The great Uru-Chipaya civilization once spread across much of South America, but when their neighbors turned on them and began attacking, their numbers and influence dropped dramatically. After decades of fighting there were only a few thousand of them left. Under relentless attack they knew that unless they made a drastic move, they would be lost forever. Choosing the harshest land they could find, the saltplains of the Bolivian Andes, they retreated to its heart.
At 12,000 feet the air is thin, the land almost entirely infertile, and each year snowmelt from the Andes floods their land, sometimes for months at a time. But it is these harsh conditions that allowed them to survive and it is in these conditions that their unique culture and language now thrive.
At 12,000 feet the air is thin, the land almost entirely infertile, and each year snowmelt from the Andes floods their land, sometimes for months at a time. But it is these harsh conditions that allowed them to survive and it is in these conditions that their unique culture and language now thrive.
See photos introducing the Chipayan people and their ancient, living culture.
Our partner organization Healing the Children has worked in Chipaya since 2000.
Open Hand, through the non-profit Healing the Children, has been visiting Chipaya since 2000. On a trip in 2002 local leaders in the village asked if we could help them fix their water problem. With no purification system included in their water supply system we found that each year 80% of the villages became ill from water borne diseases. OHS and HTC have developed a purification system and are currently fundraising for the project. You can read the full story here, or follow the links on the right to learn more.
