Perez/11
Jocelyn Perez
Professor Gallardo
LIB200.1467
21 May 2008
Final Draft
The Guarani: Suffering at the Hands of Change
From the time that humankind learned how to use trees to construct houses, build fences and domesticate animals, they have learned that it was important to value the resources they had at their fingertips. When more was needed to satisfy the growing populations, trade and conquest became the means of fulfilling that demand. As humans began to branch out and journey to new horizons in search of these resources, globalization soon ensued. In consequence, the process has taken with it various species of plants and fauna, and the virtually unnoticed standards of living of several indigenous groups worldwide. This unawareness has become evident as more news coverage is given to the atrocious conditions in which American livestock is maintained, rather than the imported cabinets that may have cost the life of an eleven year old Guarani girl in South America. The Guarani tribes continue to suffer at the hands of change as they have for generations, due to the economic shift to raising cattle and interest in lumber. It would take the combination of the various national governments, corporations, and mainly the consumers, to ensure the place of these people in the future.
The Guarani are an indigenous people to South America, with populations ranging between 50, 000 to 100, 000. Although they are believed to have originated in Paraguay, they can be found throughout Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. They have divided into various tribes and dispersed in these parts, where settlements are comprised of three to five hundred members. The most well-known of these are the Guarani Mbya, Xiripa, and Kiowa, who occupy areas of Paraguay and Brazil. Interesting enough, the term Guarani, itself, refers to their shared heritage, as well as their language. Its distribution has been recognized in Paraguay, to the extent, that it has been made an official language along with Spanish, because over ninety percent of the population speaks some form of it. Guarani culture has definitely left its mark on South Americans; a mark some of citizens would rather do without (“The Indians Guarani”; “Guarani: Official Language”).
Living in the rainforests, the Guarani hold their environment in incredibly high regard. For them, the land is above all, it can do no evil and will supply them with everything they need on a day to day basis. Their culture and religious beliefs have been founded on these principles for centuries. Although some tribes now practice Catholicism, those that follow the path of their ancestors continue to practice animism. This asserts that nature itself has a soul; that the sky, the trees, the animals, and even stones have a soul. This belief branches off into their healing practices and shamanistic leadership systems. Shamans, who are the religious leaders in the communities, use the plant species they have at their disposal in order to create remedies for a wide range of ills, and provide a connection between the people and the Gods (Martin; Peters).
When it comes to sustaining themselves, the tribes take to hunting, fishing, gathering and horticulture. They only take what is needed; each family only plants enough to feed themselves. Although the practice is often scrutinized by agriculturalists, the Guarani have long used the slash and burn techniques to replenish the much needed nutrients in the soil. They use a plot of land for raising crops for a period of three to four years, then set ablaze the vegetation and abandon it, until the alternate plot is past use. This gives the forest time to naturally rebalance itself, and return its soils to a fertile state. The Guarani share a symbiotic relationship with their surroundings. They would do so for hundreds of years, before “others” came to claim the partner they had for so long sought to protect (Reed 130; “Indians”).
The first to encounter the Guarani, were a slew of Spanish explorers, the famed conquistadores, who came to South America in the early sixteenth century. They came in search of fertile farmland, and precious ores, which were in high demand, as a means of profit. Nevertheless, when confronted by the indigenous group, they saw ample opportunity to get involved in the slave trade. The people were hunted down and entire families were sold. It would take almost half a century for some form of help to arrive. Jesuit missions made the journey in search of new followers, and when they learned of the atrocities being done to the slaves, they offered the Guarani conversion as a form of escape. Thousands of Guarani flocked to the missions; they learned the Catholic prayers, but continued their ways in secret. Finally, in the beginning of the eighteenth century several European countries waged war in the region wanted to stake their claim on the areas now known as Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. Many Guarani stayed to fight and die, alongside their priests, while others saw their chance and fled back into the forest. Many tribes reverted to the old way of life; those who had difficulty doing so chose to take the occasional job as a gardener or maintenance worker for a village farmer. But deep in the forest they stayed, looking expectantly into a bright future, and waiting (“Guarani”, Wikipedia; “Indians”).
As the nineteen hundreds approached, the United States’ and Europe’s need for paper, beef and building materials increased dramatically. These were the peak years of the Industrial Revolution, and the population had fairly increased as well. Once based on small-scale farming, the South American economy saw the necessity to shift into agribusiness. Their fertile rainforests proposed the best means for production and offered an immediate return. In the early nineties, soybeans became a staple crop due to its nutritious values, and recently, South America came in second as the main exporter of the product. The bottomless pit of consumer demand called for mass land clearing for pastures, farmland and lumber (“Help Find Solutions”; Reed 138; “Guarani”, Survival International).
