DOCSLIB.ORG

Final Research Report Rqf N°527-16-000007

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Final Research Report Rqf N°527-16-000007 FINAL RESEARCH REPORT RQF N°527-16-000007 Effective Representation?: Case Studies of Indigenous Organizations and Infrastructure Development in the Amazon Basin Mídia Ninja Mídia Foto: FINAL RESEARCH REPORT RQF N°527-16-000007 Effective Representation?: Case Studies of Indigenous Organizations and Infrastructure Development in the Amazon Basin FINAL RESEARCH REPORT Effective Representation? : Case Studies of Indigenous Organizations and Infrastructure Development in the Amazon Basin By Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales-DAR This study was made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under contract RQF No. 527-16-000007 and executed by Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. Acronyms AAGG French Guiana Association of Amerindians AAI Integrated Environmental Assessment ACIMVIP Association of Indigenous Cabildos of the Municipality of Villa Garzón ACIPAP Association of Indigenous Cabildos of the Awá People AIDA Association for the Defense of the Environment AIDESEP Interethnic Association of the Peruvian Jungle AMWAE Association of Waorani Women of the Amazon Ecuadorian APA Association of Amerindian Peoples BDNES National Bank of Social and Economic Development CAIOP Putumayo Indian Council of Indigenous Authorities CCPAB Consultative Council of the Amerindian and Bushinenguese Populations CIDOB Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia CIMI Indigenous Missionary Council CMIB Central Indigenous Women of Beni CNAMIB National Confederation of Indigenous Women of Bolivia COAIB Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon CODENPE Development Council of the Nationalities and Peoples of Ecuador COICA Indigenous Organizations Coordinator of the Amazon Basin CONAMAQ Council of Marcas and Ayllus of the Qollasuyo CONFEINAE Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon CONISUR National Indigenous Council of the South CORPI - SL Regional Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples of San Lorenzo EIA Environmental Impact Assessment FCUNAE Federation of Communes and Union of Natives of the Ecuadorian Amazon FECONA Federation of Native Communities of Ampiyacu FECONARINA Federation of Native Communities of Nanay River FECONAU Federation of Native Communities of the Ucayali and Tributaries FEPIPA Federation of Indigenous Peoples of Pará Organization FIEB Indigenous Federation of Bolivar State FIP Forest Investment Fund FOAG Federation of Indigenous Organizations of French Guiana FUNAI National Indian Foundation IACHR Inter American Court of Human Rights IBAMA Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources IICD International Institute for Communication for Development IIRSA Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America KIPARA Embera People’s Association KLIM Kaliña and Lokono in Marowijne LCDS Low Carbon Development Strategies MINPPI Ministry of Popular Power for Indigenous Peoples MMM Maria Women’s Movement MMTACC Campo Cidade Women’s Movement MPF Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office OIS Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Suriname OMIDA Organization of Indigenous Women of Autana ONAG Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Guiana ONHAE Organization of the Huaorani Nationality of the Ecuadorian Amazon OPIAC National Organization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon OPIP Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza OPKS Organization of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku ORAU Regional Organization AIDESEP Ucayali ORPIA Regional Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Amazon ORPIO Regional Organization of the East Indigenous Peoples OZIP Indigenous Zonal Organization of the Putumayo PIACI Protection of Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact RTKNN Kugapakori, Nahua, Nanti Territorial Reserve SDDH Society for the Defense of Human Rights TIPNIS Indigenous Territory and Isiboro Sécure National Park UCIW Union of Warao Indigenous Communities UN United Nations Executive Summary his document aims to identify and understand the particular conditions that determine the degree of effectiveness of representation of national indigenous organizations of the nine countries of the Amazon basin that comprise the Indigenous Organizations Coordinator of the Amazon Basin T(COICA). These are: AIDESEP (Peru), COIAB (Venezuela), OPIAC (Colombia), CIDOB (Bolivia), CONFENIAE (Ecuador), FOAG (French Guiana), OIS (Suriname) and APA (Guyana). In addition, the constituting organizations of these groups were taken into account in thirteen case studies of high impact development projects (oil, gas, and mining, among others). Taking into account the purpose of the study and the USAID concept of representation, which includes factors such as the capacity to influence and negotiate, project monitoring, transparency and degree of communication with the community, we considered the variable of representation in terms of the aforementioned factors, as well as some additional factors that are necessary to apply it in two distinct moments in time: during the selected case studies and at present. The analysis resulted in a general picture that identified several essential factors that best explain the effective representation of national indigenous organizations, such as the degree of transparency in coordination with the community and the capacity to attract and manage resources. These two factors, despite the dynamics and particularities that exist in each case, play an important role in understanding the dynamics of representation. It