In the far northern reaches of Chile, there is a land surrounded by borders. Peru on one side. Bolivia on the other. It is a land where soldiers forced assimilation with the barrel of a gun. Embrace your Chilean identity, or die. Those soldiers came in waves, always in the wake of the sound of boots marching, guns firing, tanks rolling.
But the people here were more than Chilean. Their blood ran from rivers of the Andes mountains. Or from their homelands far across the ocean in Central Africa. They were Aymara and Quechua. Black, Peruvian, and Bolivian. They sang their own songs. And danced their own dances. First quietly, and then louder and louder.
They borrowed dances from the homeland of their people in Bolivia. They built folk groups to practice and perform. And they grew.
Today, the Arica carnival is known as the fuerza del sol — the strength of the sun. It’s the largest carnival in Chile. 16,000 performers dance in 80 different groups.
For three days, the drums ring. The instruments play. The dancers move through the streets in synchronized succession.
This carnival is an act of resistance. A celebration of multicultural identity. Of Indigenous roots. Of remembering and celebrating who they are.
“This carnival is a mixture of cultures where we all embrace with one objective. To maintain our culture viva — alive,” says Fredy Amaneces. He wears an elaborate purple outfit with a colorful headdress.
The carnival begins with a ceremony for Pachamama, Mother Earth. An Indigenous shaman on a working-class street corner lights a flame and says a prayer.
Each joyful step is an offering to their connection with the land, and their past.
“We dance with our hearts,” says Judith Mamani, in a yellow Cholita dress. “We sing with everything we have, because these are our roots.”
Each jump, each twist and turn, each movement, re-lives a story of the past. Each shout and song a revival of their ancestry. Each move a defiant promise that their culture and identity will only continue and grow.
Regardless of what may come.
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This story is based on reporting Michael did for PRX The World 3 .
Written and produced by Michael Fox 4 .
This content originally appeared on The Real News Network 5 and was authored by Michael Fox.