HAWAPI 2019 – Máxima Acuña

Máxima Acuña Atalaya (1970) is a subsistence farmer and weaver from the high Andean area of ​​Sorochuco, province of Celendín in the state of Cajamarca (Perú). Acuña is known for resisting attempts to evict her from her own land driven by mining company Yanacocha as part of the Conga mining project owned by Newmont Mining Corporation and Compania de Minas Buenaventura. In 2016, Máxima received the Goldman Environmental Award for her fight in defense of the environment. Acuña and her family live on the property she bought in 1994 in the area that would later form part of the Conga mining concession. This 25 hectares of land is located at 4,000 meters above sea level within the ecological region of Jalca and is surrounded by the property of the Newmont company that controls access to it.

In September 2019 HAWAPI took a group of 13 artists to Máxima Acuña’s property. During the nine day-long encuentro, the HAWAPI 2019 participants camped on the Chaupe-Acuña family's land where they developed and implemented various projects.