Wiphala
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The Wiphala (Quechua pronunciation: [wiˈpʰala]) is a square emblem, commonly used as a flag, representing the native peoples of the central Andes of Bolivia. It exists in several modern varieties, which represent the Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu) and each of its former four regions (suyus).
The Cuzco Wiphala consists of seven horizontal stripes representing the colours of the rainbow.
The suyu wiphalas are composed of a 7-by-7 square patchwork in seven colours, arranged diagonally. The precise configuration depends on the particular suyu represented by the emblem. The colour of the longest diagonal line (seven squares) determines which of the four suyus (regions) the flag represents: white for Qullasuyu, yellow for Kuntisuyu, red for Chinchaysuyu, and green for Antisuyu. There is also an alternate pattern for the Wiphala for Antinsuyu. Additionally a Wiphala also exists for Tupac Katari and the Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army.
Article 6, section II of the new Bolivian constitution establishes the Wiphala as the dual flag of Bolivia along with the red, yellow, and green banner.
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History
In modern times the rainbow flag has been associated with the Tawantinsuyu and is displayed as a symbol of Inca heritage in Peru and Bolivia. There is debate as to whether there was an Inca or Tawantisuyu flag. There are 16th and 17th century chronicles and references that support the idea of a banner, or flag, attributable to the Inca.
Francisco López de Jerez wrote in 1534:
"They all came divided up in squads with their flags and commanding captains, with as much order as the Turks."
("todos venían repartidos en sus escuadras con sus banderas y capitanes que los mandan, con tanto concierto como turcos").
The chronicler, Bernabé Cobo, wrote:
"… the “guión” or royal standard (an ecclesiastical processional banner) was a small, square small banner, of about 10-12 inches (“palmos de ruedo” is a measure from those times and it refers to a small amount/size.), made of cotton or woolen cloth, that was carried at the top of a long flagpole, and was stiff, with no wave on the air; each king painted his arms and emblems (badges) on the banner; because each one (king) chose different ones (paintings on his banner), although the common ones among the Incas had the rainbow."
(...el guión o estandarte real era una banderilla cuadrada y pequeña, de diez o doce palmos de ruedo, hecha de lienzo de algodón o de lana, iba puesta en el remate de una asta larga, tendida y tiesa, sin que ondease al aire, y en ella pintaba cada rey sus armas y divisas, porque cada uno las escogía diferentes, aunque las generales de los Incas eran el arco celeste.)
-Bernabé Cobo, Historia del Nuevo Mundo (1653)
Guaman Poma's 1615 book, El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno, shows numerous line drawings of Inca flags.
Some sites say that in 1534, during the invasion and occupation of the city of Qusqu (today Cusco), the Spaniards found the first resistance of qhishwa-aymaras and saw between the multitude, objects similar to the flag of strips and pictures of seven colors of the rainbow. But it's very improbable the existence and the use of that emblem, less that it has been dated from the same creation of Tiwanaku, over than 2000 years ago.
Seven colors
The seven colors of the actual Wiphala originate from the visible spectrum (see rainbow flag for other realizations). The significance and meanings for each color are as follows:
- Red: The Earth and the Andean man
- Orange: Society and culture
- Yellow: Energy
- White: Time
- Green: Natural resources
- Blue: The heavens
- Violet: Andean government and self-determination
The Andean Wiphala
A flag with a seven-striped rainbow design is used in Peru and Ecuador to represent Tawantin Suyu, or Inca territory. Even today in the city of Cuzco, Peru it is common to see the flag around the city displayed even in government buildings and in Cuzco main square. The meaning behind the wiphala has to be found in connection with the Incas and with the cosmovision and philosophy of Andean indigenous culture. Some argue, that it celebrates the order of the cosmos and it is a symbol for life and fertility.
This "rainbow stripe" flag is used as the ethnic flag of the Quechua Amerindians, but more often as a pan-indigenous flag.
Unlike the gay pride flag, the Cuzco flag uses light blue instead of turquoise. Some have suggested adopting a new flag to avoid confusion with the gay pride flag. There is also a version that has a white stripe between the yellow and green stripes, and a light blue stripe is not used.
Social movements in Ecuador and Peru
Today in Ecuador, it is readily identified with the Indian Social movement mainly represented by CONAIE (Ecuadorian Confederation of Indian nationalities). This organization has had an important role in massive protests in the late 1990s and 2000s which have brought down three presidents perceived as corrupt and responsible for the impoverishment of Ecuadorians. The flag of CONAIE is a wiphala with a mask in the middle from a pre-Inca Ecuadorian coastal peoples known as La Tolita.
The flag is displayed by marches of the CONAIE movement and also it is used by its political faction the Pachakutik Movement (Movimiento de Unidad Plurinacional Pachakutik) which participates in elections and has a considerable legislative representation. The concept of pachakutik, a Quechua word related with the vision and the hope of a better future for Andean people. The MUPP was formed in the 1990s mainly by an alliance of the CONAIE with peasant organizations and urban social movements. It also finds sympathy in local LGBT, feminist and Afro-Ecuadorian circles and activists.
The rainbow wiphala is also displayed is marches of indigenous and peasant movements in Peru.
The Bolivian Wiphala
The Aimara wiphala is a square flag divided into 7x7 (49) squares. The seven rainbow colors are placed in diagonal squares. The exact arrangement and colors varies with the different versions, corresponding to the suyus or Tupac Katari. It is very prominent in marches of indigenous and peasant movements in Bolivia.
This "rainbow squares" flag is used as the pan-indigenous flag of Andean peoples in Bolivia and has recently occasionally been adopted by Amazonian groups in political alliance.
The Qullasuyu wiphala is established as the dual flag of Bolivia along with the previous red, yellow, and green banner in the newly ratified constitution.
Suyu flags
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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009) |
 Anti Suyu (alternate) |
 Tupac Katari (alternate) |
References
- ^ "Bandera indígena boliviana es incluida como símbolo patrio en nueva Constitución", October 21, 2008, United Press International.
- ^ Republic of Bolivia, [Text of the proposed] Nueva Constitución Política del Estado, 2007.
- ^ Francisco López de Jerez,Verdadera relacion de la conquista del Peru y provincia de Cuzco, llamada la Nueva Castilla, 1534.
- ^ Guaman Poma, El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno, (1615/1616), pp. 256, 286, 344, 346, 400, 434, 1077, this pagination corresponds to the Det Kongelige Bibliotek search engine pagination of the book. Additionally Poma shows both well drafted European flags and coats of arms on pp. 373, 515, 558, 1077. On pages 83, 167-171 Poma uses a european heraldic graphic convention, a shield, to place certain totems related to Inca leaders. There's no evidence of linear (Wiphala like) patchwork.
- ^ History of Wiphala
- ^ Social Design Notes: The Wiphala
- ^ Inca (Quechua / Aymara) people (Western South America)
- ^ revista.serindigena.cl - Whipala, Símbolo de la Nación Andina
- ^ "Organization of the empire". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_empire#Organization_of_the_empire. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
External links
- Wiphala Emblems
- Emblema Nacional del Pusinsuyo = Tawantinsuyo
- Non-U. S. based Native American Flags
- History of Wiphala
- "Guaman Poma - El Primer Nueva Crónica Y Buen Gobierno" – A high-quality digital version of the Corónica, scanned from the original manuscript. Has numerous line drawings that illustrate both Inca flags and Spanish flags.