Native American Nations in Peru & Bolivia (Part XIX)

The Incas, who spoke/speak Quecha are the major indigenous people that lived in Peru and native in South America still speak the language widely. They may be closely linked with the Native Americans and First Nations that immigrated to the Western Hemisphere from the far northeast over the Bering Land Bridge long ago. Many of these peoples chose a southeastern route in search of new food and living resources and ended up down at the most southern tip of South America in Argentina.

At the same time, South Pacific indigenous peoples migrated by boat to South America and likely intermixed with the Native Americans to form hybrid-based tribes. The Pacific Islanders may have come form elsewhere originally, but this is uncertain.

After all of this, some of these people in South America avoided Spanish and Portuguese conquest and traveled northward again, likely all the way up into the Ohio River Valley, perhaps beyond. Eventually, most of them experienced the unofficial rite of passage - First Contact with white settlers - the French and British, along with some Germans and formerly the Scandinavians (these latter men, much farther back in history).

By 1200 A.D. (I refuse to change to CE and ACE at this point) the noble and exceedingly strong Incas had already built their lavish capital city of Cuzco (with Machu Picchu) in Peru. Their civilization was complex and existed over 800 years ago - That's more than 570 years before the 13 colonies became the USA. Imagine the wealth of culture, arts, religious antiquities, children's toys and games, knotted-string writing, and gold that was there. It is incredible.

Christopher Plummer stared as an Inca in a film about their culture called The Royal Hunt for the Sun. Plummer played the god-chief Atahualpa, captured by explorer Pizarro and held ransom for all the gold in town. The film portrays Pizarro as repentant after he becomes friend with the chief. In real life, the Incas were destroyed in the 16^th century by Franco Pizarro and only 180 men. Plummer plays a strong and charismatic role and I have never forgotten it.

As of the mid-15^th century, the Incas had conquered several other Native South American Nations. Their realm and control ranged from the Andes Mountains (see the maps) across Peru, into Ecuador, Bolivia, and scattered thinly elsewhere.

The white llama is a holy animal in the Inca religion, sacrificed to the sun-god. Coca leaves are chewed for religious hallucinations. The llama lungs were read like tea leaves for fortunes. Children were also sacrificed on the altar, their hearts cut out while still alive. Up to 200 at a time in the event of a war defeat, famine, widespread illness, etc.

Perhaps the Incas became infested with the white-man's diseases and sacrificed the rest, praying for a cure that did not come. Young women were also sacrificed. If they had been honest, good, and industrious, they went to the sun for their afterlife. If they were bad and lazy, they went to a cold earth-world.

The Sapa Inca is the title given to the emperor of the Inca kingdom. In history, there were found fourteen Sapa Incas, but the final one before the fall of the civilization was Atahualpa, the 13th emperor played by Christopher Plummer on film.