Uros Island
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Uros Indian
The Uros Indians of Peru and Bolivia are a very interesting people. They live high in the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes and on Lake Titicaca on floating islands. They were forced onto the lake as the Incan Indians pushed further and further into their territory.
The Uros Islands are made of reeds which grow naturally on the banks of Lake Titicaca. The reeds are matted down and added to as they disintegrate at the bottom. The islands float on the surface of the lake. The make their homes, their furniture and their boats out of the reeds. They also eat the tender bottoms of the reeds. The Uros Indians are known for their beautiful and intricate handwork, weaving, spinning, and embroidery.
Historial Review
The floating islands are the home of the Uros tribe, one which pre-dates the Incan civilization. According to their legends, they existed before the sun, when the earth was still dark and cold. They were impervious to drowining or being struck by lightning. They lost their status as super beings when they disobeyed universal order and mixed with humans, making them susceptible to contempt. They scattered, losing their identity, language, and customs. They became the Uro-Aymaras, and now speak Aymara. Because of their simple and precarious lifestyle, the Incas thought them worth little and accordingly taxed them very little. Yet the Uros, with their basic reed homes outlasted the mighty Incas with their huge stone temples and mountain-top enclaves.
They also have to travel a distance to find fresh water. Legend says that the full-blooded Uros Indians had black blood that protected them from the frigid temperatures on the water and also from drowning. The Uros were pushed back onto the lake when the Incas took over the region.
The last full-blooded Uro was a woman who died in 1959. The Uros who moved back to the islands are actually a mix of Uros, Ayamaras and Incas, though they follow the ways of the Uros. After the Incas and Spaniards quit exerting their influence, the Uros once again became proud fishermen who survive by living off the tortora reeds as well as hunting, fishing, and selling their beautiful handicrafts. To visitors to Lake Titicaca, a boat trip to the floating islands, a unique tourist destination, is a must.
The flaoting islands
There are more than 40 floating islands, the largest being Huacavacani, Toranipata, and Santa Maria. During the rainy season, from November to February, the islands often float on the surface of the lake. The reeds used to make their island, homes, boats, etc. are called tortora reeds. Life on the islands is hard. Many have moved to the mainland leaving only a few hundred on the islands. The islands rot from the bottom very quickly so that new reeds must constantly be added to the top. The surface is spongy and sometimes difficult to walk on.
Characteristics of Uros Island
- These islands are made and re-made from the totora reeds which provide home, sustenance and transportation for their residents. About a two hour boat ride from Puno, on the Peruvian side of the lake, the largest of about 40 islands and the main destination is the ialand of Santa María. See map showing location of Uros islands and Taquile island off Puno, Peru.
- The totora is a cattail type rush growing native in the lake. Its dense roots support the top layer, which rots and must be replaced regularly by stacking more reeds on top of the layer beneath. The islands change in size, and more are created as the need arises. The largest island is currently Tribuna. The surface of the islands is uneven, thin, and some liken walking on it to walking on a waterbed. The unwary might not notice a thin spot and sink a leg or more into the frigid waters of the lake.
- The floating islands are protected within the Bay of Puno and are home to 2000 or so Uros, who claim to have "black blood" are consequently immune to the cold. They call themselves be kot-suña, or people of the lake, and consider themselves the owners of the lake and its waters. They continue living by fishing, weaving and now, tourism. They catch fish for themselves and to sell on the mainland. They also catch shore birds and ducks for eggs and food. Occasionaly, if the level of the lake decreases, they may plant potatoes in soil created by the decaying reeds, but as a norm, they are not agricultural. The reed boats quite often have an animal face or shape on the prow and are a favorite photographic subject.
- The Uros residents of the islands create their homes from the reeds. The roofs are waterproof but not humidity resistant. Cooking fires are built on a layer of stones to protect the reeds. Residents wear layers of clothing, mostly woolen, to protect themselves from the cold, the wind, and the sun which at this altitude can burn fiercely. Many women still wear the distinctive derby type hat and full skirts.
The Titicaca Lake
The islands are part of the Titicaca National Reserve, created in 1978 to preserve 37 thousand hectares of marsh reeds in the south and north sectors of Lake Titicaca. The reserve is divided into two sections, Ramis, in the provinces of Huancané and Ramis; and Puno, in the province of the same name. The reserve protects over 60 species of native birds, four families of fish and 18 native amphibians species. There are three islands in the lake, Huaca Huacani, Toranipata and Santa María.
To visitors to Lake Titicaca at an altitude of 12,500 feet, a boat trip to the floating islands, a unique tourist destination, is a must. There are about forty islands made and re-made from the totora reeds which provide home, sustenance and transportation for their residents. Tours are easily available from Puno, Peru, about a two hour boat ride away.
Peru and Bolivia share the lake, which is 3,500 square miles, and about 850 feet deep in the center. The Uros islands lie among stands of reeds in shallow water at the western end, close to the Peruvian port of Puno.
These floating islands are the home of the Uros tribe, one which pre-dates the Incan civilization. According to their legends, they existed before the sun, when the earth was still dark and cold. Because of their simple and precarious lifestyle, the Incas thought them worth little and accordingly taxed them very little.
References
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