bears emphasizing, however, that each of the thirteen cases revealed particular characteristics and conditions that influenced the behavior of national indigenous organizations and their base communities, namely the changing political context of each country and the role of other actors such as civil society. These factors further complicate the scenarios of representation in the Latin American region, especially in the Amazon basin. The report is divided into four main sections. The first provides background and includes the most emblematic cases of outstanding effective representation in the framework of high-impact development projects. The section that follows details the methodology employed both for data collection and defining the proposed indicators and variables. The third section presents the case studies, the case of COICA and that of governments, businesses and banks. Finally, bibliographical references as well as appendices appear in the last section, including details of the interviews that were conducted and the databases constructed as part of the research. Apib Comunicação Foto: Table of contents Pg. INTRODUCTION 10 1. BACKGROUND 12 2. METHODOLOGY 16 3. MAIN FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: 24 3.1 Case Studies - National Indigenous Organizations 25 3.1.1 TIPNIS - Bolivia 25 3.1.2 Orinoco Mining Arc - Venezuela 31 3.1.3 APE “La Cabaña” case in Villa Garzón 36 and El Orito - Colombia 3.1.4 Belomonte and Tapajós - Brazil 42 3.1.5 Sarayaku and Yasuní - Ecuador 48 3.1.6 Amazon waterway and Camisea – Peru 54 3.1.7 Kaliña and Lokono in Marowijne - Suriname 60 3.1.8 Aurora Mining Project - Guyana 64 3.1.9 Amazonian Park - French Guiana 69 3.2 Analysis of COICA 75 3.3 Regional Scenario of Indigenous Organizations 77 in the Amazon Basin 3.4 Governments, businesses and banks 81 4. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 88 5. RECOMMENDATIONS 94 6. ANNEXES 104 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY 147 Iroz VIllagarzon Iroz Foto: Introduction ccording to CEPAL and World Bank data, indigenous people comprise more than 8% of the total population of Latin America (CEPAL 2014). In the case of South America, Bolivia and Peru have the largest indigenous A populations. This statistical data, based on official censuses, underscores the need to address the situation of indigenous peoples in South America, and to visualize the complex structures of their organizations, and their strategies of representation and participation. The complexity and organizational diversity of indigenous people in the region has been a subject of study for centuries. However, these studies have tended to view indigenous peoples as mystical, exotic, different actors: the so-called “other”. Only in the past three decades have indigenous movements acquired protagonist status and moved beyond being conceived as part of a distant history. It was in Mexico and Ecuador at the beginning of the 1990s that self-identifying indigenous people entered the political scene as organized and mobilized groups to demand recognition of their rights and, above all else, participation in the political process of their countries. Until that point, debates about the definition of “indigenous” were full of discriminatory, paternalistic and exotic ideas. This narrative reduced their capacity to mobilize. This emergence coincided with the region’s deployment of state-led development policies that placed extractive natural resource activities (usually mining and hydrocarbons) at the center of income generation. This vision of development considered the territory where indigenous people lived as an important arena for these investments. In addition to extractive activities, infrastructure projects were developed to support the strategy. These investments benefited from a scenario in which mineral and oil prices were growing at very favorable levels. In the medium term, this scenario did not result in substantial
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 12.2% 126,000 145M Top 1% 154 5,100
    We are IntechOpen, the world’s leading publisher of Open Access books Built by scientists, for scientists 5,100 126,000 145M Open access books available International authors and editors Downloads Our authors are among the 154 TOP 1% 12.2% Countries delivered to most cited scientists Contributors from top 500 universities Selection of our books indexed in the Book Citation Index in Web of Science™ Core Collection (BKCI) Interested in publishing with us? Contact [email protected] Numbers displayed above are based on latest data collected. For more information visit www.intechopen.com Chapter Social Changes in the Peruvian Amazon Due to Foreign Influence Zoran Stiperski and Tomica Hruška Abstract The prehistoric Amazon had low numbers of hunter-gatherers due to poor soil and harsh landscape conditions, due to which it was not able to support advanced cultures. The arrival of Christian missionaries, oil companies, and farmers changed the lifestyle of a specific portion of the population, although some indigenous groups still avoid contact with the outside world. Missionaries stimulated changes in the indigenous medical-religious-political systems. In the Peruvian Amazon, the local government is too weak to carry out the usual functions of the state, and therefore oil companies have replaced the state in terms of various functions such as employment, building wells for the drinking water, healthcare, donation of electric generators, and aircraft transport of local indigenous authorities to meetings in Iquitos or Lima. The policies of the national government are turning the Peruvian Amazon into a productive area and are exploiting its natural raw materials.
