Lo que Aprendimos de y en San Lucas: Testimonio De Parte de un Conocimiento Compartido

This document presents a testimonial and ethnographic reflection on shared learning surrounding llut’asqas (clay discs) and other forms of Andean ideographic writing in the municipality of San Lucas, Bolivia. The author begins with a tribute to the work of Xavier Albó to delve into research that connects the historical records of chroniclers and scholars such as Ibarra Grasso with the contemporary practices of the communities. Through what he calls an "epistemic ayni" (reciprocal exchange), the study proposes a horizontal construction of knowledge, where community members are not mere objects of study, but rather theorists who define these semasiographic systems as mechanisms for "giving voice," challenging traditional alphabetic conceptions of writing. The text highlights the agency and creativity of the inhabitants of San Lucas in appropriating colonial tools for their own purposes, such as the revitalization of the Quechua language, the narration of local histories, and territorial defense. It is concluded that the llut’asqas and leather prayers are not static relics, but rather integrated and dynamic semiotic systems that articulate Andean memory, ritual, and productive life. By analyzing the limitations of external decoding compared to the interpretation of the actors themselves, Garcés emphasizes that graphic representation in the Andean world constitutes a form of textuality, essential for understanding cultural resistance and communication between humans and guardian beings today.