MIAMI UNIVERSITY The Graduate School Certificate for Approving the Dissertation We hereby approve the Dissertation of Michael Patrick Gilmore Candidate for the Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Director Dr. W. Hardy Eshbaugh Director Dr. Adolph M. Greenberg Reader Dr. David L. Gorchov Reader Dr. Susan R. Barnum Graduate School Representative Dr. Chris A. Myers ABSTRACT AN ETHNOECOLOGICAL AND ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF THE MAIJUNA INDIANS OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON by Michael Patrick Gilmore The Amazon basin is one of, if not the most, botanically diverse regions of the world. Unfortunately, Amazonian floristic and habitat diversity is relatively poorly known and understood. Indigenous peoples have highly detailed and extensive biological and ecological knowledge of the rain forest and studying these knowledge systems can provide insights into the heterogeneity and diversity of Amazonian forests. The research reported here investigates several aspects of the traditional culturally-based biological and ecological knowledge of the Maijuna Indians of the Peruvian Amazon. An ethnoecological framework is utilized to examine the classification, significance, and use of habitat types recognized by the Maijuna. The objectives of this portion of the dissertation are to: (1) document the habitat classification system of the Maijuna; (2) understand how they use the culturally-based habitat types, and their associated resources, seasonally and temporally; and (3) document the ecological knowledge and management strategies associated with each habitat type. The Maijuna have a complex and extensive habitat classification system identifying more than 70 forest and non-forest habitat types within the Sucusari River basin. The results of this portion of the research provide valuable insights into how indigenous peoples perceive, use, and manage resources and habitat types in Amazonia. An in-depth analysis of the significance of a habitat that the Maijuna call mañaco taco is also made. Mañaco taco are dominated by the small myrmecophytic tree or shrub Durioa hirsuta (Rubiaceae) and have a very open understory. The Maijuna have well-defined and constructed supernatural beliefs associated with these forests, believing that they are the home of malevolent supernatural beings. Understanding the significance and importance of habitat types to indigenous peoples is critical in discerning how they perceive and interact with these areas. A case study of resource use of a culturally important and necessary activity, canoe construction, was also undertaken and is discussed in detail. Canoes are amongst the most important and integral parts of the life and subsistence strategies of the Maijuna and other residents of the Peruvian Amazon. An ethnobotanical framework is utilized to: 1) examine the use and importance of canoes to the Maijuna; 2) understand the cultural and historical context of canoe construction; and 3) document the steps and plants used in constructing canoes. AN ETHNOECOLOGICAL AND ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF THE MAIJUNA INDIANS OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Botany by Michael Patrick Gilmore Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2005 Dissertation Directors: Dr. W. Hardy Eshbaugh & Dr. Adolph M. Greenberg © Michael Patrick Gilmore 2005 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1 The Maijuna 4 Maijuna Orthography 17 Study Site 20 Notes 26 Chapter 2: The classification, significance, and use of rain forest habitat types recognized by the Maijuna Indians of the Peruvian Amazon 29 Introduction 29 The Maijuna 32 Study Site 33 Methods 35 Results and Discussion 37 Conclusions 78 Notes 80 Chapter 3: The cultural significance of the habitat mañaco taco to the Maijuna of Sucusari 112 Introduction 112 The Maijuna 113 Study Site 114 Methods 115 Results and Discussion 117 Notes 127 Chapter 4: The use, construction, and importance of canoes among the Maijuna of the Peruvian Amazon 132 Introduction 132 Study Site 132 Methods 133 Results and Discussion 134 Conclusion 151 Notes 152 Chapter 5: Epilogue 164 Literature Cited 167 Appendix I: Maijuna ethnocartography: a participatory mapping exercise 176 Appendix II: The Maijuna version of Ma bajide quiija (‘The story of Ma baji’) 183 iii List of Tables Table 2-1 Terrestrial habitats defined by geomorphology. 83 Table 2-2 Forest habitats defined by physiognomy. 85 Table 2-3 Forest habitats defined by indicator plant species or plant life forms and located in areas with ‘soft earth’ (cuadu). 86 Table 2-4 Forest habitats defined by indicator plant species or plant life forms and located in areas with ‘ugly forest’ (aqui). 88 Table 2-5 Forest habitats defined by indicator plant species or plant parts and located in areas that do not have ‘soft earth’ or ‘ugly forest’. 89 Table 2-6 Disturbed habitats (either human induced or natural). 92 Table 2-7 Habitats defined by indicator animal species. 