Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children July/August 2015

How do you celebrate the spirit of the vibrant country of Peru in one festival in Washington, D.C., and also in one engaging magazine issue? This was the task of the curatorial team for the 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the guest editorial team for this issue of FACES. Both teams worked with cultural experts in Peru, the Washington, D.C. area, and around the world to decide on some “connecting threads” (hilos conductores in Spanish) that they could weave into a story of this diverse land. During field visits in October, January, and April, the Washington, D.C.-based team of curators Olivia Cadaval and Cristina Díaz-Carrera and assistant Alexia Fawcett criss-crossed Peru with in-country coordinator Rafael Varón, meeting potential participants for the event and snapping photos to use as a record…

We are pleased to bring the culture and heritage of Peru to you through the pages of Faces. With this edition, our goal is to extend the reach of the 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival beyond our home on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to you wherever you live. Special thanks to the Republic of Peru Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) for supporting the original research that shaped the Festival as well as the articles featured in this very special edition of Faces. Enjoy, Sabrina Lynn Motley Director, Smithsonian Folklife Festival The South American country of Peru is full of surprises. With a varied landscape and a rich history, this country promises adventure, beauty, and a vast array of cultural experiences. Here are five facts to get you…

Official Name: Republic of Peru Location: Western South America. It borders Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. Its western border is the pacific Ocean. peru has about 2,000 miles of coastline. Area: 496,224 square miles (1,285,216 square kilometers) Population: 30,147,935 (July 2014 estimate) Government: Unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house Capital: Lima Highest Point: Nevado Huascaran 22,205 feet (6,768 meters) People: Indigenous groups, 45 percent; Mestizo (mixed indigenous and European descent), 37 percent; European descent, 15 percent; other (including African, Japanese and Chinese descent), 3 percent Languages: Spanish (official),84.1 percent; Quechua (official), 13 percent; Aymara (offical), 1.7 percent; Ashaninka, 0.3 percent: other native languages, 0.7 percent; other languages (including European and sign language), 0.2 percent National Holiday: Independence Day, July 28 Religions: Roman Catholic, 81.3 percent; Evangelical, 12.5 percent;…

What has a long neck, stands about three feet high at the shoulder, and communicates by humming? If you answered an alpaca, you know your camelids. If you answered a llama or a vicuña, you were close. These three related animals are native to South America, and are also distantly related to their Asian and African cousins, camels. Alpacas, llamas, and vicuñas live in Peru and look similar to the untrained eye. So, what’s the difference? Let’s start with vicuñas. Unlike llamas and alpacas, vicuñas roam free in the wild. Their wool is softer than the alpaca’s, which is why it is so highly prized. Alpacas, one of the two tamed cousins, have been bred for more than 6,000 years! They are raised in herds for their high-quality, warm, and…

You are about to embark on a Peruvian adventure. Peruvians weave together past and present in a rich cultural tapestry like no other place on earth. Within this country, you can walk across an ancient rope bridge on the Inca Road, ride the waves on a “little horse” made of reeds, get a fresh view of the lowly potato, climb a mythical life-giving tree with ancestors of present-day Amazonians, and dance with champions of the international phenomenon called the marinera. Let’s take a quick trip through the history and culture of Peru to get you oriented. As you may have already guessed, the South American country of Peru is full of surprises. Its amazing landscape ranges from beautiful beaches and desert coastline of the Pacific Ocean to the soaring Andes…

WARNING: WHAT YOU ABOUT TO LEARN ABOUT POTATOES IN PERU WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THE HUMBLE SPUD FOREVER.SO, PUT DOWN THAT FRENCH FRY AND KEEP READING! Potatoes have deep roots in Peru; in fact it is almost possible to trace the history of Peru through the potato. Archaeological evidence proves that its origins stretch back at least 10,000 years, when farmers high in the Andes started to domesticate the potato’s wild ancestors. During the reign of the Incas, potatoes were the common food of the poorer classes, according to writings from the 16th century. When Spanish conquistadors encountered potatoes around 1530, they were afraid to eat them. Plants that grew underground were strange to them, and considered poisonous. Eventually they found the potato both delicious and useful.…