Chiefdoms in Tarata

Chiefdoms in Tarata: The Dual Role of the Indigenous Elite

The chiefdoms, also known as kurakasgos, have an origin purely pre-Hispanic. Its main function was to serve as intermediaries between the State (first the Inca, then the Spanish) and the indigenous community.

However, Their role became drastically more complicated during the Colonial period. Despite being of the same race, The chieftains were directly responsible for the tax collection in favor of the Spanish Crown. Besides, They organized the forced labor of the mita.

Therefore, In this colonial context, the figure of the cacique played a double and contradictory role: towards its community members and, on the other hand, towards the interests of the Spanish people.

The Influence of the Great Chiefdom of Pomata

According to historian Cúneo Vidal, the first chieftains found in the history of Tarata date back to the year 1568. In this sense, The Indians of the Tarata, Putina, and Sama communities were under the influence of the "great chiefs" of the larger lake chiefdom of Pomata. This connection was mainly due to the trade in coca and guano.

In fact, The documents from that time (1568) confirm that the Chambilla and Martin Diego They were joint chieftains of Pomata, Tarata, Putina and the Sama Valley. Finally, These leaders had direct representatives in the Tarata territory, such as Francisco Ninaja, Martín Pillco Ninaja and Miguel Gerónimo Ninaja Calisaya, all of them native Indians of Pomata.