The Pukara of Quitor

The Pukará of Quitor: An Indigenous Self-Determination Case Study tells the story of the Indigenous Atacameño Community of Quitor and their efforts to regain control over an ancient and impressive piece of cultural property, the Pukará of Quitor-a large stone fortress located in the Atacama Desert of Chile. The Atacameño Community of Quitor has existed in essentially the same region of Chile for thousands of years, but after European contact, and particularly after tourism began near the end of the 20th century, their world changed dramatically. The Community began to see its cultural property vandalized and destroyed, and they knew that if they stood by and did nothing, much of what they held dear would be destroyed.