Uros

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Uros harvesting some totora on Lake Titicaca nearby the city of Puno.

Uros island view

Uros are a pre-Incan people that live on 42 self-fashioned floating man-made islets in Lake Titicaca Puno, Peru and Bolivia. The Uros use the totora plant to make boats (balsas mats) of bundled dried reeds, and to make the islands themselves.^[1]

Los Uros island

The Uros islands at 3810 meters above sea level are just 5 Km west from Puno port ^[2] (20 minutes away by boat). Around 2,000 descendants of the Uros were counted in the 1997 census,^[3] although only a few hundred still live on and maintain the islands; most have moved to the mainland. The Uros also bury their dead on the mainland in special cemeteries.

The Uros descend from a millennial town that according to legends are "pukinas" who speak Uro or Pukina and that believe they are the owners of the lake and water. Uros used to say that they have black blood because they did not feel the cold. Also they call themselves "Lupihaques" (Sons of The Sun). Nowadays, Uros do not speak the Uro language, nor practice their old beliefs but keep some old costumes.^[3]

The purpose of the island settlements was originally defensive, and if a threat arose they could be moved. The largest island retains a watchtower almost entirely constructed of reeds.

The Uros traded with the Aymara tribe on the mainland, interbreeding with them and eventually abandoning the Uro language for that of the Aymara. About 500 years ago they lost their original language. When this pre-Incan civilization was conquered by the Incans, they had to pay taxes to them, and often were made slaves.

The islets are made of totora reeds, which grow in the lake. The dense roots that the plants develop and interweave form a natural layer called Khili (about one to two meters thick) that support the islands . They are anchored with ropes attached to sticks driven into the bottom of the lake. The reeds at the bottoms of the islands rot away fairly quickly, so new reeds are added to the top constantly, about every three months; this is what it makes exciting for tourists when walking on the island. ^[3] This is especially important in the rainy season when the reeds rot a lot faster. The islands last about 30 years.

Much of the Uros' diet and medicine also revolve around these totora reeds. When a reed is pulled, the white bottom is often eaten for iodine. This prevents goiter. This white part of the reed is called the chullo (Aymara [tʃʼuʎo]). Like the Andean people of Peru rely on the Coca Leaf for relief from a harsh climate and hunger, the Uros rely on the Totora reeds in the same way. When in pain, the reed is wrapped around the place in pain to absorb it. They also make a reed flower tea.

The larger islands house about 10 families, while smaller ones, only about 30 meters wide, house only two or three. ^[2] There are about 2 or 3 children per family currently.

Local residents fish ispi, carachi and catfish. Two types of fish were recently introduced to the lake: trout was introduced from Canada in 1940, and kingfish was introduced from Argentina. Uros also hunt birds such as seagulls, ducks and flamingos, and graze their cattle on the islets. They also run crafts stalls aimed at the numerous tourists who land on ten of the islands each year. They barter totora reeds on the mainland in Puno to get products they need, such as quinoa and other foods.

Food is cooked with fires placed on piles of stones. To relieve themselves, tiny 'outhouse' islands are near the main islands. The ground root absorbs the waste.

children before going to school

The Uros do not reject modern technology: some boats have motors, some houses have solar panels to run appliances such as TVs, and the main island is home to an Uros-run FM radio station, which plays music for several hours a day.

Early schooling is done on several islands, including a traditional school and a school run by a Christian church. Older children and university students attend school on the mainland, often in nearby Puno.

References

^ "Lake Titicaca". Encyclopedia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-600556/totora. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
^ ^a ^b "Puno". Mincetur. http://www.mincetur.gob.pe/newweb/Portals/0/PUNO.pdf.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Conociendo Puno 1998" (in Spanish). INEI. http://www1.inei.gob.pe/biblioineipub/bancopub/Est/Lib0259/cap5.HTM.

External links

Hands Around the World

Indian Cultures from Around the World

http://indian-cultures.com/Cultures/uros.html

Uros Indians

The Uros Indians of Peru and Bolivia are a very interesting people. They live high in the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes and on Lake Titicaca on floating islands. They were forced onto the lake as the Incan Indians pushed further and further into their territory. The Uros Islands are made of reeds which grow naturally on the banks of Lake Titicaca. The reeds are matted down and added to as they disintegrate at the bottom. The islands float on the surface of the lake. The make their homes, their furniture and their boats out of the reeds. They also eat the tender bottoms of the reeds. The Uros Indians are known for their beautiful and intricate handwork, weaving, spinning, and embroidery.

There are more than 40 floating islands, the largest being Huacavacani, Toranipata, and Santa Maria. During the rainy season, from November to February, the islands often float on the surface of the lake. The reeds used to make their island, homes, boats, etc. are called tortora reeds. Life on the islands is hard. Many have moved to the mainland leaving only a few hundred on the islands. The islands rot from the bottom very quickly so that new reeds must constantly be added to the top. The surface is spongy and sometimes difficult to walk on. They also have to travel a distance to find fresh water. Legend says that the full-blooded Uros Indians had black blood that protected them from the frigid temperatures on the water and also from drowning. The Uros were pushed back onto the lake when the Incas took over the region. The Incas considered the Uros Indians to be so poor that the only tax they required of them was a section of hollow cane filled with rice. After a drought worsened their poverty, most Uros left the islands and intermarried with the Ayamara and Quechua-speaking Indians. The last full-blooded Uro was a woman who died in 1959. The Uros who moved back to the islands are actually a mix of Uros, Ayamaras and Incas, though they follow the ways of the Uros. After the Incas and Spaniards quit exerting their influence, the Uros once again became proud fishermen who survive by living off the tortora reeds as well as hunting, fishing, and selling their beautiful handicrafts.

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Photos property of Hands Around the World

Made from the reeds on the Uros Islands, these hand made boats feature tiny clothed figures in the traditionally shaped reed boats.

Additional Information

Puno - The islands are inhabited by the Uros Indians and the flow of Indians departing to live on the mainland has been stemmed by the onslaught of tourism.

CULTUREFOCUS: Peru photos. Pictures from Lake Titicaca.

Lake Titicaca

Puno, Gateway to Lake Titicaca

Puno, Titicaca lake: travel to Bolivia and Peru