    [Show full text]
  • The Changing Understanding of the Huaorani Shaman's
    Aleksandra Wierucka: The changing understanding of the Huaorani shaman’s art The changing understanding of the Huaorani shaman’s art Aleksandra Wierucka University of Gdansk, [email protected] Abstract The Huaorani live in the Ecuadorian part of the Amazon region. Their culture differs from others of the region in many aspects; in recent decades, it has been affected by changes that were inevitable after their official contact with Western culture in 1958. Drawing on fieldwork with an Ecuadorian Huaorani clan, this paper explores some difficulties in understanding the shaman’s practices in this small scale society. The argument is that the accounts given by the researchers during last fifty years differ from each other, and that this makes almost impossible to talk about “traditional” and “contemporary” Huaorani shamanism at present. KEYWORDS: indigenous shamanism, Amazonian culture, Huaorani Introduction Today, the meaning of the word shamanism depends on who is using the term. There are almost as many varieties of the term as there are researchers. Some of them would agree that traditional shamanism still requires research, as it is still not easy to comprehend. It is possible that in the case of traditional shamanism we should be talking about shamanisms, as they change and differ from each other. Methodology This paper explores the art of the shaman from a small community of the Huaorani1 tribe that lives in the eastern part of Ecuador. It is based on data collected during fieldwork conducted in the Huaorani group between 2007 and 2012, and on scientific literature. The data was verified by anthropological interviews and by participant as well as non- participant observations that were in turn extended by information collected from local informants and cultural experts.
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from the Chevron Ecuador Litigation: the Proposed Intervenors’ Perspective
    KIMERLING_FINAL_VOL.1.2.DOCX (DO NOT DELETE) 10/14/13 6:46 PM LESSONS FROM THE CHEVRON ECUADOR LITIGATION: THE PROPOSED INTERVENORS’ PERSPECTIVE Judith Kimerling* INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 241 I. APPLICATION OF THE FORUM NON CONVENIENS DOCTRINE BY THE AGUINDA V. TEXACO COURT .............................................................................. 245 II. THE HUAORANI AND TEXACO ........................................................................... 261 III. THE LAGO AGRIO LAWSUIT AND RELATED LITIGATION ................................... 271 CONCLUSION AND LESSONS LEARNED ................................................................... 291 INTRODUCTION This symposium provides a welcome opportunity for scholars and practitioners with a wide range of perspectives to examine issues raised by the increasingly complex litigation related to Texaco’s oil extraction operations in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. I have worked in the affected region since 1989, and my original research was the basis for the environmental allegations in the initial class action lawsuit that launched the ongoing litigation that has come to be known as “the Chevron-Ecuador Litigation.” That lawsuit, Aguinda v. Texaco, Inc., was filed in federal court in New York in 1993, and asserted claims on behalf of Indigenous and settler residents who have been harmed by pollution from Texaco’s Ecuador operations. I was not involved in bringing either that case or the subsequent
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Indigenous Peoples' Rights in the Inter-American Human
    1 2 GUIDE TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS IN THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM Fergus MacKay IWGIA Copenhagen 2002 3 GUIDE TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS IN THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM © Copyright: The Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) Author: Fergus MacKay Editor: Lola García Alix Translation from English: Mario Di Lucci Cover and layout: Jorge Monrás Prepress and print: Eks-Skolens Trykkeri aps Copenhagen, Denmark ISBN: 87-90730-59-3 ISSN: 0105-4503 THE FOREST PEOPLES PROGRAMME (FPP) 1c Fosseway Business Centre - Strattford Road Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9NQ, England Tel: (+44) 1608 652983 - Fax: (+44) 1698 652878 E-mail: [email protected] INTERNATIONAL WORK GROUP FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS Classensgade 11 E, DK 2100 - CopenhageN, Denmark Tel: (+45) 35 27 05 00 - Fax: (+45) 35 27 05 07 E-mail: [email protected] - www.iwgia.org 4 This guide has been produced with financial support from The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 5 CONTENT Summary .............................................................................. Introduction .......................................................................... Chapter I The Organization of American States and Human Rights ............................................................. Chapter II Rights protected by Inter-American human rights instruments .................................................. A. Articles 1 and 2 of the American Convention...................... B. Other international instruments ..........................................
