Fieldwork Archive
1. Pariapungo is a ceremonial site located near the intake point that channels water from highland reservoirs toward Casta. Said to be the home of an ancestor spirit, Pariapungo plays an important role in Champería.2 The term may be related to Pariacaca, an Andean mountain god associated with water whom many communities in Huarochirí regard as their primordial ancestor.
2. Champería is an eight-day water festival celebrated each October in the agrarian community of San Pedro de Casta. During Champería, Casteños sing walinas (water songs) as they clean the irrigation canals and reservoirs that water their fields, organize traditional games, share ceremonial coca and chicha (maize beer), and carry out the ritual labor that ensures the flow of water for another year.
