The history of the southern Andes has developed through its various indigenous groups over the centuries.
Cañar and Azuay History:
In Cañar and Azuay, there is evidence that people present as far back as 8000 BC. The groups here at this time were primarily hunter-gatherers. Later, they moved into agriculture, domesticating animals such as llamas and cuys, and growing produce such as potatoes and quinoa.
Later, the Cañari people settled in the area. Cuenca was originally a Cañari settlement. It is thought that this town was originally founded as early as 500 AD. The people occupied the area for around 1000 years until the time of Inca rule.
The Cañari fought hard against the Inca. This left the area in a bad state of repair. Eventually through both war and marriage, the Inca Empire absorbed the Cañari. The Cañari had impressed the Inca enough that many of them were recruited to work in the Inca army.
The Cañari were not suppressed by the Inca. Their agricultural systems were kept in place. The Spanish arrived in the area in the mid-16th century and defeated the Inca.
Loja History:
In the Loja region, the most significant indigenous group is the Saraguro. As with many indigenous groups in Ecuador, these people still maintain many of their traditions.
People occupied the Loja region as early as 10,000 years ago. It is thought that the people who lived in the region at this time were mitimaes, which were people that were forced to resettle from Bolivia, who later married with local families, which were of Cañari or Palta origin and the forerunners of the Saraguro peoples.
The history of the southern Andes has developed through its various indigenous groups over the centuries...
The Saraguro people themselves were not a unique people until around 1450 AD, around the same time as the Inca arrival. When the Inca arrived, they were able to remove the Palta people fairly quickly, unlike the Cañari who put up a much bigger struggle.
The Saraguro are traditionally an agricultural society. They were able to gain everything they needed from the land because of their self-sufficiency. Like their northern counterparts the Cañari, they grew potatoes and raised cuy. Some Saraguro made textiles or made pottery and sold their artesania to neighboring groups.
Today, the Saraguro people work at every level of society. In the town of Saraguro itself, some have maintained their traditional agro-pastoral ways, but others work in government as doctors, teachers and in other professions.
The Inca Empire included southern Ecuador for approximately seventy years. However, during this time, the extent of their influence was phenomenal, with Quechua still spoken today (as Quichua) among some indigenous people.
This region, particularly Loja, has been fought over between Ecuador and Peru. In both 1941 and 1995, border disputes led to wars between the two countries. The current border demarcation came into place in May 1999.