    [Show full text]
  • In the Nexus Between People and Rainforest
    In the Nexus Between People and Rainforest An anthropological study of conservation projects and indigenous people in Ecuadorian Amazon Monica Husum Nilsen Master Thesis Department of Social Anthropology THE UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Spring 2012 ii In the Nexus Between People and Rainforest - an Anthropological Study of Conservation Projects and Indigenous People in Ecuadorian Amazon Monica Husum Nilsen iii © Monica Husum Nilsen 2012 In the Nexus Between People and Rainforest: an anthropological study of conservation projects and indigenous people in Ecuadorian Amazon Monica Husum Nilsen http://www.duo.uio.no/ Print: Oslo Kopisten AS iv Abstract This thesis is based on a multisited fieldwork in Ecuador, January-June 2011. Ecuador is preparing for REDD, a UN- project to reduce emissions from deforestation, but already conducts forest conservation in many places through PSB. These programs may have a major impact on the target groups, who are often indigenous peoples. The focus is on the dilemmas taking place in the nexus between the people of the rainforest and the people from the outside promoting conservation of the rainforest. Experiences from two different indigenous villages, one Secoya and one Shuar in the Amazon, tell a story of suppression, social change, unstable relationships and discrimination, but also glimpses of hope, strategic actions and choices coming from agency and empowerment. In the process of participation in such projects they are faced with problems of limited information, hastily made decisions and conflicting interests and opinions among the villagers. The money they will receive by joining is a great temptation, but the restrictions in self- determination of land-use implied have consequences.
    [Show full text]
  • Gringos in the Mist : a Naturalist Journey Through Ecuador
    University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1992 Gringos in the mist : a naturalist journey through Ecuador Greg Gordon The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Gordon, Greg, "Gringos in the mist : a naturalist journey through Ecuador" (1992). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 7339. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/7339 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY Copying allowed as provided under provisions of the Fair Use Section of the U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW, 1976. Any copying for commercial purposes or financM gain may be undertoken only with the author’s written consent. MontanaUniversity of Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. GRINGOS IN THE HIST: A NATURALIST JOURNEY THROUGH ECUADOR By Greg Gordon B.A., University of Colorado, 1986 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science University of Montana 1992 Approved by, ■ " r // Chai rman Dean, Graduate School Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP38140 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
    [Show full text]
  • How Forests Think
    HOW FORESTS THINK 99780520276109_PRINT.indd780520276109_PRINT.indd i 224/06/134/06/13 88:16:16 AAMM This page intentionally left blank HOW FORESTS THINK toward an anthropology beyond the human Eduardo Kohn university of california press Berkeley Los Angeles London 99780520276109_PRINT.indd780520276109_PRINT.indd iiiiii 224/06/134/06/13 88:16:16 AAMM University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2013 by Th e Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kohn, Eduardo. How forests think : toward an anthropology beyond the human / Eduardo Kohn. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-520-27610-9 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn 978-0-520-27611-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Quichua Indians. 2. Quechua Indians—Social life and customs. 3. Quechua mythology. 4. Indigenous peoples—Ecology—Amazon River Region. 5. Human- animal relationships—Amazon River Region. 6. Human- plant relationships—Amazon River Region. 7. Philosophy of nature—Amazon River Region. 8. Semiotics—Amazon River Region. 9. Social sciences—Amazon River Region— Philosophy. I. Title F2230.2.K4+ 986.6—dc23 2013003750 Manufactured in the United States of America 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 In keeping with a commitment to support environmentally responsible and sustainable printing practices, UC Press has printed this book on Natures Natural, a fi ber that contains 30 post-consumer waste and meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
