Rituales y fiestas de las Américas 

PREFACE

The proceedings of the 45th International Congress of Americanists, published in this series, cover the areas of anthropology, archaeology, and ethnohistory. The Congress, held at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, demonstrated a redefinition of American studies and an expansion of the traditional themes of the Congress of Americanists. This reflects the historical transformations of the Americas, as well as those of interdisciplinary scientific debate.

The symposia in the areas of anthropology and archaeology were selected as established by the initial program, prepared by the General Secretariat. From these, we have begun publishing the proceedings in successive volumes on archaeology, anthropology, and ethnohistory. The titles of the volumes specify the content of the papers in more detail. The published volumes are: Archaeology: The Past of the Americas; Ethnohistory of the Americas; Cognitive Patterns, Rituals, and Festivals of the Americas; and Identity and Transformation of American Cultures.

Approximately 40 symposia were held in the areas of anthropology and archaeology. Following the Congress, participants were expected to comply with the requirements of the permanent regulations (submission of papers of a maximum of 20 double-spaced pages with the author's name and institutional affiliation, title of the symposium and the paper, and an abstract), and coordinators were expected to submit reports summarizing the contributions of the papers and the debates and discussions of their respective symposia. The material received is published here. Several letters were sent to the coordinators requesting the selection of three representative papers from their symposium, as well as the summary report, for publication.

The selected papers and reports are published here respecting their original style and format, with only minor modifications made to improve clarity. The order of the symposium presentations was established using thematic and/or geographical criteria to create sub-areas within the overall symposium program.

Many of the symposia in the areas of archaeology, anthropology, and ethnohistory have already been published in their entirety, both within and outside of Colombia. The linguistics section will be published in its entirety separately from the Congress proceedings. We are confident that the other symposia deemed suitable for publication will be published promptly by institutions in their respective fields.

The fact that Amerindian cultures continue to be threatened by genocide and ethnocide, and that even greater contradictions persist within the Americas, continues to pose challenges of analysis, explanation, and action for Americanist scholars. The struggles between forms of power, economies, and worldviews shaped the prehistory of the Americas and continue to shape its history today. The commitment of Americanist scholars to understanding the underlying structures of American dynamics and to providing tools for building a future based on justice, well-being, and respect for multiethnic identity is reflected in the following pages.

Academic Coordinator of the Anthropological and Archaeological Area