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INTRODUCTION

The highlands region of Peru is much very in touch with their indigenous roots from Inca and Pre-Inca

cultures. In Inca times, the Inca had very specific roles for women, roles that were considered as

complementary to those of men (USIL). Women were not limited to certain roles domestic in nature, but

instead were considered equally as capable to men and were expected to help whenever necessary. Duality,

something that was of great importance, rooted the roles of women deeply within religion. After the Spanish

conquest, women’s status was reduced to being much lower than men’s, and this was the beginning of female

exclusion (USIL). Latino culture itself is known for being male-dominated. One large example of a male

dominated practice in Peru is shamanistic healing. In a geographical area where Shamanic retreats and

ecotourism are so prevalent among tourists coming to seek a unique and culturally accurate experience,

Shamans are put on a pedestal for spiritual connectedness, while brujas are left shunned in the dark. The

element of mysticism surrounding them brings fear. Andean ritual and ceremony is something that Peruvians

feel very connected to, as it allows them to celebrate their ancestry and agricultural successes. Almost every

person that has ever been to a yoga class or left the suburbs of the United States has heard of the Pachamama,

the concept and living presence of Mother Earth. This sacred spiritual being gets her name from the Inca

culture, and was at the center of this agricultural empire. A shaman is the one called to participate in

Pachamama ritual because of the balance of masculine and feminine to fulfill the element of duality. This

event is quite possibly the most important holiday celebrated in the Andes each year. Brujas are left to “dark

magic” and feared during this sacred time. Peru is a country haunted by a past full of violence against women,

and even today, the presence of “machismo” is a hindrance to gender progress. With a strong foundation in

Inca culture, a setback caused by Spanish Inquisition, and a strong division between shamans and brujas, the

identity of the Peruvian woman has shifted throughout centuries resulting in a gender scorn by marginalization

and condescension.

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