Location: The Saraguro live in the Andean highlands of southern Ecuador.
History: Traditionally, the Saraguro were self-sufficient agro-pastoralists. Most Saraguros were able to provide much of their food needs such as maize, potatoes, beans, squash, oca and melloco. Their clothing was primarily made from wool sheared from their own herds of sheep. In addition to cattle and sheep, Saraguros raised guinea pigs, chickens and guard dogs; many also raised a few pigs and horses or mules. A few Saraguros supplemented their agro-pastoral incomes by selling or bartering textiles, baskets, mats and pottery by offering their services as curers, and by employment as unskilled or semi-skilled laborers. Few Saraguros had an education and access to medicine was limited.
Language: Quichua, Spanish
Daily Life: Today, Saraguros are carpenters and shoe makers, nuns, doctors, dentists, nurses, veterinarians, lawyers, musicians, elected officials in government, shop owners, gold-camp laborers, construction laborers, maids, mechanics, welders and teachers. Some Saraguros have continued their agro-pastoral activities, but access to a wider range of occupations, political power, medical care and education and to travel have changed the Saraguro way of life.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Saraguro.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
If you are Saraguro, your feedback is much appreciated.