Stomping to Wake Mother Earth: Ecuador's Sacred Sun & Harvest Festival

This is what it looks like when an entire town shakes the ground beneath their feet. Welcome to Cotacachi, Ecuador, during Inti Raymi (Hatun Puncha)—Ecuador's sacred indigenous harvest festival. In this video, we experience the incredible energy of the zapateado, a powerful rhythmic stomp used by thousands of dancers to wake up Mother Earth (Pachamama) and thank her for the harvest.