    [Show full text]
  • Indigenous Peoples and the Oil Frontier in Amazonia: the Case of Ecuador, Chevrontexaco, and Aguinda V
    \\server05\productn\N\NYI\38-3\NYI301.txt unknown Seq: 1 3-NOV-06 13:23 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THE OIL FRONTIER IN AMAZONIA: THE CASE OF ECUADOR, CHEVRONTEXACO, AND AGUINDA V. TEXACO* JUDITH KIMERLING** I. Introduction.................................... 414 R II. Governments and Policy in Ecuador ............ 417 R A. Government Instability and Petroleum Politics ... 417 R B. Amazon Policy and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ...................................... 426 R C. Environmental Protection Policy ................ 433 R III. Texaco’s Operations and Impact ............... 449 R IV. Environmental Audit ........................... 468 R V. Aguinda v. Texaco: “The Rainforest Indians’ Lawsuit” in Texaco’s Homeland ................ 474 R * In addition to the sources cited infra, this Article draws on the author’s observations during regular visits since 1989 to oil field facilities and affected communities in Ecuador’s Amazon region; participation in local, national, and international fora; and interviews and ongoing dialogue with local residents, oil company workers and executives, and governmental officials, including environment officials in successive Ecuadorian governments and some U.S. and European officials. ** Associate Professor of Law and Policy, The City University of New York, Queens College and School of Law; J.D., Yale Law School, 1982; B.A., University of Michigan, 1978. The author has worked on issues discussed in this Article in various capacities since 1989 and participated in some of the events reported herein. At the time this Article was written, she served as the international representative of thirty-one indigenous Kichwa and Huaorani communities who came together in the wake of the dismissal of Aguinda v. Texaco to take legal action to remedy environmental and social injuries caused by Texaco’s operations in Ecuador and was accompanying them in a lawsuit against ChevronTexaco Corp.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study of the Yasunãł-ITT
    Syracuse University SURFACE Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects Projects Spring 5-2016 A Case Study of the Yasuní-ITT: What is New about the Twenty- First Century Socialist Development Model? Haley Kulakowski Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone Part of the International and Area Studies Commons Recommended Citation Kulakowski, Haley, "A Case Study of the Yasuní-ITT: What is New about the Twenty-First Century Socialist Development Model?" (2016). Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects. 946. https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/946 This Honors Capstone Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Syracuse University Honors Program Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Case Study of Yasuní-ITT: What’s new about the twenty-first century socialist development model? © Haley Kulakowski 2016 ii Abstract This paper explores and challenges the development strategies of Rafael Correa in Ecuador and, more generally, the new Latin American left through the Yasuní-ITT case study. Claiming to implement a post-neoliberal development model that stands to uphold the principles of buen vivir, post-neoliberalism, and the 2008 Ecuadorean constitution, the Yasuní-ITT case study seems less like a commitment to the rights of the Pachamama and the rights of indigenous tribes, and more like a political tactic, the creation of a hollow narrative that positions the new Latin American left as anti-Northern, anti- IMF, and as “post-neoliberal.” In this thesis, I examine different data from the World Bank, US Energy Information Administration (EIA), IndexMundi, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Ecuadorean government, and other sources in order to determine changes under the Correa administration in oil and development strategies.
