Culture
--Lakshmi Swamy
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Ecuador has a tradition of rich of cultures including many indigenous, European, and African cultures. There is also a small but influential population of Lebanese on the coast. The current president, Jamil Mahuad, and a former president, Abdala Bucaram, are both of Lebenese descent. Ecuador is a mixture of all of these cultures, yet one can still see distinct features of the various cultures.
Culture varies greatly from region to region. The most significant difference is between those who live in the Andean areas and those who live on the coast. Since colonial times, the people of the interior (Andes) have been conservative, and the coastal areas have been liberal. Quito, nestled in the Andes, is the center of conservatism, and Guayaquil, the largest and most modern city, is liberal. Politcal parties (and there are nearly 17 of them) are usually split along these cultural lines, and the rivalry continues today.
One of the most striking aspects of Quite�o life is that the city becomes very quiet by 9:00pm. Restaurants begin to close around 10pm, and most bars are only open until 12 midnight. On Sundays, many people go to church (Ecuador is 95% Roman Catholic) and spend the rest of the day relaxing and strolling in parks. Quito is indeed a conservative city!
Living on the Equator
Both Pablo and Oswaldo stressed that the equatorial climate is the foundation of the Ecuadorian mentality and culture. Since the weather is always the same in Ecuador, there is very little sense of time. In the higher latitudes, the seasons dictate cyclical changes in lifestyle -- harvest time, school year, clothing changes, etc. For example, a farmer has to think ahead and prepare for the winter. But on the Equator, where there are 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night 365 days a year, every day is predictably the same, so there is no rush in doing anything -- from harvesting a crop of bananas to passing legislation. My first impression was that surely, the climate alone could not hinder the country so much! However, our guides insisted that the equatorial mentality is very real.
A Few Indigenous Peoples
Examples of indigenous groups include the Andean Indians, who are descendants of the Incans, and groups who live in the rainforest, such as the Secoyas and the very isolated Huaorani.
- Otavalo Indians
Enrique Aguilar's book Awakening in the Andes is about the indigenous people of the Andes. (In spanish and English) There are many groups of Andean Indians, and the Otavale�os are among these. In the Otavalo market, we heard Incan language Quechua, which is still used today. Cultures of the Andes is an excellent site. There you can hear Quechua songs, read Quechua jokes, see video clips of Andean dances, email Quechua-speaking people, and much more!!!
- Secoya
This indigenous group of the Ecuadorian Amazon has been in the news in the past few months. They have collectively sued Texaco for polluting their land. For a comprehensive report, see this transcript of a segment from ABC's Nightline: Texaco in the Amazon
- Huaorani
This group of the rainforest strongly resists outside contact.
--This ABCNews article describes what happened the last time they met with outsiders.
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