The Pachamama Alliance

Pacha Kamaq (Quechua, “Creator of the World”; also Pacha Camac, Pachacamac and Pacharurac) was the deity worshipped in the city of Pachacamac by the Ichma.

Pachamama is the wife of Pacha Kamaq and her children are Inti, the sun god, and Killa, the moon goddess. In Quechua cosmology, these are the four organizing principles of nature based on water, earth, sun, and moon.

Pachamama is a goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes. She is also known as the earth/time mother. In Inca mythology, Pachamama is a fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting. She causes earthquakes and is typically in the form of a dragon. She is also an ever present and independent deity who has her own self-sufficient and creative power to sustain life on this earth.

After the conquest by Spain, which forced conversion to Roman Catholicism, the figure of the Virgin Mary became united with that of the Pachamama for many of the indigenous people.

In pre-Hispanic literature, Pachamama is seen as a cruel goddess eager to collect her sacrifices. As Peru began to form into a nation, however, Pachamama began to be–and to this day is–perceived as being benevolent and giving. She is also seen as nature itself. Thus, many who hold traditional beliefs in South America believe that problems arise when people take too much from nature because they are taking too much from Pachamama.

The Pachamama Alliance: “Our mission is to empower indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest to preserve their lands and culture and, using insights gained from that work, to educate and inspire individuals everywhere to bring forth a thriving, just and sustainable world.”