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__**Language **__ The Quechua people are essentially groups of people scattered throughout South America who all speak the same language, Quechua, also known as the language of the Incas. However, due to their geographical diversity, there are many dialects present and communication between two regions who both speak Quechua may be impossible. Quechua is spoken by over 5,000,000 people in areas of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. For native speakers, it is also called "Runa Simji", translated as "The Language of the People". Because so many people speack it, it was deemed an official language of Peru alongside Spanish.
 * __The Quechua __**

__**Beliefs **__ One belief these people have is the theory of humanity and how it began. According to legend, Inka married Pachamama, also known as Mother Earth, to produced offspring. These human offspring became the first humans to inhabit Incan land. Also, they believed outcrops of rock were built by her, and serve as a place of union between nature and humans. Along with this legend, this religion is a mixture of pre-Columbian and Roman Catholic Beliefs. This includes the belief that supernatural forces govern event around us. This can include rainfall, sunlight, disease, and many other events. This is why they make offerings to the forces they feel that govern these events so they will be helped in times of need.

__**Values **__ In this society, children in my opinion seem to be valued. Because they earn their living as farmers, children are expected to help out and earn a living. This is especially vital as the parents age and are no longer able to work as well or hard. Males are usually valued more because they have a tendency to earn more in the future and benefit their family more. This is due to the fact that women are less likely to grow up and get an education or be in a position of power.

__**Behaviors **__ The majority of this culture now reside in the Andean Highlands where they participate in subsistance farming, only making enough food for you and your family, or nomadic herding. This is very similar to their Incan ansestors, for the Quechua are direct descendants. Behavior involving marriage is a long proccess and there is many steps. Similar to western culture, there is a public proccession. However, before that both involved parties meet and discuss what they will provide the couple with and then the couple exchanges rosaries, not rings.

__**The Impact of Cultural Change **__ There are many things that cause cultural change, these include technology, travel, and commercialization. With the development of new diseases and pregnancy complications, it is almost nessecary for all women to seek help from a medical professional at one point or another. However, this remains a problem in Peru where women are continuously unable to have access to their needs due to lack of proper documentation (identity documents like birth certificates), knowledge about their health, transportation (cost and distance), incorrect cultural birthing methods, discrimination, and laguage barriers (few health professionals speack Quechua and vice versa). Therefore, Quechua women are being denied access to the same healthcare other women within the country recieve. Because of this, it is common for women to die while carrying a fetus to term, while brithing, or afterwards because of complications. According to a report posted by Amnesty International, Peru has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality at over 185 women for every 100,00 births ( the UN proposes its even higher at 240 women). Their culture is having trouble changing to benefit the women who need medical aid while pregnant.

Bierhorst, John. Black Rainbow: Legends of the Incas and Myths of Ancient Peru. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976. Print. -This print was very useful in the overall explanatuion of the Quechua people and their basic facts. Additionally, I found majority of my information about their languages in this book.
 * __Sources __**

Dean, Carolyn. "The Inka married the earth: integrated outcrops and the making of place." The Art Bulletin 89.3 (2007): 502+. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. -This academic journal was helpful because it described the connection between the Quecha peoples and their enviroment. It also explained their cultures belief of how human beings came to life through Mother Earth.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Quechua - Introduction, Location, Language, Folklore, Religion, Major Holidays, Rites of Passage, Relationships, Living Conditions." Countries and Their Cultures. 4 Feb. 2007. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. []. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- This was the website with the most information. It was easy to read and was divided into subtitles. Additionally, it included all the websites and books they got their information from so it's fairly reliable. From this source I got their values, behaviors, and their religious beliefs.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">From Promises to Delivery- Putting Human Rights at the Heart of the Millennium Development Goals. Publication. London: Amnesty Internationalational, 2010. Print. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">-This report was a big help because it's a primary source written by Amnesty International. Additionally, not only is i reliable, but it helped me understand the troubles involving the Quechua and how modern technology, travel, and commercialization affects their culture.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Hundreds of Peru’s Poor, Rural and Indigenous Pregnant Women Die in Health Service Lottery. Rep. London: Amnesty International, 2009. Print. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">-This report, also posted by Amnesty international, was another good primary source. It not only went into more depth about maternal mortality rates, but also provided statistics to elaborate on the crisis.