IOA fortieth anniversary

Abstract

This speech commemorates the forty years of the Otavaleño Institute of Anthropology (IOA). The speaker recalls Plutarco Cisneros' initial impulse to found the Institute in a context of global transformations in the sixties, when Otavalo opted for a profound search for cultural authenticity in the face of Quito iconoclasm. Throughout these four decades, the IOA has survived thanks to a unique combination of dream and realism. In addition, tribute is paid to those who have been fundamental in this work, from international academics to local collaborators, highlighting the University of Otavalo as an extension of the Institute in the transmission of accumulated knowledge.