THE STIGMA OF MEMORY IN TUMBAYA-JUJUY
THE STIGMA OF MEMORY IN TUMBAYA-JUJUY

Summary/Abstract: The church where Lavalle was skinned. A small town surrounded by mountains. A picturesque cemetery watching over the town from on high, as was the “custom in olden times.” A small municipal office next to the only public telephone in town, and the center of public life, the square. In the middle is a flagpole that flies a large Argentine flag on special occasions and patriotic holidays. At the base of the flagpole is a plaque with the words “God, Country, Home. Tumbaya 1979,” an unmistakable sign of the military presence during the 1970s. It might be added that the only plaques in town, in square and church, were placed there by the Argentine Army in 1979. Tumbaya, a small town located at the gateway to the Quebrada de Humahuaca valley in the northern part of Argentina, is home to a number of families of indigenous ancestry. This identity surfaces in times of crisis, especially regarding land claims, or during assemblies, the primary means for settling intra-community disputes. Yet it is unusual for anyone to acknowledge indigenous blood in the course of everyday life or when introducing themselves on public occasions. For all intents and purposes, this identity is denied. A small number of surnames are shared by a large number of families: everyone is kin and compadre to everyone else. Family and political networks (and their factions) regulate social relations in Tumbaya.

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