Alejandro Toledo, the first Native person to be elected president of Peru, talks about his Quechua roots; his proposed constitutional amendment to ensure equal rights for indigenous peoples; financial support for Native cultural preservation efforts; and his number one priority--to fight poverty through education, focusing on basic education,…

Outlines history of Spanish colonial policies toward Southern Peruvian Quechua and points out those issues under debate concerning the indigenous languages. The central issue of the "Andean language debate" continues to be whether or not the Quechua have a right to exist as a separate community. (SL)

Informed US citizens recognize the importance of neighboring South American countries. Few teachers, however, have the time to teach about each Latin American country. One approach to instruction is to focus on a few important countries. Suggestions to help middle school students learn about Argentina, Brazil, and Peru are presented. (RM)