getting to know poverty - paraguay's
ayoreo forced out of isolation
iniciativa amotocodie, paraguay
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The Ayoreo indigenous peoples were
traditionally nomadic
hunter-gatherers in the forested Gran
Chaco region of Paraguay . They
hunted wild pigs, anteaters and
armadillos, collected wild honey, and
cultivated crops in the forest.
Over the past 60 years, most of
the Ayoreo have been settled by
missionaries: at least one group,
however, still resists all contact
with the outside world.
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The habitats of these last uncontacted
Ayoreo are currently under threat by
ranchers who are clearing the forest for
cattle pastures. The encroachment upon
Ayoreo territory by the surrounding society
has meant that their culture and quality of
life have undergone enormous
transformations. Most communities were
induced under false pretences to abandon
their forestbased lifestyles, and ended up
living in settlements. This was an abrupt
interruption to their traditional hunting
and gathering livelihoods and their unique
coexistence with their natural
environment.
Prior to their colonization, the Ayoreo
had never been poor, as their needs were
fulfilled by their surrounding habitat.
Poverty began to emerge only when they were
forced to adapt to an alien, nonindigenous
economic model and had to struggle to
maintain adequate standards of living,
Today, many Ayoreo live under extremely
precarious conditions in the outskirts of
urban areas. They have insecure jobs as
unskilled day laborers in a highly
restrictive labor market. Many young Ayoreo
feel hopeless about their future
prospects.
Eradicating poverty among the Ayoreo
would require creating the space and
conditions for them to regain their
previous collective lifestyles, likely in
combination with some new ‘westernstyle'
economic activities. This can only happen
if their ancestral territories are devolved
to them and their right to control them is
recognized. Eliminating poverty among the
Ayoreo will require the enforcement of laws
protecting their rights, interests
and traditional resources. Convention 169
of the International Labor Organization,
which recognizes the development and
preservation of ethnic minorities' cultural
identities and forms of organizations, will
be an important tool for the Ayoreo's
struggle.
Iniciativa Amotocodie, strongly
supported by Sobrevivencia/Friends of the
Earth Paraguay , is working for the
protection of the rights of the uncontacted
Ayoreo and the integrity of their habitats.
This is only possible if the Ayoreo's
deteriorated ecosystems are restored and
protected. Environmental restoration is
also a precondition for the future
sustainability of the surrounding society.
Economies based on conventional production
and trade are not only incompatible with
the natural resource based culture of the
Ayoreo, but also with a sustainable future
for the entire Gran Chaco .
