Brothers and sisters of Peru, I’ve been traveling in Peru and had an interesting conversation with a local driver that left me wondering about something. He told me that in places like Lima, Quechua is sometimes viewed as the language of poorer or more rural people, even though it was historically one of the major languages of the Andes and the lingua franca of much of the Inca world. That surprised me. So I’m curious: why don’t more Peruvians seem interested in reviving or rebuilding aspects of pre-colonial culture beyond preserving archaeological sites and promoting them for tourism? For example, restoring the status of Quechua, reviving traditions, or even rebuilding temples dedicated to figures like Inti or Tunupa as cultural or historical projects. From an outsider’s perspective, the Inca and other indigenous peoples were the ancestors of many modern Peruvians and the original civilizations of the region. Yet it sometimes feels like there’s more emphasis on celebrating that heritage as history than on integrating it into modern cultural identity. Am I misunderstanding the situation? Do many Peruvians already identify strongly with their indigenous heritage in ways that aren’t obvious to visitors? Or are there historical, social, religious, or political reasons why a broader cultural revival hasn’t happened? I’d be especially interested in hearing perspectives from Peruvians themselves although all perspectives are welcome in this discussion.