94 Table 2-8 Animals and birds that are encountered and killed in animal mineral licks (tuada or onobi). 95 Table 2-9 Aquatic habitats and their respective parts. 96 Table 2-10 Types of soils classified by the Maijuna. 97 Table 2-11 Ethnobotanical information corresponding to the plants that vegetatively defined habitats types are named after. 98 Table 3-1 Ethnobotanical information corresponding to the use of Duroia hirsuta within the Amazon Basin. 128 Table 4-1 Plants used for canoe construction by the Maijuna. 153 iv List of Figures Figure 1-1 Map showing the location of all four current Maijuna communities, including the surrounding region. 27 Figure 1-2 Map of the northeast Peruvian Amazon showing the location of Sucusari. 28 Figure 2-1 Map showing the location of all four current Maijuna communities, including the surrounding region. 107 Figure 2-2 Map of the northeast Peruvian Amazon showing the location of Sucusari. 108 Figure 2-3 Cross-section of habitats defined by geomorphology by the Maijuna of Sucusari, Loreto, Peru. 109 Figure 2-4 Cross-section of habitats defined by indicator plant species and located in areas with ‘soft earth’ (cuadu). 110 Figure 2-5 Cross-section of habitats defined by indicator plant species and located in areas that do not have ‘soft earth’ or ‘ugly forest’. 111 Figure 3-1 Photos comparing mañaco taco to “typical” upland forest. 129 Figure 3-2 Map showing the location of all four current Maijuna communities, including the surrounding region. 130 Figure 3-3 Map of the northeast Peruvian Amazon showing the location of Sucusari. 131 Figure 4-1 Map of the northeast Peruvian Amazon showing the location of Sucusari. 158 Figure 4-2 Drawing of a typical dugout canoe (you) constructed in Sucusari. 159 Figure 4-3 Graph of consultant responses regarding species that are or can be used in constructing canoe hulls. 160 Figure 4-4 Tree species used to make canoes actually owned by consultants. 161 Figure 4-5 Early steps in the construction of a dugout canoe (you). 162 Figure 4-6 Later steps in the construction of a dugout canoe (you). 163 Figure I-1 Results of Maijuna participatory mapping sessions. 180 Figure I-2 Maijuna consultants drawing a map of the Sucusari River basin. 182 v Acknowledgements Many people and organizations have helped me over the past several years during the course of this research project. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Maijuna of Sucusari for opening their homes and lives to me. Without their help and interest in participating in this study, this research project would never have been possible. They welcomed me into their community as one of their own and their hospitality and generosity were incredible. I would especially like to thank Sebastián Ríos Ochoa for all of his help, guidance, and unrelenting friendship. He is truly a gifted and patient teacher and an incredible friend; I certainly cannot imagine life in Sucusari without him. Special thanks also to Isidora, Samuel, Seberino, Victorino, Mamerto, Nancy, Felipe, Nicolas, and Duglas for all of their help throughout my many months in Sucusari. I would also like to thank both of my advisors, Hardy Eshbaugh and Dolph Greenberg, for all of their help and support over the past several years. Hardy has been an incredible mentor to me and has certainly gone above and beyond what any graduate student can expect or hope for in an advisor. I not only consider him an advisor, but more importantly, a close friend. Dolph has always reminded me of the importance of the “ethno” component in ethnobotany and for that I am very grateful. This project would not be the same final product without his insights and unique perspective. The other members of my committee, David Gorchov, Susan Barnum, Susan Lamont, and Chris Myers, also provided valuable support and insights over the years. I am especially thankful to David Gorchov for all of his help and insight regarding the ecological portions of my project. vi In addition, I am grateful to Linda Watson and Jim Hickey for their support and all of their help in securing me an additional semester of funding from the university. Terry McNeely, Vickie Sandlin, and especially Barb Wilson have been an incredible help in innumerable ways over the years. Many fellow graduate students have made life much more enjoyable and stimulating during my stay in Oxford. Numerous conversations over the years with Bryan Endress, Kamau Mbuthia, and Cynthia Durgan definitely increased the quality of my research project many fold. I am also grateful to Lara Strittmatter for all of her help regarding Spanish translations and transcriptions. In addition, I am indebted to Matt Duley for his computer expertise. I would also like to thank Barbara Eshbaugh and Jack Keegan for all of their moral support and friendship over the years. The faculty and staff at the Herbarium Amazonense (AMAZ), Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana, Iquitos, Peru provided valuable support during my field research.