Pachamama

Pachamama (Quechua pronunciation: [ˈpatʃa ˈmama]) or Mama Pacha (pronounced [ˈmama ˈpatʃa]) is the Andean deity representing space-time, revered by the peoples of the Andes. In Inca mythology and religion, she is a "mother goddess" type deity, representing the universal energy that connects everything. She is considered an omnipresent deity with creative power, capable of sustaining life in the cosmos. Her shrines are hallowed rocks, or the boles of legendary trees, and her artists envision her as a woman bearing harvests of potatoes or coca leaves. The four cosmological Quechua principles – Water, Earth, Sun, and Moon – claim Pachamama as their prime origin. Priests sacrifice offerings of llamas, cuy (guinea pigs), and elaborate, miniature, burned garments to her. In various myths, she is described as the wife of Pachacámac and mother of Mama Quilla (the goddess of the moon) and Inti (the god of the sun). She is attributed with the role of mother of the world, from whom the material and spiritual sustenance of human beings comes.

After the Spanish colonization of the Americas, they converted the native populations of the region to Roman Catholicism. Through religious syncretism, the figure of the Virgin Mary was associated with that of Pachamama for many Indigenous peoples.

As Andean cultures formed modern nations, the figure of Pachamama was still believed to be benevolent, generous with her gifts, and a local name for Mother Nature. In the 21st century, many Indigenous peoples in South America base environmental concerns in these ancient beliefs, saying that problems arise when people take too much from nature because they are taking too much from Pachamama.