in the Peruvian Andes
Welcome to the Community of Q'eros webpage. This site was created by volunteers from Mana Studios in collaboration with members of the Q'eros community. It is a work in progress; Spanish and Quechua versions will be available soon.
The Community of Q’eros is located in the Vilcanota Range of the Andes Mountains, Municipality of Paucartambo, Department of Cusco, Peru. The five annexes total 1,000 inhabitants and survive off of subsistence agriculture practiced at 14,000 feet. Along with cultivating over forty varieties of potatoes, the Q’eros raise llama and alpaca. The indigenous Q’eros believe that they are the last existing population directly descended from the Incas, attributing their survival of the Spanish Conquest to protection provided by their sacred mountains, the Apus. At present, two roads are being built toward the isolated Q’eros community, bringing great potential but also threats of mining, tourism exploitation and loss of traditional knowledge.
The Community of Q’eros is located in the Vilcanota Range of the Andes Mountains, Municipality of Paucartambo, Department of Cusco, Peru. The five annexes total 1,000 inhabitants and survive off of subsistence agriculture practiced at 14,000 feet. Along with cultivating over forty varieties of potatoes, the Q’eros raise llama and alpaca. The indigenous Q’eros believe that they are the last existing population directly descended from the Incas, attributing their survival of the Spanish Conquest to protection provided by their sacred mountains, the Apus. At present, two roads are being built toward the isolated Q’eros community, bringing great potential but also threats of mining, tourism exploitation and loss of traditional knowledge.