Geography S America

Seminar 6 Current Event

This seminar we learned about south America and all of the countries considered in the south American realm. The article I chose to discuss involves the Andean nations of South America. The article discusses the large native populations of south America. Along the western parts of south America there are a number of countries with significant Amerindian populations who speak native languages. In Peru a lot of the population speaks quechua. This language was spoken by the Incas. “A quarter of Ecuador’s population of 15.7 million is native, while another 65 per cent is mestizo, having mixed European and indigenous ancestry.”(Srebrnik, 2013) According to the article, Amerindians are the majority ethnic group in Bolivia. Today only a small percent of Paraguay’s population is fully indigenous. Most of them living in the remote Gran Chaco region, almost all of the country’s other citizens are partially of native heritage. (Srebrnik, 2013) Some groups have turned to violence in reaction to the poverty and oppression suffered at the hands of dictators and economic oligarchies. Though it is a continuous battle, Amerindian peoples are making progress. Bolivia and Peru have even in recent years elected presidents of indigenous heritage. This article pertains to this seminar because each seminar we discuss the languages of each country and the locations of the natives. This article shows the culture of the area being mixed and divided. The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), formed in 1986. They have pursued social change using many tactics. In 2005, CONAIE participated in an uprising, which ousted the President whom they accused of betraying native peoples on behalf of foreign corporations. Each county endures their own type of hardships and battling with one another will not help. This shows that the south American realm is extremely culturally divided. Long-term being culturally divided only further separates each...