Cultural diversity throughout the history of Ecuador
Throughout history, Ecuador has been the evolution and creation of great cultural and natural wealth with own characteristics that are identified through humanity representing a symbol of cultural identity. The cultural heritage of Ecuador constitutes a primary element for the formation of our identity that have been inherited by our ancestors that must be preserved, protected and respected by the population.
Each inhabitant of the country has values, traditions, customs and beliefs that were transmitted by the ancestors and also have cultural and natural goods that are part of its history and that are important to build our present and future. Despite being a small country, Ecuador has assets that are recognized worldwide. Therefore, it is important to know more about each cultural heritage that it has to give the importance that each of them deserves.
To begin with Ecuador is a country that has great natural and cultural wealth of great importance. Its four regions have a diversity of flora and fauna, innumerable beaches, lagoons, volcanoes;in addition to its social, legal and religious institutions;His numerous creations, expressions, languages, traditions, beliefs that are shared and their culture that have been transmitted from generation to generation, is what makes our country, multicultural and that we identify as Ecuadorians and causes them to be cultural heritage.
It should be noted that it is important to say that cultural heritage represents an importance for the Ecuadorian population of each culture, but before all we must know the definition of culture, it is considered as culture, the set of forms, models or patterns, throughwhich a society regulates the behavior of the people who make it up. This includes customs, practices, codes, norms and rules of the way of being, clothing, religion, rituals, norms of behavior, belief systems, among others (Coordinating Ministry of Heritage, 2012).
It is evident then that each region has their own culture that represent them as people, but regardlessKeep keeping as a valuable treasure.
Cultural heritage and identity are not static elements, but entities subject to permanent changes, are conditioned by external factors and the continuous feedback between the two. Identity is linked to history and cultural heritage. Cultural identity does not exist without memory, without the ability to recognize the past, without symbolic elements or referents that are their own and that help build the future (Molano, 2007).
Cultural identity is expressed in cultural heritage and constitutes a set of material and spiritual values which throughout history have been encouraged.
In general, assets are defined, such as what is inherited from parents and nature, and what we want to inherit our children and future generations. The term heritage comes from the Latin patrimonium, a word used by the Romans to refer to the material inheritance that parents bequeathed their children. In the Spanish language, assets are understood as the set of goods belonging to a natural or legal person, or affections to an end, susceptible to economic estimation. Another meaning suggests that it is the set of goods that characterize the creativity of a people and that distinguish social societies and groups from each other, giving them their sense of identity (Coordinating Ministry of Heritage, 2012).
It is vitally important to conserve and protect our assets that have been inherited by our families and by nature since they have managedidentifies us as people and thus know the customs and traditions left by our legacies. The heritage of our country attracts tourists to learn about the places of each region and this helps to grow in the country and make them recognize despite being small . In case the heritage is very important to assess it because it is part of our wealth that constitute the set of features that are part of our identity.
It should be said that it is very important to know the definition of cultural heritage, so UNESCO defines it as the set of goods that characterize the creativity of a people and that distinguish social societies and groups from each other, giving them their sense of identity, whether inherited or recent production (Coordinating Ministry of Heritage, 2012).
In our cultural heritage the characteristics of our country are based;Thanks to him we identify as Ecuadorians. At the same time, with the cultural achievements of our people, achieved throughout history, it offers a valuable contribution to the cultural heritage of the continent and the world. To help conserve them as Ecuadorians we must take care of them and what we can do is not to pollute the cities in which we live, protect our environment, not to ruin the historical monuments among other measures. All this is essential for the conservation and protection of Ecuadorian cultural heritage inherited by the ancestors who are valuable.
These manifestations speak for themselves of who we are, we were and will be. Take care and disseminate them will only bring us benefits as a country, such as significantly increasing visitors figures, reinforcing our identity and improving everyone’s quality of life.
There are different cultural heritage among them are the real estate that are those that are made by man constitute the sets and landscapes built, also called cultural landscapes, movable property is those goods that can be transferred from one place to another as a sculpture, carved stone, means of transport among others, while archaeological goods are old objects or places left by the ancient civilizations occupied by the current Ecuador, documentary goods are information made by people or institutions in a certain place and dates and bylast intangible assets are traditional expressions, knowledge, artisanal techniques, among others (Coordinating Ministry of Heritage, 2012) .
