Ecuador Travel

Although the northern Andes of Ecuador (Imbabura and Carchi provinces) are home to a great number of indigenous peoples, the rough mountain terrain of the region was less than accommodating for earlier cultures. Instead, the majority of ancient cultures first sprouted up on the coast, before progressing and expanding eastward into the sierras. Eventually, the Quitu civilization was established around modern day capital city of Quito (hence the name). Near the end of the 1st century, the ever-growing Cara culture of the coast conquered the Quitus. The fusion of these two tribes would culminate in the creation of the Shyris civilization, named after the Shyri, the chief of the Cara people.

The resulting Caranqui civilization—the remnants of which can still be seen near the modern day city of Ibarra—appeared around 800 A.D. and thrived until the 1470s when they were defeated by the Incan forces led by Huayna Capac. While the Inca did ultimately prevail over the Cara people, it should be noted that the battle raged on for no less than fifteen years. Legend says that Inca leaders tossed so many dead Cara bodies into a nearby lake that its waters turned red, which explains why the lake is today known as Laguna Yaguarcocha—the lake of blood in the language of the Incas.

The Incas, of course, lost their hold on the land when the Spanish conquistadors took over the region in the early 1500s. Still, the Inca people managed to endure, and the vast majority of indigenous people living in the northern Andes of today are their descendants. In fact, visitors will find that the dominant language spoken in the northern sierras is Andean Quichua (known in Peru as Quechua), the surviving language of the Inca.

The Incan descendants do not all share the same culture or beliefs. The Otavaleño people of the city of Otavalo, for instance, wear traditional garb—embroidered white blouses, long, dark wool skirts, canvas sandals and layers of gold beaded necklaces—that is unique to their area. Otavaleños are specifically known for their handwoven textiles and crafts—both of which can be purchased at the famous Otavalo artisan market. Due to the popularity of their crafts, the Otavaleños are the wealthiest indigenous group in Ecuador.

The indigenous peoples, however, are not the only ethnic group present in the northern highlands. When the Spanish came to the region, many of the conquistadors and explorers began to have relations with the local indigenous women, and thus gave birth to offspring of mixed Hispanic-indigenous descent. Such people were called mestizos. Today, thousands of people in the Northern Andes—particularly those dwelling in the larger cities like Ibarra—identify themselves as mestizo.

The third and final dominant culture in the Northern Andes is that of the Afro-Ecuadorian community of the Chota Valley. While only three percent of Ecuadorians identify themselves as Afro-Ecuadorian, a great majority of these people can be found in the Chota River Valley, where most residents can trace their lineage back to 17th century African slaves. Today, the Afro-Ecuadorians of the Chota Valley are known for their Bomba music—a mix of African beats and traditional highland melodies—and some pretty skillful soccer players.