This week was very interesting! We left Pisac and went to Ollantaytambo for a day and then made our way to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was arguably the most anticipated event in our itinerary, and it certainly did not disappoint. The hike up Wayna Picchu was very exciting! The views were breathtaking and the path, for the most part, was well paved. On our way up the mountain, about ⅔ of the way to the peak, I met this woman who was lagging behind her family. She was very frustrated and confided in me about her annoyance about her kids and husband going ahead of her taking the bottles of water and leaving her with their trash. I offered her my water and filled up her bottle so she could remain hydrated for the rest of the hike. She was very thankful and continued on her hike but I was very disturbed to hear how her kids and husband abandoned her and didn’t leave her with any water. Moreover, I heard from my classmate who saw the family together at the top that her son descended the mountain before the mother reached the top. The mother was quite angry because they did not get to take a photo as a family and requested that her son return back to the top of the mountain for them to take family photos.
Similarly, when a few of us reached the peak of the hike, a mother and daughter were waiting to take a photo at our spot. After we took our photos I offered to take a picture for both of them. They were both dismissive of the idea and said no, they explained that the mother was there to help the daughter take photos. I was quite taken aback by this and confirmed if they were family. When they confirmed that they were mother and daughter I insisted that we help them take a photo together since they are family and should have a memento for this shared memory. The mother seemed enthusiastic about the photo and surprised at the idea.
My encounter with the two mothers revealed to me how unappreciative some people are of their mothers, and how women are often the unsung heroes in the stories. It seemed that their kids used their mothers to carry their trash or take their photos for their social media without consideration of their parent’s feelings. The lack of appreciation for mothers made me think about how few women get their stories told, especially concerning female indigenous narrators. I’m thinking about Asunta’s story in Andean lives and the brevity of her narrative. Perhaps Asunta did not share some aspects of her life because she was taught that some of her experiences were not significant. This is just a hypothesis, but I’ve felt that many women in my life do not discuss their hardships because they worry about burdening others around them. The silence around their suffering speaks to the values that society instills in women; to be selfless and give without expectation or recognition. Moreover, there are very few texts written by Indigenous women which may speak to their marginalization in society and barriers to access to higher education. When I was speaking to the families, it seemed that the women had subscribed to the belief that a significant part of their purpose was to serve their children. This made me reflect on how I treat my own mother and how I can honour the support she has given me throughout my life. Mothers work tirelessly, often without any recognition, and to think that they are marginalized within their own families is saddening.
My question for the class is how do you honor your mother/parents?
"Perhaps Asunta did not share some aspects of her life because she was taught that some of her experiences were not significant." Although Gregorio Mamani's testimony is shocking and moving, Asunta Quispe's intrigues me much more, precisely because of those silences you mention. Motherhood represents a large part of what matters about her life, but there is much that we still ignore. How did she understand, for example, her own body? We have some glimpses, but as you say, that silence may be the result of an idea of patriarchal "decency" in which her femininity cannot be expressed in words.
I was right behind the father and kids at the top! He was telling the kids that they better not drink all the water because she’d be mad and then I heard him call her and tell her to hurry up because they were about to be up for the photo op at the top. Bro. They took the photo without her. I wanted to scream.
“I’ve felt that many women in my life do not discuss their hardships because they worry about burdening others around them. “
This line really spoke to me. This is an experience I have seen so many times with friends and family. It reminds me of the way women don’t talk about miscarriage. So many mothers feel shame and hide the pain they go through. We are taught to take up as little space as possible, that we are emotional and always overreacting. We are taught that the way we experience the world is wrong.
I try to tell my mom I appreciate all the things I am now coming around to realize she did/sacrificed/taught me (sorry, being an angsty teenage girl is the worst). I know it’s not a lot but I w t her to know it’s not lost on me.