The catholic church is no longer very powerful nor do the majority of people worship regularly although almost all are nominally Roman Catholic. There is a increase in "evangelical" churches, but it is not a factor in government or civilization.
I don't think the Spanish May have done as much to improve the potential for the indigenous as perhaps other European colonial countries. Language and religion and European way of life were enforced without much education or government structure to go with it. Just domination. And when the Spanish left, not much remained to build on.
As a result it is only in the 1900's that anyone thought to do archeological digs around Lima and they have uncovered hosts of pre-Inca civilizations. In face the Inca were very short term, if unifying. But since they we here when there Spanish came, the got in all the history books. There is much still to learn about the "other" America!
But in a small part of one school I was able to encourage a teacher and share the fact that volunteers from the US do care. For this year, that will be enough.
And of course I will not look at the US as the only or primary "America" anymore. Or read about drug cartels and corruption as "their" problem. The roots and causes of what we see on the surface are twisted, but deserve consideration.
Of course 1000 thanks to Bob, the spousal unit, for understanding and supporting and picking me up at the airport - the best hugs ever are in Terminal 5!
I don't think the Spanish May have done as much to improve the potential for the indigenous as perhaps other European colonial countries. Language and religion and European way of life were enforced without much education or government structure to go with it. Just domination. And when the Spanish left, not much remained to build on.
As a result it is only in the 1900's that anyone thought to do archeological digs around Lima and they have uncovered hosts of pre-Inca civilizations. In face the Inca were very short term, if unifying. But since they we here when there Spanish came, the got in all the history books. There is much still to learn about the "other" America!
But in a small part of one school I was able to encourage a teacher and share the fact that volunteers from the US do care. For this year, that will be enough.
And of course I will not look at the US as the only or primary "America" anymore. Or read about drug cartels and corruption as "their" problem. The roots and causes of what we see on the surface are twisted, but deserve consideration.
Of course 1000 thanks to Bob, the spousal unit, for understanding and supporting and picking me up at the airport - the best hugs ever are in Terminal 5!