    [Show full text]
  • Inclusion and Identity in Ecuador's Indigenous Movement, 1927
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Undergraduate Humanities Forum 2014-2015: Penn Humanities Forum Undergraduate Color Research Fellows 5-2015 ‘He too has the Right to be Educated’: Inclusion and Identity in Ecuador’s Indigenous Movement, 1927-2009’ Abigail Koffler University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/uhf_2015 Part of the Latin American History Commons Koffler, Abigail, "‘He too has the Right to be Educated’: Inclusion and Identity in Ecuador’s Indigenous Movement, 1927-2009’" (2015). Undergraduate Humanities Forum 2014-2015: Color. 6. https://repository.upenn.edu/uhf_2015/6 This paper was part of the 2014-2015 Penn Humanities Forum on Color. Find out more at http://www.phf.upenn.edu/annual-topics/color. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/uhf_2015/6 For more information, please contact [email protected]. ‘He too has the Right to be Educated’: Inclusion and Identity in Ecuador’s Indigenous Movement, 1927-2009’ Abstract In Ecuador, a nation with a large Indigenous population, the question of education is at once political and revolutionary. In the 1930s, Indigenous activists learned tactics from communist and socialist unions and set up many schools in regional groups. A generation of activists, led by Dolores Cacuengo made tremendous strides. In 1988, the Ministry of Education officially assumedesponsibility r for Indigenous education under coalition pressure, but it has since failed to capture the nuances of the nation’s Indigenous communities and their expectations for education. Meanwhile, the Indigenous groups have mobilized into a political party that hopes to redefine cuadorianE nationality against centuries of structural oppression.
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief Political Economy of Extraction and Colonisation in the Ecuadorian
    3 Living in Napo: a brief political economy of extraction and colonisation in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The aim of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the Napo region of the Ecuadorian Amazon and its inhabitants by way of a – necessarily limited – historical political economy of the area. Its purpose is to illuminate the context in which my field work took place and, relatedly, to paint a picture of the historical, political, economic, cultural and local specificities in which both the Access and Benefit Sharing negotiations of the ProBenefit project (see Chapter 4 below) and the struggles of the people with whom I worked unfolded. Approaching the protection of traditional knowledge from a critical perspective, which aims to take into account the views of the so-called knowledge-holders themselves, requires a historical view that sees bioprospecting as one of a wider set of activities impinging on people’s lives. This chapter reveals bioprospecting, the search for commercially valuable lifeforms and their ingredients, as one amongst a long- standing series of extractive activities in the Amazon forest: rubber, gold, timber, oil, and now traditional knowledge. As part of these processes, Europeans continue to compete with each other over the control of indigenous labour indispensable for survival in, let alone exploitation of, the rainforest. Violence, or threats thereof, have been used alongside bribery, trade, ideological conviction and later wages in order to extract time, energy and skills from the people of the forest, largely for the benefit of European and mestizo colonisers (traders, missionaries, administrators). Nonetheless, indigenous inhabitants of Napo were by no means passive victims of exploitation.
    [Show full text]
  • How Forests Think
    HOW FORESTS THINK 99780520276109_PRINT.indd780520276109_PRINT.indd i 224/06/134/06/13 88:16:16 AAMM This page intentionally left blank HOW FORESTS THINK toward an anthropology beyond the human Eduardo Kohn university of california press Berkeley Los Angeles London 99780520276109_PRINT.indd780520276109_PRINT.indd iiiiii 224/06/134/06/13 88:16:16 AAMM University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2013 by Th e Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kohn, Eduardo. How forests think : toward an anthropology beyond the human / Eduardo Kohn. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-520-27610-9 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn 978-0-520-27611-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Quichua Indians. 2. Quechua Indians—Social life and customs. 3. Quechua mythology. 4. Indigenous peoples—Ecology—Amazon River Region. 5. Human- animal relationships—Amazon River Region. 6. Human- plant relationships—Amazon River Region. 7. Philosophy of nature—Amazon River Region. 8. Semiotics—Amazon River Region. 9. Social sciences—Amazon River Region— Philosophy. I. Title F2230.2.K4+ 986.6—dc23 2013003750 Manufactured in the United States of America 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 In keeping with a commitment to support environmentally responsible and sustainable printing practices, UC Press has printed this book on Natures Natural, a fi ber that contains 30 post-consumer waste and meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
    [Show full text]