Ecuador keeps many patrimonies;An excellent guide of where to begin to know the Ecuadorian heritage diversity is by the list of heritage recognized by the United Nations Educational, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO). Being: Quito, the capital, heritage since 1978, the Inca road, a master network of road communication that extended through South America, second Ecuadorian city basin on the list, knowledge made heritage to the Zápara language, a renowned hat that entered theHistory among others.
All these Ecuadorian assets make the country recognized worldwide and be visited as many by national and international tourists and that they know the diversity of natural and cultural wealth that it possesses.
It is worth mentioning that one of the first cities declared Ecuadorian cultural heritage is the city of Quito that is a destination of immeasurable historical, cultural and human wealth, a city that owns a monumental exhibition of architecture, painting, sculpture, legends and traditions, worthy ofbe admired and preserved by all those who live in it and by all who visit it. Quito was the first city to deserve the recognition of UNESCO to be declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1978, for having the greatest and best preserved historic center of America, with monumental architectural constructions and notable samples of art, painting and religious sculpture. The living history of this city has inherited beautiful jewels that, currently, are the social, cultural, economic and religious expression of a people;But Quito also offers the visitor of fun and recreation alternatives that will visit this city, one of the best experiences (Zambrano, 2006).
That is, this city has one of the best preserved historical centers in Latin America and tourists are attracted to its location, in the middle of the world in which it has emblematic places.
The distinctions of several sites such as National Heritage of Ecuador and others as cultural and/or natural heritage of humanity, of course attracted the investment of large companies, especially in the tourist field, detonating on the one hand, economic development;But on the other hand, centralizing the resources obtained, in these private entities, increasing an inequality among social actors, legitimate heirs of these sites, and tourism service and infrastructure entrepreneurs, obtaining a scenario where, on the one hand there is a hugeWealth in terms of the diversity of natural and cultural resources, and simultaneously a scenario of deep poverty and inequality generated from exclusion processes, marginalization towards populations and bearers and creators of authentic cultural expressions and knowingdense and deep of the declared expressions (León, 2018).
This means that thanks to the different places that the country possesses they represent the patrimonial culture that allows tourists to attract and know the stories regarding the diversity of natural and cultural resources, despite poverty and inequality, everyone has a culture thatallow us to express and manifest ourselves from the cultural heritage that were left by generations.
Cultural heritage is important for a society because it is the history between individual and collective memory, it is part of the transmission of what has happened in a certain territory. "No one can live without remembering and nobody live without the memories of history (…) History is there guiding our judgments at every moment, forming our identity, determining the source and awareness of our values". Destroy a heritage or let it deteriorate is to deny a part of the history of a human group, of its cultural legacy. The heritage that has produced throughout its history and has managed to preserve a people, is what distinguishes it, which manages to identify it, which feeds its cultural identity and what best defines its specific contribution to humanity (Molano, 2007).
Thanks to the cultural heritage, the Ecuadorian population today knows the history that our ancestors have left and that have been preserved when the years pass. If we destroy our cultural heritage, it is as if we lost our history and thus our culture since it is what identifies us as people.
In conclusion, Ecuadorian cultural heritage is of great importance because it is part of every life of people because it represents history through the years that have formed our identity and improves the quality of life. These heritage that have been inherited from our ancestors are a legacy that we must preserve and protect that they allow to build our present and future.
As such cultural heritages represent the country in a good way since it favors it is recognized worldwide and that these are transmitted from generation to generation being the basis of our culture. All as citizens have to become aware and value what we have.
Bibliographic references
- León, j. (2018). Cultural landscape and a new way of understanding heritage in Ecuador. Inter -American Environment and Tourism Magazine.
- [Bookmark: _HLK26711703] Ministry Coordinator of Heritage (2012) Introduction to Cultural Heritage. NOTION AUGUST 2012. ISBN 978-9978-366-76-9
- Molano, o. (2007). Opera Magazine. Cultural identity A concept that evolves, 69-84.
- Zambrano, r. (2006). Quito Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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