Polleras are symbols of cultural identity in Bolivia’s countryside. The history of the voluminous, traditional skirts worn by Indigenous Aymara and Quechua women is complex: Dating to the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, polleras were imposed by colonial rulers to reflect a style worn in Spain.
The skirts eventually were adopted as part of Andean attire, most commonly associated with cholitas—Indigenous women from the highlands. Polleras inspire cultural pride, but they’re also a reminder of rural oppression.
The skirts eventually were adopted as part of Andean attire, most commonly associated with cholitas—Indigenous women from the highlands. Polleras inspire cultural pride, but they’re also a reminder of rural oppression.
Now a group of women athletes in Bolivia has brought pollera fashion to the city, donning the skirts during skateboarding exhibitions to celebrate the heritage of cholitas and put a modern face on the ancestral garments.
“The pollera is associated with the countryside, with ignorant people without resources,” says Daniela Santiváñez, a co-founder of ImillaSkate, a skateboarding troupe that has made the skirts a centerpiece of its performances.
“The pollera is associated with the countryside, with ignorant people without resources,” says Daniela Santiváñez, a co-founder of ImillaSkate, a skateboarding troupe that has made the skirts a centerpiece of its performances.
During the past three years, ImillaSkate has grown to nine skaters. Being an active member means weekly practice and shared respect for diversity and tradition.
The group is based in Cochabamba, but through social media it has garnered an audience well beyond Bolivia. ImillaSkate has more than 24,000 followers on Instagram, 8,000-plus followers on Facebook, and a YouTube channel where some of its videos get thousands of views. It also has a presence on TikTok, with about 4,500 followers.
Santiváñez notes that members wear polleras only for performances: “We do it as a demonstration, as a cry for inclusion.”
“We try to explain that this helps us understand our mothers, our aunts, and grandmothers,” Tacuri adds. For her, the stigma attached to polleras changed somewhat with the election of former president Evo Morales in 2006. Under Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, voters approved a new constitution that formally recognized 36 Indigenous languages and also empowered the nation’s Indigenous people with rights such as communal ownership of land.
Ditto on the “I don’t get it.” Judging from the contusions and bruises on the lower limbs it seems this is a rather harsh method of promoting a tradition. (Can only guess what the elbows look like.) One has to wonder if the thought ever occurred to them that a pretty women just walking down the street in such colorful garb will get them included instantly...at least in some circles. But being the unrefined, chauvinist swine I’ve oft been accused of being by a few rabid feminists---to which I plead unmitigated guilt---what do I know? Skip the skateboards ladies (I know, I know…) and make your case by just being pretty and adorable.
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