The Q’eros are a Quechua community said to be the last descendants of the Incas. It is believed that they first made contact with modern civilization in 1950. Since the Inca era (15th century), they have dedicated themselves to agriculture and llama herding, just as their Inca ancestors did. Culturally, the Q’eros have much to share with humanity. Their traditions and festivities are closely linked to nature. They also preserve aspects of Inca medicine, astronomy, and textile arts. The Q’eros are skilled in making textiles and clothing items like chullos, ponchos, llicllas, and more. They are also proficient in musical instruments such as the quena and the zampoña. The Q’ero nation is spread across twenty sectors and five communities: Japu, Marcachea, Quico, Q’ero Totorani, and Hatun Q’eros. They inhabit mountainous regions over 5,000 meters above sea level. Due to their astonishing culture and ancestral knowledge, they were declared a Cultural Heritage of Peru in 2007. Currently, some Q’ero communities offer experiential tourism experiences for visitors to learn about their daily lifestyle, including fieldwork and animal herding.
The Q’ero nation is made up of various Andean communities mainly located in the province of Paucartambo in Cusco. These communities inhabit high-altitude regions (up to 4,400 meters above sea level) and areas of the Cusco jungle (at 1,800 meters above sea level).
Other Q’ero communities are located in the highest areas adjacent to the Ausangate snow-capped mountain, the highest in Cusco (6,384 meters above sea level). Experiential tourism is one of the best activities to promote the protection of this Quechua nation and the natural mountainous environment where they are located, helping to protect and maintain their culture.
These are some of the cultural aspects of the Q’ero nation:
Religiosity – The Q’eros worship natural elements such as mountains, the sun, the moon, the earth, and others. Ausangate is a snow-capped mountain or ‘apu’ (tutelary deity) that is respected as it decides over life and death. Influenced by modernity, the Q’eros also have patron saints and virgins like the Lord of Qoylloriti, at the foot of the Ausangate snow-capped mountain.
Textiles – The peasant communities of the Q’ero nation follow a textile tradition dating back to the Inca era. Their products are made with alpaca fiber threads, known for their softness and durability. Their decorations feature cultural aspects such as the duality of life: day and night, male and female. They dye their garments with natural products like cochineal. Their instruments are also handmade, as they were centuries ago.
Music – The Q’eros preserve Inca instruments such as the quena, zampoña, and tinya. The historical value of Q’ero music is a subject of significant study and recordings. It is used during agricultural work and celebrations like weddings.
Medicine – Q’ero medicine follows Inca traditions, using natural products like herbs to treat various diseases. They follow shamanism traditions. The shaman is a healer who, by the decision of the gods, has the power and familial knowledge to heal or harm people.
The culture and tradition of the Q’eros became widely known following the publication of their myths and legends by Professor Óscar Núñez del Prado in 1955. His work highlighted the spread of the Inkarrí myth, symbolizing hope for a return to the laws and traditions of the Inca State.
The Q’eros live in an area far from the main cities and districts of the Cusco region. They inhabit up to three different Andean ecological levels: from 4,500 meters above sea level (puna), 3,000 meters (quechua), and 1,800 meters (yunga). This allows them to survive through the production of various foods such as corn, quinoa, potatoes, oca, coca leaves, and more.
The Q’eros are known as ‘the last Inca ayllu (community)’. Their worldview differs from that of modern man. Reciprocity and community work are their main values. Research to discover more elements of their society is ongoing.
