Life and traditions of the Kichwa and Quechua peoples
Introduction
For more than 1,500 years, the Kichwa, Indigenous people of the Amazon, have used the Guayusa plant for a variety of purposes. Guayusa was not only drunk; it was used in many different ways. For the Kichwa, it is not just about Guayusa keeping people alert for a long time, but also about its spiritual significance. Here, we introduce the history, traditions and present-day life of the Kichwa peoples.
Contents
- The history of Guayusa
- Traditions and way of life of the Quechua peoples
- And what does this have to do with us?
1. The history of Guayusa
There are many stories about how the Quechua people, Indigenous people of the Amazon, discovered Guayusa. The oldest finds of dried Guayusa leaves date back more than 1,500 years. They were found in a shaman's tomb in Bolivia. Today, however, Guayusa is thought to have originated in Ecuador.
The Quechua people, also known as the Kichwa, use Guayusa's invigorating effects before and during hunting. Guayusa tea is said to support concentration and strength — you can find more information about the effects of Guayusa in our linked article.
According to legend, the gods gave them this plant as a source of energy.
That is why Guayusa was mainly drunk in the early morning, to prepare for the hunt and talk about the previous night's dreams. The youngest daughter-in-law had to get up at dawn to prepare a brew of Guayusa leaves and water. You can read more about how the Kichwa use Guayusa tea in our article “Guayusa: use by Indigenous peoples”.
As they drank the Guayusa brew, they shared creative thoughts and inspiring ideas, and told one another stories about their ancestors. Guayusa tea was believed to have health-promoting effects, for example for stomach problems and headaches, and it was also used externally on injuries and to repel insects. Even after marriage, all family members lived together in a large house. Work was done only from Monday to Wednesday.
2. Traditions and way of life of the Quechua peoples
How do the Kichwa live today?
Uli, our colleague based in Ecuador, decided to move from Germany to Ecuador 16 years ago. He lives with his Kichwa wife in Tena, the capital of Napo province and the canton of Tena, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. We spoke with him about the traditions and present-day way of life of the Quechua peoples.
2.1. The Kichwa people and their connection to the Quechua peoples
The Kichwa are Indigenous peoples of Ecuador and belong to the wider Quechua peoples. This term encompasses ethnic groups across Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Argentina who share the Quechua language as a mother tongue. Quechua translates as “valley” or “highland”. Traditionally, they therefore describe themselves as “people of the Quechua highlands”.
Between 9 and 14 million people speak Quechua, but so far, beyond sharing this language, little or no shared identity has developed. This is because regional dialects differ so greatly that mutual understanding is often difficult.
Despite their great ethnic diversity and differences in language and dialect, the Quechua peoples share some commonalities, particularly in their ways of life and making a living.
2.2. Living and working in harmony with nature
The Quechua traditionally work mainly in farming and animal husbandry. In lower-lying regions, agriculture is the main focus, while in the high-altitude Puna region, people mainly raise livestock and grow crops.
Returning to the Kichwa of Ecuador, an Indigenous group within the Quechua peoples: their livelihood is traditionally rooted in agriculture too. Each family works its own land independently; daily routines and workloads depend on the season and weather. Environmental learning plays an important role, with knowledge of the names and uses of plants passed on from early childhood. Even the names of the months refer to which plants can be harvested when. In so-called chakras, or forest gardens, a mixture of crops is grown for household use and export, including cacao, bananas and Guayusa. Growing Guayusa is particularly important to the Kichwa because it can be harvested all year round, unlike cacao beans, which have specific harvest seasons. Guayusa is therefore an important source of income that requires no pesticides or fertilisers.
2.3. Drinking Guayusa together: a daily Kichwa tradition
Guayusa is important not only as an export product, but also in the traditional morning gathering and in setting the rhythm of the day.
To this day, the Kichwa have kept the tradition of drinking Guayusa together and their close sense of community, even though not everyone necessarily lives under one roof any more.
Spending time together as a family every day matters greatly to the Kichwa. As a result, major traditions have become less of a formal occasion for sharing special moments. Their everyday lives are shaped by nature and family.
4. And what does this have to do with us?
This way of life is possible only as long as the Kichwa can continue to make a living independently and traditionally in their forest gardens, without these structures being undermined — particularly by the Global North, through corporate settlement and land grabs. Otherwise, mining and rainforest clearance take away the Kichwa's livelihood.
We all have a responsibility to help prevent this. We can take action simply by looking closely at where our products come from and how they are made. This matters a great deal to us when you buy Guayusa tea.