Children dressed as Las Chunchas

From another of the every-day parades during the 3 weeks leading up to Inti Raymi (the festival of the sun). I shot this video on 6/11/11. This day-long parade (not kidding, 9am-6pm) was one of children from all of the middle schools in Cusco. Each group (numbering between 20 and 40 students) had a unique dress and a unique dance. These costumes and dances are reflective of some of the most important themes of the Inca holiday of Inti Raymi. For example, members of this group of dancers are dressed like Chunchas. Chunchas are an ancient lineage of people who are said to have successfully resisted Inca control during the 15th century by retreating into the highlands at the present-day Bolivian border. The masks represent their anonymity while hiding in the highlands, their whips represent maltreatment towards them by the Incas, and the Llama they have draped around their shoulders represents their most important means of sustenance (clothing and food).