Aymara woman and Wiphala flag Bolivia

by James Brunker

Title

Aymara woman and Wiphala flag Bolivia

Artist

James Brunker

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Photograph - Photograph

Description

Aymara people carry a checkered flag called a Wiphala during Aymara New Year celebrations which take place on the June 21st winter solstice. The date has long been an important one for the indigenous people of the Andes; it is the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere and also marked the end of one agricultural cycle and the start of preparations for a new planting season.

The Wiphala flag was designed in 1979 by Germán Choque Condori (an Aymara leader and historian) to represent the indigenous people of the Andes and has since been adopted by various indigenous social and political movements, some use it more than others. The design was based on similar iconography that features in some ancient textiles and ceramics; there is a lot of disagreement among historians as to its actual historical use, and the ancient use (or not) of flags by the Incas and earlier pre-Columbian peoples in general. In Bolivia it was designated as a second national flag in 2009 in the new national constitution, though not all Bolivians (especially those in the lowlands, both indigenous and mestizo / non-indigenous) recognise it as such (in part due to it's increasing use by the ruling MAS Party for political purposes).

Photograph © James Brunker. Reproduction, transmission or use in any form without prior written permission strictly prohibited.

Uploaded

June 22nd, 2022

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