Ecuador: Culture

Examining what constitutes Ecuadorian culture, I’ve come to the conclusion that if you were a short-term visitor, your viewpoint of this country’s culture would highly depend on whom you socially relate to or spend time with. The security guard who catcalls when I walk past the gate, the British-educated university professor, the rich housewife with a trail of help [maid, nanny, driver], these help themselves, or even the expatriate who hardly associates outside their gated community.


EstherWambui/Photos
A view of Quito from Basilica del Voto National

I’ve observed that Ecuador’s culture is as complex and as diverse as its natural environment, sometimes seeming to be locked in a push-pull struggle for dominance. From what I’ve seen of this small country, her cultures intermingle, sometimes to a smooth blend, while other times each culture appears to be striving to maintain its own identity and history, to hopefully map a path into the future. Quito particularly is a clear example of this; from the North’s modern high rises to the Old Town (Centro Histórico) colonial architecture, suit clad professionals walking beside traditionally-dressed indigenous women with baskets or babies strapped to their backs, each day presents these contrasts.

EstherWambui/Photos
An Otavaleña walks through the market.
Notice her style - hair, necklace, blouse and skirts of those in front of her.

With a population of more than 13.7 million (UN, 2010), Ecuador is a multiethnic and multicultural nation, its culture mirroring the demographics of the country itself, a rich amalgamation of various ethnic influences. Like much of South America, Ecuadorian culture blends the influences of Spanish colonialism with the resilient traditions of pre-Columbian peoples.

Ecuador’s largest ethnic groups are the Mestizos (those of mixed Spanish and Amerindian ancestry) and constitute just over 65 per cent of the current population. Amerindians are second in numbers and account for approximately a quarter of the population. Whites are mainly Creoles, unmixed descendants of Spanish colonists, and form 7 per cent of the Ecuadorian population. A small minority of Afro-Ecuadorians, about 3 per cent, constitute the remainder (Ecuador.org).


Esther Wambui/Photos
A Tsáchila guide takes us through
the traditions of the tribe.

Thus, it goes without saying that the national culture is also a mixture of both European and Amerindian influences, infused with various other elements inherited through the descendants of the country’s African slaves. In addition to the national culture, many of the existing indigenous communities also practice their own native cultures and nowhere is this more visible than in Catholicism, their main religion.

Due to Ecuador´s compact size but diverse nature, one can experience a number of these various, distinct cultures within a day. Travelling just a few hours on the road brings you to entirely new communities with their own customs. For example, two and a half hours drive gets me to Otavalo, the most fascinating handicraft market I’ve ever been to, where indigenous Otavaleños, by their distinctive dress and crafts, proudly showcase traditional Ecuadorian culture. Another three hours from Quito to the West of the Andes takes me to Santo Domingo, home to the Tsáchila, an ethnic tribe whose men dye their hair red (like the Maasai of East Africa). A few more hours’ drive from Santo Domingo gets you to Esmeraldas, the north-western part of Ecuador, where majority of the people are Afro-Ecuadorians.

As you can see, my work is cut out for me and for the next few weeks, maybe months, I’ll serve piecemeals of Ecuador; Its peoples, their dress, food, religion, customary beliefs, attitudes, goals, and values that make this wonderful country what it is today - a place I’m enjoying living in.