"I'm trying to help the five indigenous groups I work with in the Andes to
develop a cultural center that will revive and promote Andean culture with
its wonderful agriculture -- the most intensive and productive experiments
in history were done in the Andes, and over half the food eaten in the
world today traces back to the Andes. Their music is very healthy and
alive and good for people. Their natural-dyed weavings and arts, the
wisdom of their elders, their language, these are all things we are trying
to preserve. I think that the world at large would benefit very much from
learning about them. The Incas social organization was a kind of
paternalistic welfare state that guaranteed food and housing and jobs and
didn't overwork people. There are some positive things we can learn from
that.
So I'm trying to help to promote this ancient culture to the world at
large as well as preserve and protect it for its own descendants in the
Andes. I think the Andes are a very important place in the world,
spiritually and physically. Many Tibetan lamas are coming there saying
that there is a shift in energy from the Himalayas to the Andes. We hope
that is true and that great lessons can be learned from that source.
http://www.scottlondon.com/insight/scripts/sahtouris.html
excerpted from:
From Mechanics to Organics:
An Interview with Elisabet Sahtouris