Toworkasalinguisticanthropologist,itisimportanttodofieldwork.Normally,thismightmeantravelingtoaremotelocationtohearpeoplespeakandusealanguage.Inmycase,itmeansactual“field work”asIherdsheeporalpacas.Othertimes,Iplantorharvestcrops.Idon’tdothisworkalone.IworkalongsidethepeopleI study.

Forme,thisisaperfectwaytohearpeoplespeakandto learnhowtheyusetheirlanguage.Andofcourse,Ilistenfornewwordsandanysignthatwhatpeoplearespeakingisdifferentfromthelanguages Ialready know.

Whenherding,mynewneighborsandIwouldtaketheanimalstoremotehillsidepatcheswheretheycouldgrazealldaybeforecominghomeatnight.Ontheselongwalks,IlearnedalotaboutthepeopleIwaswithandevenmoreaboutthelandscapeswheretheyhavelivedtheirentire lives.

Allfamiliesheregrowtheirownfood.EverySeptember,theyplantthecropstheywillneedfortheyear:severaltypesofpotatoes,onions,carrots,barley,favabeans,corn,andquinoa,theseed‑likeAndeansuper‑grainthatishighinproteinandfiber.Inurturedmyunderstandingofthesepeoplewhilenurturingmygreen thumb.

Notalldayswerespentinthefields.WhenIstudyalanguage,Iliketointerviewpeople.Iaskthemtospeakforme.Itiscalled elicitation.

Withmyportablerecorderandmicrophone,Iaskpeopletosayspecificwordsorsentences.ThenIcanstudytheselatertounderstandtheoverallcharacteristicsofhowtheyare spoken.

Othertimes,Irecordfree‑formconversations.Duringthesesessions,peopletalkaboutwhatevertheywantto.Theytellmeabouttheirlives.TheytellmelocalAndeanfolktalesortalkaboutimportantnewseventsinthe region.

Somecommentonthechangestheyhavewitnessedintheregionandwiththeir language.

Mostofthepeoplewhospeakwithmeare50yearsoldorolder.Theyhavelivedtheirentirelivesinthesehillsidevillages.Theycontinuemanyofthesamefarmingandherdingtraditionsandpracticesastheirparentsand grandparents.

Manyspeaktheirlanguagesfluently,buttellmethattheyareworriedabouttheyoungergenerations.Youngerpeopledon’tspeakthelanguagesasmuchastheirgrandparentsorgreat‑grandparents.Manyyoungpeopleonlyspeak Spanish.

Thepeoplehereoftenlookforwaystocelebratelife.IaminvitedtotheannualreenactmentofthearrivalofMancoQhapaqandMamaOcllo.TheyarethemythicalcouplewhoaresaidtohavefoundedPuno,andeventually,theIncaEmpire.Irealizethelocalpeoplearecelebratingtheirheritageandtheir languages.

Duringmystudiesinthisregion,Ilistenedclosely.Ihadhopedtocometothisplaceandhearanewlanguage,onethatIdidnotknow.WhilethepeopleheredospeakQuechuaandAymaravarietiesthatareslightlydifferentacrossgenerationsandplaces,Ididnotdiscoverwhatcouldbecalledanew language.

Iconsidermytimeherewellspent,though.Ilearnedhowthesepeopleliveandhowtheyusetheirlanguage.Ilearnedabouttheirheritage.AndIlearnedhowmuchmorethereistodiscoveraboutthesepeopleandtheirwonderful words.