She conducts her research first-hand by immersing herself in the culture of the people. She believes in getting involved by working side by side on projects with indigenous populations and feels that anthropologists in the field can make a difference to the lives of the people being researched. The people here live at an altitude of 5000 metres separated from mainstream Peruvian society. The living conditions in the sparse environments are among the simplest and most difficult on earth.
Most families survive by herding llama, alpaca and sheep.
As they live above tree-level, the only reliable crop is potatoes. The people live in adobe huts without electricity or running water. There are no roads and the closest village can be 20 kilometres or more away. These simple living conditions stand in stark contrast to the impressive knowledge the people have in the breeding and raising of animals and of their high-mountain ecology. Their artistic abilities are well represented in the quality and design of their weavings.