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EveryoneinPunohelpsraisesheepand alpaca.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194758/alpaca.480_0_1.jpg)
alpaca
Fieldwork
Asalinguisticanthropologist,Ihavetodo fieldwork. Thatmightmeantravelingtoafar‑offlocationtohearpeoplespeak.InPuno,Idoactual“field” work.Iherdsheepandalpacas.Iplantandharvestcrops.IworkalongsidethepeopleIamstudying.Forme,thisisperfect.IcanlistenforasignthatwhatpeoplearesayingisdifferentfromthelanguagesIalready know.
Whenherding,mynewneighborsandItaketheanimalstoahillsidetograze.Onthesewalks,IlearnaboutthepeopleIamwith.Ialsolearnaboutthelandwheretheyhavelivedalltheirlives.Ihelpfamiliespreparefieldstoplantthecropstheywillneedallyear.Andmyunderstandingofthesepeople grows.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194759/herd.960_0_1.jpg)
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194761/rope_redblue.960_0_1.png)
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194760/rope_purple.960_0_1.png)
AwomanherdsherflockofsheepnearLake Titicaca.
CollectingTalk
Partofmystudiesincludesinterviewingpeople.Iaskthemtospeaktome.Thisiscalled elicitation.
Iaskpeopletosayspecificwordsorsentencesintomyrecorder.Later,Istudythesetounderstandhowtheyare spoken.
Othertimes,Idofree‑forminterviews.Peopletalkaboutwhatevertheylike.Theytellmeabouttheirlives.Theytellmelocalfolktalesortalkaboutthenews.Sometalkaboutthechangesintheregionandintheir languages.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194762/women.480_0_1.jpg)
womeninPuno, Peru
Mostofthepeoplewhospeakwithmeare50yearsoldorolder.Manyspeaktheirlanguageswell.Butmanyyoungerpeopledonot.Theyonlyspeak Spanish.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194752/rope_red.960_0_1.png)
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194752/rope_red.960_0_1.png)
Aymara:
Wali luphiwa
(wa-li lu-pee-wa)
English:
Itisreally sunny.
CelebratingLife
Thepeopleherelookforwaystocelebratelife.IaminvitedtoanannualplayaboutamanandawomanwhoaresaidtohavefoundedPuno.Thisisanotherchancetolistentotheindigenous languages.
IhadhopedtohearanewlanguageinPuno.OnethatIdidnotknow.WhilethepeopleheredospeakamixtureofQuechuaandAymara,Idon’thearanewlanguage.Still,Iconsidermytimeherewellspent.Ilearnedthereismuchmoretodiscoveraboutthesepeopleandtheirwonderful words.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194763/actors.480_0_1.jpg)
Actorspretendtobethemanandwomanwhofounded Puno.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194752/rope_red.960_0_1.png)
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_january_february_2019/fieldwork_collecting_talk_and_celebrating_life/194752/rope_red.960_0_1.png)
Quechua:
Tupananchiskama
(tu-pa-naan-chis-ka-ma)
English:
Seeyou later!
GULF OF MEXICO
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
NORTH AMERICA
GUATEMALA
Santiaguito Complex
CARIBBEAN SEA
PACIFIC
OCEAN
SOUTH
AMERICA