Aymara also called Aimara people are indigenous people of South America's Andes and Altiplano region; about 2.3 million people live in northwest Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
Aymara ancestors lived in the region for many centuries, and then they became subject people to the Inca in the late 15th or early 16th century, and later, to the Spanish in the 16th century. After the Spanish American War of Independence (1810–25), they became subjects of Bolivia and Peru. Chile annexed territories with Aymara population after the War of the Pacific (1879–83).
Agriculture plays a major role in Aymara culture and, historically, as a central theme in their cosmovision. Through their harvesting rituals, they display their syncretized practice of Catholicism and cosmovision, showing reverence for nature and the earth. Agriculture is currently maintained by the elderly, and they are the primary demographic that maintains it. Due to greater educational and employment opportunities nearby urban centers, the youths migrate to adjacent urban areas.
This subregional project aims to develop strategies to safeguard the oral tradition, music, and traditional knowledge (textiles art and agricultural methods) of the Aymara peoples of Bolivia (La Paz-Oruro-Potosi), Chile (Tarapacá-Arica-Parinacota-Antofagasta), and Peru (Tacna-Puno-Moquegua). During the course of the five-year project, the following activities will be performed: (i) inventorying and identifying Aymara communities' traditional knowledge and oral traditions in selected areas, (ii) Through formal and non-formal education, strengthening language as a vehicle for transmitting intangible cultural heritage, (iii) to promote and disseminate Aymara music and oral expressions, and (iv) traditional agricultural techniques and textile arts production skills are reinforced.
During the different phases of consultation and preparation of the planned project, these four areas of action were established by the Aymara communities as priorities, and they will be implemented with the full involvement of the communities and guided by the 2003 Convention's principles. Project goals include the creation of a subregional and international network that will involve individuals, communities, groups, specialists, indigenous organizations, research centers, non-governmental organizations, and governments, in order to promote the exchange of experience, information, and training. This network will be used to strengthen capacities in the region.
However, as a result of the Bolivar Revolution of 1952, the Aymara were more integrated into normal Bolivian society. This also caused many Aymara to become severed or separated from their native communities. Today, the majority of Aymara in Bolivia work in agriculture, construction, mining, and factories, although more are now in professional work. Currently, Aymara and Quechua are official languages in Bolivia, and there are a number of programs assisting Aymara and their lands.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/BSP/safeguarding-intangible-cultural-heritage-of-aymara-communities-in-bolivia-chile-and-peru-00299) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aymara_people#Notable_people) (https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-role-of-technology-in-the-preservation-of-cultural-identity)