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‘Hair is more than strands. It symbolises life’: the braids that bind an Ecuadorian community

In Otavalo the men, as well as women, see their long hair as integral to the beliefs and culture of the Kichwa people

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In a country beset by gang warfare, the Ecuadorian city of Otavalo stands as a haven of safety, where the Kichwa community thrives with its rich cultural heritage, vibrant traditions, distinctive clothing – and long hair.

Since 2006, I have been seeking out and photographing women with long hair across South America. In Otavalo, I found that men also embrace the tradition of wearing their hair long.

A man and his two children holding each other’s long hair View image in fullscreen

  • Yuyak Santillan, 14, and Naupak Santillan, 13, with their father. Only a family member is granted the privilege to touch someone else’s hair

Braids, in particular within Indigenous communities, symbolise an act of resistance, traced back to the trauma of forced hair cutting during the Spanish conquests.

Today, the younger generations in Otavalo feel free from the shame and fear that once shadowed their elders, and many proudly embrace their long hair and braids. This act symbolises a commitment to cultural continuity, a defiance against external pressures, and a living testament to the enduring strength of Indigenous communities.

Two young people with long hair in front of a heart made of flowers, a mountain beyond View image in fullscreen

  • For Katerini Pupiales, 22, having long hair is about respecting family customs. For Jossbell Macsias, 18, it is a cultural symbol, representing strength in his heritage
A woman with long hair sits on a wall, her back to us. Her son stands next to her, his long hair in a plait View image in fullscreen
A man with long hair faces us but his face is obscured by a plant View image in fullscreen
A man and a boy with long hair in a single plait face away from us, sitting in a graveyard, both have flowers on their shoulders View image in fullscreen
A person with a long plait hanging through a hole in a carved wall View image in fullscreen

  • Clockwise from top left: Esther Bonilla and her son Jose, 10, live in Colombia, but regularly return to Otavalo; Dylan, 16, sees his long hair as a reclaiming of cultural heritage and an assertion of identity; a churchgoer in the Iglesia San Francisco de Otavalo; Walter Ianberla and his son Jacob visit the grave of a family member

In Otavalo, long hair is a symbolic link to ancestral lands and reflects the Kichwa connection to nature and the spiritual. Many of those who have moved away continue to follow the tradition. Walter Ianberla, 39, and his son Jacob, 12, live in Switzerland but keep their hair long. “As long as we continue with our customs, the culture endures. We all must uphold it, no matter where we are,” Walter says.

Each year, a long hair competition is held during Pawkar Raymi, meaning “festival of blooming”, in Kichwa. The ancient Andean ceremony honours Pachacámac or Pacha Kamaq, the creator of the world, and serves as a thanks and sharing ritual for the gifts bestowed by Pachamama, the Mother Earth. The competition aims to celebrate Otavalo’s long hair tradition and incentivise young people to keep it alive.

Two people, one with long hair in a plait, the other with short hair View image in fullscreen

  • Erick Arungo, 22, and Dylan, 16. Arungo loves the Kichwa culture but wants to be free to choose for himself. ‘There’s a chance I’ll go back to it, but that will be my decision only,’ he says
Two men with long hair wearing hats View image in fullscreen
A person with long hair and sunglasses View image in fullscreen
Two children with long hair View image in fullscreen
A child with long hair in a plait View image in fullscreen

  • Clockwise from top left: Taking part in the long hair competition are Kuri Guerrero, 19, and Apauki Guerrero, 15; Nestor, 16; Wayra Muler, 10; and Yuyak and Naupak Santillan

The Otavaleños, known for their entrepreneurial spirit, have shown their adaptability by balancing modernity with ancestral traditions. But the leaders of Otavalo, concerned about a gradual loss of this cultural identity, recently issued a resolution requiring parental consent for minors to have their braids cut in local barbershops.

A woman shows that her hair reaches her thighs View image in fullscreen

  • An Otavaleño woman combines the traditional long hair with modern jeans

“For us, hair is more than strands. It symbolises life, a legacy that has taken a lifetime to cherish. It’s a precious treasure, akin to the radiant rays of the sun – an intricate link between spiritual nature and human essence,” say Yarina and Estefanía Espín.

Two girls with long hair holding hands View image in fullscreen

  • Yarina and Estefanía say their hair ‘symbolises life, a legacy that has taken a lifetime to cherish’

Education and cultural transmission within families ensures the continuity of their heritage, while engagement with the global community amplifies their cultural visibility and contributes to economic success and global pride.

Three people with their backs to us, their long hair in plaits joined together, and wearing hats View image in fullscreen
Long hair is measured View image in fullscreen

  • A group of Otavaleños sporting braids under their hats (left); and measuring a contestant’s hair for the long hair competition

Ruminawi Cachimuel, 46, says: “We’ve fought hard for our braids; it was a lengthy struggle to proudly showcase our braids. As a people, we’ve endured significant hardships. Now, I teach my children that they must learn from our ancestors and pass down to future generations what it means to be Kichwa.”

A man and three boys on a sofa, their long hair draped over its back, facing away from us; a young woman stands facing us View image in fullscreen

  • Ruminawi sitting on a sofa with his son and two nephews

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