The Chipaya tribe in the Bolivian department of Oruro, which now numbers just under a thousand people, inhabits a particularly inhospitable region of the Andean high plateau on the Río Lauca, which flows into a salt lake. The Chipayas are the only highland indigenous people who obtain part of their food through hunting, as agriculture and livestock farming alone are unable to meet their needs due to the highly saline soil. At dawn, groups of hunters lie in wait on the lake shore for flamingos, ducks and Andean geese, which they catch using bolas – throwing balls attached to long straps. The word ‘Chipaya’ comes from the Aymara language and means ‘a mat of reed or straw woven with reed cords’. To protect themselves from the strong winds of the Altiplano, the Chipayas have, in fact, had to tie down the thatched layers of their roofs with cords since time immemorial. The belief that the Chipayas are the direct descendants of pre-Inca populations is supported by mummy finds in burial towers from that period, which, amongst other similarities, display the same hairstyles that the women spend hours and hours creating. - Book: Picture 155 - Bolivia - 1976

Children of the Chipaya culture in the barren Altiplano of Bolivia. The Chipaya are considered one of the oldest indigenous communities in the Andes. They live in a very salty and isolated region near the Lauca River and Lake Coipasa in the department of Oruro. The boys are wearing the typical, coarsely woven, sleeveless garment of the Chipaya people, known as an ‘ira’ or ‘tipoy’. The girls in the background usually wear the traditional, very fine braids (trenzados), which have a distinctly African appearance. The houses in the background are the famous round or rectangular huts (putucus), built from peat and grass sods (tepes) and thatched with straw. This construction method provides perfect protection against the region’s extremely icy winds. – Chipaya – Bolivia – 1976

The Chipaya tribe in the Bolivian department of Oruro, which now numbers just under a thousand people, inhabits a particularly inhospitable region of the Andean high plateau on the Río Lauca, which flows into a salt lake. The Chipayas are the only highland indigenous people who obtain part of their food through hunting, as agriculture and livestock farming alone are unable to meet their needs due to the highly saline soil. At dawn, groups of hunters lie in wait on the lake shore for flamingos, ducks and Andean geese, which they catch using bolas – throwing balls attached to long straps. The word ‘Chipaya’ comes from the Aymara language and means ‘a mat of reed or straw woven with reed cords’. To protect themselves from the strong winds of the Altiplano, the Chipayas have, in fact, had to tie down the thatched layers of their roofs with cords since time immemorial. The belief that the Chipayas are the direct descendants of pre-Inca populations is supported by mummy finds in burial towers from that period, which, amongst other similarities, display the same hairstyles that the women spend hours and hours creating. - Book: Picture 156 - Bolivia - 1976

The striking redness of this child’s cheeks is typical of the inhabitants of the Altiplano. It is caused by a combination of thin high-altitude air, intense UV radiation and an icy wind. The child is wearing a typical, thickly woven woollen tunic or poncho, which provides protection against the extreme temperatures and the cold at high altitudes. The dark felt hat (often known as a bombín or bowler hat) is a key cultural symbol of the indigenous people of the Bolivian Andes. – Escara in the Department of Oruro – Bolivia – 1976

The Chipaya tribe in the Bolivian department of Oruro, which now numbers just under a thousand people, inhabits a particularly inhospitable region of the Andean high plateau on the Río Lauca, which flows into a salt lake. The Chipayas are the only highland indigenous people who obtain part of their food through hunting, as agriculture and livestock farming alone are unable to meet their needs due to the highly saline soil. At dawn, groups of hunters lie in wait on the lake shore for flamingos, ducks and Andean geese, which they catch using bolas – throwing balls attached to long straps. The word ‘Chipaya’ comes from the Aymara language and means ‘a mat of reed or straw woven with reed cords’. To protect themselves from the strong winds of the Altiplano, the Chipaya people have, since time immemorial, had to tie down the straw thatch on their roofs with cords. The belief that the Chipaya are the direct descendants of pre-Inca populations is supported by mummy finds in burial towers from that period, which, amongst other similarities, display the same hairstyles that the women spend hours and hours creating. The picture shows a typical pre-colonial loom. - Book: Picture 154 - Bolivia - 1976

An indigenous woman from Chipaya in the Bolivian highlands. Typical of the traditional costume are multi-layered ponchos or capes made of heavy, warm fabric to protect against the harsh climate of the high mountains. The intricate braided hairstyle, featuring woven hair ornaments and pins, reflects the cultural identity and centuries-old traditions of the Andean people. – Chipaya – Bolivia – 1976

This man belongs to the Chipaya culture, which is one of the oldest surviving cultures on the American double continent. His traditional identity is clearly reflected in his clothing: the hat is an absolutely distinctive feature of the Chipaya people. It is traditionally handmade from pressed sheep’s or alpaca wool. It has a characteristic brim and often features a dark band. Underneath the hat, he wears the typical, colourfully patterned Andean cap with ear flaps, which protects against the extreme, icy winds of the Altiplano. – Chipaya – Bolivia – 1976

The picture shows people in the ‘Salar de Coipasa´ in Bolivia, which, at over 10,000 square kilometres, is the largest salt flat on Earth. In the foreground is a small makeshift hut – or rather an igloo – made of salt bricks, in front of which people are standing. In the background, the Andean volcanoes (such as the well-known Tunupa volcano) can be seen, surrounding the flat, white salt pan. – Bolivia – 1976

Workers engaged in traditional salt extraction on the bright salt crust of the Salar de Coipasa. They break off and stack blocks of salt from the crust using simple tools such as poles and shovels. Historically, these blocks were used as a durable building material for the famous salt hotels and other accommodation, as well as salt licks for livestock (llamas and alpacas). The people are wearing warm, protective clothing and hats, as the climate at these high altitudes is windy and cool. – Bolivia – 1976

The two large salt pans of the Bolivian Altiplano, the Salares of Coipasa (picture) and Uyuni, are the remnants of a vast Ice Age freshwater lake, Lago Minchin. Due to low rainfall, the absence of tributaries and the extreme dryness of the air, the former freshwater lakes have evaporated into shallow lagoons and salt pans, their shores lined with deposits of common salt. Cut into blocks, the snow-white salt – considered to be of exceptional purity – is transported by lorry to the areas where it is consumed. - Book: Picture 158 - Bolivia - 1976

Traditional salt mining in the Salar de Coipasa in the Bolivian Andean highlands. Workers use simple tools such as axes or poles to chisel solid blocks of salt from the crust. The scene is set against the glistening white salt crust, with a mountainous backdrop in the Altiplano at an altitude of around 3,600 to 3,800 metres. – Bolivia – 1976

A small village, presumably on the edge of the Salar de Coipaso. – Bolivia – 1976

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