Research on the traditional costume used in the municipality of General Lagos, Arica
During the years 2022 and 2023, the rescue of the traditional costume was carried out in the commune of General Lagos, Arica, financed by a FONPAT, Chilean Cultural Heritage Fund, and the collaboration of the Municipality of the Commune of General Lagos.
This project was born from the need of the Association of Indigenous Artisans of the Commune of General Lagos to rescue their traditional costume, as it is at risk of being lost and forgotten. This project has allowed them to learn about their heritage and gain inspiration for future collections.
The Commune of General Lagos
belongs to the province of
Parinacota, Arica Region.
It is located in the extreme north of Chile
bordering Bolivia and Peru, which
makes it have a rich exchange
cultural.
This commune's main activity is camelid livestock farming. It's a multicultural area given its location, and also boasts a strong heritage from indigenous peoples such as the Aymara and Inca.
Regarding Aymara origins, they maintain a close relationship with nature, as evidenced in the community's many rituals. These rituals recognize its cycles, and offer prayers and thanks for future harvests and a good year for their livestock.
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The most important of these festivities is the K'illpa. Within this framework, the K'illpa ritual, or "floreo" (cattle branding), takes place between January and February at the beginning of the rainy season. It is also known as the "enfloramiento" (flowering) of the cattle, as the animals are branded on their ears and adorned with flowers made of colorful wool that distinguish each herd from those of other families. Songs are sung and ceremonies of both gratitude and requests for protection are held in the corrals of the family hamlets. This festival is the only occasion on which the inhabitants of the commune wear their traditional costumes.
Is there a traditional dress code in General Lagos? What garments comprise it? These were the questions that motivated the project and guided the search. Answering them required background knowledge that would allow us to identify certain common threads from the founding times of the Andes.
Understanding this historical data allows us to recognize the foundations of Andean clothing and integrate factors that have influenced the change in traditions related to textiles and their use, thereby understanding how we came to know the clothing we see today.
Thanks to the registration and documentation of the clothing donated by families in the commune, it was possible to reconstruct the traditional costumes of both men and women.
Reconstruction of the Typical Female Costume
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Reconstruction of the Typical Male Costume
During the 2023 K'illpa festival, the research was presented by Soledad Hoces and Celina Rodríguez, and was discussed and approved by the commune's residents. Several meetings were also held with the Artisans' Association and discussions with artisans from other communities, generating great enthusiasm for carrying out this project in their communities.
The investigation also concluded in a publication that can be downloaded here.
Jefa Proyecto: María Celina Rodríguez Olea
Encargada de Investigación: María Soledad Hoces de la Guardia Chellew
Participación Ciudadana: Silvia Mendoza Condori
Administración y Coordinación: María Isabel Cerda Vicuña
Coordinación y Edición: Claudia Farías Poblete
... other scopes.....
In 2024, an initiative between Conadi and Prochile provided training to artisans from Arica, with the participation of women from the Indigenous Association of the General Lagos Commune. The training sought to reach international markets through textiles with a local identity and quality.
As for local identity , they drew on the Foundation's record, reviving the shawl as a garment with which to innovate, achieving an excellent combination of heritage and modernity.