Here you will find answers to these questions:
Who are the Q'eros people?
Who is Holly Wissler?
What is the purpose of this fundraiser?
How do I make my donation?
The Fabulous 14 and our guide, Holly (kneeling second from left); Dead Woman's Pass, Peru: 13,800'
First, some background.
Fourteen of us just returned from the trip of a lifetime to Peru where we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The trip was arranged through Wilderness Travel, and Holly Wissler was our trip leader in Peru. In addition to being a fantastic trip leader, Holly is an ambassador extraordinaire to the Incan capitol of Cusco and the Quechua people of Q'eros. Using her razor-sharp intuition of what we might enjoy as a group, our itinerary was expanded to allow for a cultural exchange with some of Holly's compadres and comadres from the Q'eros region.
It used to take Holly four and a half days over two mountain passes up to 16,000' to reach the Q'eros people. A partial road has shortened the trek to a day and a half, but it hasn't shorten the mountains.
Holly's Q'eros friends embraced us warmly without even knowing our names, they smiled from the soul, they sang songs in a language we couldn't understand but spoke to our hearts, and we were all touched by their gentle nature.
This fundraiser is one way we have chosen to give something back.
Who are the Q'eros people?
Because I am not the expert, I am going to lift the answer right from Holly's own Web page.
The Q’eros are a Quechua-speaking people who live high in the Andes Mountains of southeast Perú. Q’eros is also the name of the cultural region that comprises the eight Q’eros’ communities of Kiku, Hapu, Hatun Q’eros, Q’eros Totorani, Marcachea, Pucara, Q’achupata, and K’allacancha, which are located in the province of Paucartambo, approximately one hundred miles east of the ancient Inkan capital of Cusco. These communities all have their own corresponding annexes or hamlets, consisting of small isolated clusters of houses. Five of these communities, (the first five listed above) recently banded together in a statement of solidarity to form the “Nación Q’eros.” This documentary is based on Hatun Q’eros, the largest and most remote of the Q’eros’ communities.
The most distinct geographic characteristic of the Q’eros region is the area they inhabit, which spans from 6,000 feet up to 15,500 feet, moving from cloud forest to snow-capped mountains in a distance of about twenty miles. The rapid change, combined with the humidity created by the Amazon, renders three ecological zones within proximity of each other, each with its own characteristic productivity: 1) Puna or loma (13,500–15,500 feet), for raising llamas and alpacas; 2) qheswa (10,500–13,5000 feet), for cultivating a variety of potatoes and tubers and raising European-introduced sheep and cows; and 3) yunga (called monte by the Q’eros, 6,000–8,500 feet), for cultivating corn, squash, peppers, and various types of bamboo and wood.
They spend most of their time in the high altitudes, caring for the llamas and alpacas. Exploiting three ecological zones has promoted self-sufficiency among the Q’eros. Because of this self-sufficiency and their relative isolation, the Q’eros have maintained many of their traditional customs, such as their music, which other Andean groups no longer practice.
Who is Holly Wissler?
Holly is a native of Iowa who now calls Cusco her home. She has worked as an adventure travel guide in the Andes of Peru since 1982 and the Himalayas of Nepal since 1987. She is fluent in Spanish, Quechua and Nepali. She holds double master's degrees from the University of Idaho in Flute Performance and Music History, and has a Ph.D in ethnomusicology from Florida State University.
Holly embraces the country of Peru and the world with an open smile and an infectious laugh. If you are ever looking for a friendly face in Cusco or a mountain guide in the Andes, you need look no further than Holly.
For more information on Holly's work with the people of Q'eros, click here.
What are we raising funds for?
In September Holly is leading a first-time-ever expedition into three of the five Q’eros communities to show current and past documentation (by Cusco University, John Cohen, and Holly Wissler) about the Q’eros culture, to the Q’eros, in their own communities. Community members often remark how researchers come and go from Q’eros and never return the published results (films, articles, books) to them.
This expedition is Holly's way to ensure that all members (elders, women, and children, and not just the men who go to Cusco) see current and older films about their community. Copies of the documentation will be left for the people and schools to use and enjoy.
In addition, this expedition will be part of a larger documentary, produced by independent filmmaker Paul Yule, which will examine 50 years in Q’eros in regards to their socio-historical context, intersection with researchers, and current modernization processes.
This will be a major feat with a total of nine presentations in village hamlets located in various river valleys separated by mountain passes. The communities have no electricity, so Holly and her crew will in effect be an ambulatory movie theater with generators and projectors carried on horseback.
How do I make my tax-deductible donation?
Easiest way: Write one check made out to Gayle Goschie for the entire amount of $75 or more and bring it to the event. You will be given a receipt for any amount over the non-tax-deductible event fee of $25.
Not-so-easy way: Click on this link: www.qerosmusic.com. Click on "Buy the DVD" and pledge your donation in the first option, "Additional Donation." We would like to suggest a minimum donation of $50 per person for this event. Your $25 event fee will be collected at the hop harvest and is not tax deductible.
We look forward to seeing you on the 21st!
Camp trailers, motor homes, tents and sleeping bags are welcome.
Camp trailers, motor homes, tents and sleeping bags are welcome.
