Detail from Codice Osuna, Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid.		INDIAN MINER have long been forgotten to history but I was born in the highlands of Bolivia in 1527 and given the name Topa. The people in our ayllu raised alpaca and llama; we planted quinoa and potatoes. It was a hard life but we loved our land and the huacas of our ancestors watched over us. Each man in the village was required to give service to the Inca ruler every few years. I worked on Inca roads and bridges that spread across vast distances. The work was grueling, but the Inca provided our daily food and there was always plenty of chicha beer for our festivals. When the Spaniards vanquished the Inca, all changed. The new lords destroyed our huacas and said they were evil. They forced us to provide labor, but gave nothing in return. In 1546 I was sent to work in the silver mines at Potosí. My own family had to provide my food and even the candles I needed to see in the black tunnels of the mountain. We entered the mines on Monday morning and did not emerge until Saturday. Each man was required to chisel out a ton and a quarter of ore a day. Over and over, we carried hundred pound bags through narrow tunnels and up thin ladders. Only one in four men survived his first year in the mines. I died in a mining accident in 1547.				Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Indian Miner Guaman Poma de Ayala Conquistador/ Settler Canary Islander