IN STEREO

The title [of World Heritage] has been for the mountain more than anything. There is even a myth that they could have made a silver bridge from here to Spain, right? So it has been named heritage for all that. It is said that [the Inca] already knew about the silver in the mountain, but they didn’t exploit it because it was said that the mountain is not for them – they were not allowed to poke around in it. The Spaniards knew about it later, [but the Inca] already knew before. They knew of its existence, but the mountain was not allowed to be exploited. What caught the attention of the Inca was the metal that those from Porco brought.

When the Inca arrived, each community went to receive them with offerings. Those who received them with a shiny metal were from Porco. [So] the Inca asked, “Where is that from?” That is, they become curious, and they sent their people to find out: “Where have they taken it from?” And they went to the mountain, and the mountain did not allow itself to be harrowed: “This is not for you, it is for another generation,” it said, it responded. In that way, they didn’t touch it, because they respected the wakas [nature spirits]. In that way, they went, and they didn’t search or anything. Later, the Spaniards came. – Shirley