgers Newark (Honors Living-Learning Community)
October 29th: Swarthmore (Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility; Off Campus Study Office)
October 30th - November 6th: Juniata (Daniel is their Baker Institute Peace Fellow)

We hope to see you there!

Image: Local participant, Belen, learning about sustainable projects on an excursion to Tingo Pucara (Fall 2019).