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| Kolla people | |
|---|---|
| Group | Kolla people |
Kolla people are an indigenous Andean population primarily inhabiting the highlands and valleys of northwestern Argentina, with communities extending into southern Bolivia and northern Chile. They maintain distinct Quechua and Aymara linguistic and cultural ties while engaging with nation-states such as the Argentine Republic, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, and the Republic of Chile. Their history intersects with pre-Columbian polities like the Inca Empire, colonial institutions such as the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, and modern movements including regional indigenous rights campaigns.
The ethnonym derives from Spanish and regional colonial records referencing "kolla" and "colla", terms associated with the southern reaches of the Colla State and the Qulla Suyu of the Inca Empire; scholarly debates involve researchers at institutions like the National University of Jujuy and the University of Buenos Aires. Identity construction among Kolla populations has been shaped by interactions with actors such as the Spanish Empire, missionaries from the Society of Jesus, provincial governments of Jujuy Province and Salta Province, and contemporary indigenous organizations like the Consejo Indígena de la Puna. Ethnologists referencing the Royal Society and writers from the Argentine National Academy of Sciences discuss overlaps with Quechua peoples and Aymara peoples while distinguishing local customs tied to altiplano communities.
Pre-Columbian Kolla communities participated in regional exchange networks connected to centers such as Tiwanaku, Pukara (archaeological site), and the administrative reach of the Inca road system. Colonial conquest by agents of the Spanish Empire and administrators from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata reconfigured landholding patterns through mechanisms like the encomienda and reducciones established by the Catholic Church and orders including the Dominican Order. 19th- and 20th-century processes of republican state formation involved land conflicts with provincial elites in Jujuy Province, labor mobilization in the Hacienda economy, and migration to urban centers such as Salta, San Salvador de Jujuy, and Buenos Aires. Notable historical events affecting Kolla communities include uprisings during the Argentine Civil Wars, labor mobilizations linked to the sugar industry in Salta Province, and reforms influenced by actors like the International Labour Organization and the United Nations indigenous rights framework.
Kolla populations are concentrated in the Yungas, the Puna de Atacama rim, and valleys spanning Jujuy Province, Salta Province, Tucumán Province peripheries, with diasporas in metropolitan areas such as Buenos Aires and cross-border communities near Tarija Department and Oruro Department in Bolivia. Census data collected by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) and Bolivian counterparts like the Instituto Nacional de Estadística document shifts in self-identification tied to policies under administrations such as those of Juan Domingo Perón, Carlos Menem, and contemporary provincial governments. Demographers at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) and the Inter-American Development Bank analyze trends including rural-to-urban migration, fertility rates, and bilingualism.
Kolla speakers use varieties of Quechua and Aymara, as well as contact Spanish dialects influenced by Andean phonology; linguists from the Instituto de Lingüística (UNJu) and the Summer Institute of Linguistics document features such as agglutinative morphology and evidentiality systems seen across Quechua II branches. Research comparing regional speech with forms spoken in Cusco and the Altiplano engages scholars affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and publications from the American Anthropological Association. Language revitalization initiatives have involved the Ministry of Education (Argentina), bilingual education programs in provincial school systems, and NGOs including Fundación Plurales.
Kolla cultural life features agricultural rites, textile traditions, and music linked to instruments like the charango, quena, and zampoña; artisanal production connects to markets in Purmamarca, Tilcara, and regional fairs coordinated with municipal authorities. Festivals blend pre-Hispanic and Christian elements, with observances tied to the Inti Raymi calendar and Catholic liturgies at churches such as the Cathedral of San Salvador de Jujuy; folklorists from the National University of La Plata analyze dance forms like the diablada and regional variants of carnival. Weaving patterns relate to iconography traced to archaeological collections at institutions like the Museo de la Plata and collaborations with international curators at the Museo Nacional de Antropología.
Traditional livelihoods center on terrace agriculture cultivating maize, potato, quinoa, and camelid herding involving llama and alpaca; trade networks historically linked to markets in Humahuaca and San Pedro de Atacama. Contemporary economic activity includes seasonal labor in sugarcane agro-industry, participation in the tourism economy tied to sites like the Quebrada de Humahuaca UNESCO designation, artisanal textile sales, and remittances from migrants to urban centers. Development projects by agencies such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and provincial ministries have influenced resource access and land tenure negotiations.
Belief systems integrate Andean cosmologies referencing the Pachamama, mountain deity cults at peaks like Nevado de Cachi, and Catholic practices introduced by orders including the Franciscans; syncretic rituals are studied by scholars at the Institute of Andean Studies and the Smithsonian Institution. Social organization often relies on community assemblies, traditional authorities akin to ayllu structures, and kinship networks central to labor reciprocity systems comparable to the minka and mit'a historical practices. Political advocacy involves coalitions with groups such as the Coordinadora Andina and legal engagement with national courts and provincial legislatures.
Contemporary challenges include land rights disputes, water access conflicts in regions administered by provincial governments, cultural heritage protection at sites listed by the National Commission of Museums and Monuments (Argentina), and impacts of extractive projects promoted by corporations and regulated by state agencies. Activism engages organizations like the Asamblea Permanente por los Derechos Humanos, indigenous federations participating in forums hosted by the Organization of American States, and alliances with human rights NGOs such as Amnesty International and CIPAM. Policy debates involve legal instruments shaped by international norms including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and rulings from regional courts.
Category:Indigenous peoples of Argentina Category:Ethnic groups in South America