The Hold Life Has: Coca and Cultural Identity in an Andean Community

by Catherine J. Allen

This second edition of Catherine J. Allen's distinctive ethnography of the Quechua-speaking people of the Andes brings their story into the present. She has added an extensive afterword based on her visits to Sonqo in 1995 and 2000 and has updated and revised parts of the original text. The book focuses on the very real problem of cultural continuity in a changing world, and Allen finds that the hold life has in 2002 is not the same as it was in 1985.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Ethnography, Drugs

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hold Life Has is an absolute classic of ethnography. Allen traveled to the remote Andean village of Sonqo (possibly now rendered as Soncco), north east of Cuzco, and lived there for quite a while in 1975. The updated Second Edition describes changes that Allen observed returning in the 1990s and 2000s.

The altiplano around Sonqo is a harsh environment, and Allen works through the cosmology and rituals that sustain life in this place. There is a hierarchy of spirits, embodied by features on the landscape from great peaks to local hills and gullies, and the spirits must be appeased with offerings of coca. Life is based on reciprocity, flows of energy, and interdependent binaries. There are great stories here, about ritual, conflict, and the importance of the living ayullu community.

And there's also tragedy in the poverty and the suffering. About the only thing that grows well on the altiplano are potatoes, and potato farming and herding doesn't bring in much cash. The people of Sonqo survived the conquest of the Inca, centuries of colonial domination by haciendas, and various land reform policies, but they couldn't maintain their way of life in the face of consumer goods and development aid. Fertilizer and homes more lavish than one room huts destroyed the traditional farming practices of the people. Children fled to bigger cities, to live as misti (mestizos) rather than runa (Indians). The war on drugs made coca leaves scarce, and the social forms of chewing the ritual offerings of k'intu hard to maintain.

I've spent some time in Peru, most of it on the tourist trails and in a small city in the south. The Peru I know is a lot like anywhere else, with the most notable difference being that the plumbing isn't up to first world standards. But there's this vision that one day, the Inca will return, and those who they recognize as living like they did will be saved, and the rest of the mistis destroyed. I think few Peruvians would survive this apocalypse. But the word 'Sonqo' translates as heart, and the altiplano will always be the heart of Peru. This classic ethnography is a great glimpse of that heart.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

the chapter, web of reciprocity, has really interesting perspective into gender roles within the culture and how even though they are distinctly categorized, there’s no ill will or condescension. there’s complimentary division of labor but still unusual social customs, at least from my perspective.

ex: women dominate the home but are treated subservient in public spaces. when it rains, the men are allowed within the home. once there’s no room left, the women stand outside and wait.

the women are expected to emulate mother earth, in both power and forgiveness. while men are allowed a show of power in civil offices. interesting that the president of peru is female when political women are considered a social taboo.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

In depth look of the lives of the Runa kuna living in Sonqo Peru. Especially the ritual use of coca leaves and the manner in which these Andeans view life, its purpose, and how they related in the world.

I found this book interesting, though very dense on material. The most interesting parts for me were the various ways in which the Sonqo explain natural phenomenon as well as the impact drug trafficking and the anti-drug movement has negatively affected the ritual use of coca leaves.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully crafted, poignet ethnography. Not only is it packed with information on each page--Allen weaves the information with her personal experiences and observations in a true pursuit of Malinowski's call for anthropologists to seek "the hold life has" on the people they learn from.

[Morag · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review. I don't think I have ever read a nonfiction book that was this dense and scholarly. The subject matter was completely fascinating, though the writing style left much to be desired. There were occasional beautiful sentences, but on the whole the language was quite straightforward and unimaginative. Of course, to a certain degree, that is to be expected from a book like this, but I still think Allen could have done better. That being said, I got a lot of intellectual stimulation from reading this book! Her research and details were impressive and thoroughly thought provoking.

[Mae Heeringa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5. This book talks about capital C culture, without going that deep into the emotion and personal life of the people Allen is interacting with. The end of the book was good, but for almost the entire time I was reading this, I felt just so bored. I think that I'm learning I enjoy ethnographies most when it is written as a personal story between the ethnographer, and the individuals of a "culture" or "society". (Also I did sympathize with the people of the Andes while reading this, its just that Allens writing made it kinda hard to)

[Graham Cifelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best ethnographies Ive read, very personal, holistic and emotional, would definitely recommend

[rubsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda boring but looking at the big picture it is good

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel badly giving this book only two stars, but I rate books by how much I enjoy them, not by how well the author did his or her job. While I certainly appreciate and am impressed by the work and the thought that Catherine Allen put into her study, I'm afraid that it just didn't interest me that much. It wasn't a long book (only 236 pages) but it was too long for my tastes. The detailed descriptions of various rituals grew a bit tiresome. I don't fault Allen for including this stuff; it's what an ethnographer is probably supposed to do.

Anyway, I guess I'm glad I read it. While I didn't care about the minute details regarding how the people of Sonqo position coca leaves between their fingers, there was quite a bit of interesting material. I would have enjoyed this more if it was a memoir of the author's time in this rural village in the Andes of Peru. But again, I can't fault her for writing the book she wanted to write instead of the book that I wanted to read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love ethnographies and this is by far the best one I have ever read. I found Allen's narrative captivating and she really inspired me to think further about the connection between cultural identity and language.

[Tyson Titensor]

A very thorough and detailed ethnography. A bit more detailed than I wanted...I ended up doing a fair amount of skimming. Perhaps I will return to this book later if I decide I need a more thorough understanding of the subject matter.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting look at the Andean cummunity and the way they use Coca

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well put together ethnography focusing on the importance of Coca in an Andean village.

[Tiffany]

Good Andean ethnography.

[Benjamin Plume · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[Jenelle Kellin]

Ugh, Homework

[Chela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable to read; complex and well written.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would read again