Kollas

Kollas, also spelled Kollas or Collas, is a term used to refer to the indigenous highland communities of the southern Andes and, historically, to the region they inhabited. The name is linked to Collasuyu, the southern quarter of the Inca Empire, named after the Kollas who inhabited the Collao plateau and surrounding areas.

Geography and identity: In the late pre-Columbian period, Kollas inhabited parts of present-day southern Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina, including areas around the Lake Titicaca region and the Collao plateau. The term also serves as an umbrella label for several ethnolinguistic groups who spoke Quechua- and Aymara-speaking varieties and participated in the broader Andean cultural sphere.

Language and culture: The Kollas were associated with Quechua- and Aymara-speaking communities and practiced highland agriculture and pastoralism, raising llamas and alpacas, cultivating potatoes, maize, and quinoa, and engaging in textile crafts and metalworking. Their social organization contributed to the imperial structure of the Inca state through the ayllu system.

History: Under the Inca Empire, Kollas and other highland groups were integrated into imperial administration as part of Collasuyu. After the Spanish conquest, colonial policies and migrations reshaped their communities, but many continue to preserve traditional customs and languages alongside Spanish.

Today, Kollas is primarily used in historical and anthropological contexts to refer to these Andean groups. Modern descendants identify in diverse ways, often aligning with national Indigenous movements in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, and Chile.