47: Choosing Community in a Globalized World
The Andes
A Climate Pollinator story by Sierra Ross Richer
This story is the second in a three-part series exploring a vision for the Anabaptist Church from Julian Guamán, an indigenous Mennonite author from the Ecuadorian Andes.
Julian Guamán is an indigenous Kichwa from the mountains of Ecuador. But his lifestyle might not be what you expect.
Julian lives in Quito, Ecuador’s capital city. His wife, Elsa, is an official for the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Julian is working on a PhD in Latin American studies.
Globalization has brought many changes to the lives of Kichwa people over the past few decades. But adapting to modernization doesn’t mean they have to give up their language, culture and worldviews, Julian said.
The Kichwa people can provide an example for other groups, including Mennonites, wanting to live differently in a globalized world.
Most of the members of Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Ecuador (ICME), an indigenous Kichwa conference, live in the metropolitan centers of Quito and Riobamba. Kichwas live in cities throughout Ecuador, and others have even moved abroad, to the United States, Spain and other parts of Europe, where many have become known for their success in business.
What sets Kichwas apart is that wherever they are, they form their own communities, often centered around a church. There, they speak and worship in the Kichwa language, foster community ties and practice interdependence.
“Whether we are indigenous scholars, or businessmen, or scientists now living in cities,” Julian said, “we have only transferred the community-oriented practices from the rural setting to the city…. We have learned that this vision of maintaining harmony and interdependence can still be lived out even in a cement jungle.”
Like many Christians, Julian said, Kichwas make tithes and offerings to the church. But it doesn’t stop there. Through the tradition of ayni (reciprocity), Kichwas work together on communal projects and make sure everyone’s needs are met.
“Today, I might have a need,” Julian said, “so I ask you for help knowing that tomorrow you will need something from me. That is reciprocity.”
Reconciliation and living in community are two values that Mennonites share with Kichwas, Julian said. Kichwa communities offer an example of what it can look like to live out these values while at the same time embracing modernization.
Most indigenous communities in Ecuador, Julian said, have had access to western schooling for at least a couple of decades, and many indigenous people are savvy with technology. Their lifestyles are different from those of their ancestors.
“The folkloric indigenous person,” Julian said, “who doesn’t change, who isn’t influenced by other cultures, who doesn’t have access to a cell phone, that is a person from history. The indigenous of today, we have been influenced by the world, and we have the power to influence others.”