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From southern Colombia south to the north end of Chile and Argentina, and through Bolivia. Most of the tribes in Ecuador are of pre-Incaic stock, though; not descendants of Incas per se. The Incas, however, moved ethnic groups around, so you can see descendants of the core Inca group in parts of southern Ecuador. They contrast sharply in appearance with the local Native groups. There's a tribe near Lake Titicaca, some of whose members still speak their pre-Incaic language . Linguists in Peru and Bolivia had believed the language had died out hundreds of years ago, but they were wrong.
The Incas took over territories and peoples, incorporating them into their empire, in a similar way that the Mongols spread out, conquering diverse ethnic groups and lands. Not everyone who was part of the Mongol Empire was Mongol. There are quite a few people within the boundaries of the former Inca Empire's greatest extent, who don't by any means consider themselves Inca descendants.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 12-09-2017 at 02:48 PM..
So are Quechua people considered descendants of Incas?
It's a very interesting question: how we should define "Incas" or "Inca descendants". "Quechua" is a linguistic designation. If you ask people in Ecuador or the NW of Argentina what tribe or ethnic nationality they are, they'll respond with tribal names, they don't refer to themselves as Quechuas, even though they're Quechua-speaking. Who exactly were the Incas? Didn't the term "Inca" originally refer to their chief? Was it the Spanish who applied the term to all the people of the empire?
"Inca"originally did refer to the chief or leader only and it was the Spaniards who started applying it to the whole population of the empire.
The ethnic group that created the Inca empire is currently known as Quechua, and some from that group do refer to themselves as such.
I myself am Quechua (and some other indigenous groups such as Huanca, and white) and if asked about my ethnicity I do say I am Quechua (and Huanca, and white).
Most of the tribes in Ecuador are of pre-Incaic stock, though; not descendants of Incas per se ... in parts of southern Ecuador. ... still speak their pre-Incaic language. Linguists in Peru and Bolivia had believed the language had died out hundreds of years ago, but they were wrong.
I speak a few words of Cañari as well in the face of these linguists.
"Inca"originally did refer to the chief or leader only and it was the Spaniards who started applying it to the whole population of the empire. The ethnic group that created the Inca empire is currently known as Quechua, and some from that group do refer to themselves as such.
I myself am Quechua (and some other indigenous groups such as Huanca, and white) and if asked about my ethnicity I do say I am Quechua (and Huanca, and white).
Cool thanks for clearing that up.
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Quechua is a language and an indigenous group
