Authors: Cynthia Sanborn and Alvaro Paredes Peru has one of the largest indigenous populations in South America. Although the national census does not measure ethnic or racial identities, around 37 percent of the population claims to descend from native Andean or Amazonian peoples and 15.6 percent claim an indigenous mother tongue (Sulmont 2012). In recent years, the country´s pre-Colombian history and cultural diversity have become sources of pride for Peruvians as well as an attraction for tourists from across the globe. Yet native Peruvians have also been the most exploited people in this country, and were denied many basic political, economic and cultural rights until the late 20th century.