For the countries of Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia, cattle production and the exportation of beef has become a prominent industry. The inexpensive cost of raising vast quantities of livestock on wide-ranging pastures is a very appealing investment for the competitive farmer. Various corporations from the United States and Europe use the South American rainforests as a base for their ranches as well. They are able to produce more beef, maintain cheaper facilities, and keep the consumer happy because they are able to sell the meat for less. Large portions of land are cleared, fenced in, and the vegetation is left for the animals to gorge on. The trees are put aside, never put to good use, and left to rot. This land is exhausted after six years; therefore, simply more land is destroyed to accommodate the hungry and growing herd. According to a report from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, it is estimated that over sixty percent of the continent will be converted into grazing land in less than two years (“Cattle Ranching”).
The slow process of forest removal is also greatly affected by the great demand for paper and lumber, making the logging industry one of the leading factors in South America’s deforestation. The trees are sawed down, towed away, until a bulldozer dislodges the remaining stumps. The lumber, later, makes its way to distributors in Europe and the United States. The forest cannot replenish itself as fast as it is being destroyed. Leaving the soil exposed, there is erosion and further depletion of nutrients. The once plentiful wildlife is left without food and shelter.
This new world is no place for the Guarani people. There are no well-paying jobs for them in this industrialized economy, even in these large-scale ranches. The resulting land development has encroached on their ancestral grounds, as well as their way of life. The marginalization of the Guarani, instilled from the times of the Spanish settlers, along with their supposed subhuman categorization is still recognized by many throughout South America claiming, “They are like animals because they are unbaptized” (“Indians”). Thus, even though the indigenous tribe has occupied an area for decades, they have no claim over it. Land purchases by big corporations and the constant expansion of ranchers have forced them deeper into the forest or onto small plots of land that have already been cleared, and are of no use to anyone. Up to a thousand of them are crammed into these sections, where they can barely sustain themselves with what little crops they do manage to grow. Malnutrition plagues the communities, increasing the child mortality rate; some children barely make it to their fifth birthday. Sadly, even these plots do not provide security to the populations. They may be forced to relocate once again through brute force, if the land becomes of interest once again, either to a rancher, a plantation owner or a land developer. The constant displacement has severed family ties, threatened social patterns and dissolved the roles of several shamans as tribal leaders.
Life on these plots can best be described as life in a box. The Guarani are surrounded by the depleting forest and fauna, watching the environment they have cultivated for years stripped of life. The tribes of are unable to fish in the rivers that have become ridden with pesticides and sediment due to the soil erosion of neighboring crop fields. They are unable to find the once plentiful herbs needed for medicinal purposes, and game is scarce. Their once diverse diet, including berries, honey, yerba mate, and plantain, has become one comprised of stomach fillers lacking in the necessary nutrients to maintain an adequate immune system. Corn, coffee, and beans have become staple elements in their everyday food intake.
Along with starvation, the Guarani live in constant fear for their lives, and the lives of their loved ones. Ranchers often ravage their villages, shooting rifle rounds near small children in play areas, and raping women who have ventured out of sight of their families. Men who come to the aid of the helpless are beaten relentlessly, or shot point-blank. Some set the crops the do have ablaze, trying to persuade them to leave the area. They view the “indios” (Reed 139) as squatters on land for which they have no legal documentation, and as leeches, who must not be permitted near their properties. The ranchers do not see the Guarani as people to them, they are mere animals; with no rights, no place of belonging, and most of all, no voice.
These attacks have encouraged some Guarani men to venture into the cities and villages, looking for wage labor or begging in the street and hoping to bring some form of sustenance back to their families. In Bolivia, it is common that those whose lands are sold while they continue to occupy them, are given the opportunity to work on them for the new owner. This may seem appealing to the tribe at first, but they are kept in deplorable conditions, working long hours, and are paid unfairly. The owners give the Guarani used clothes, and an excuse for a plate of food come mealtime. These poor people are being exploited for cheap labor, and their situation begins to resemble that of their captive ancestors. According to the benefiting land owners, these acts are justified because, “The Guarani are hard workers, but if it were not for us forcing them to work they would become lazy since they have no ambition, they need us to civilize them” (Corrie). This apparent humanitarian effort sheds light on those who truly need to be “civilized.”
The ongoing struggle between tribes and ranchers, is best illustrated in excerpts from Saya Minoso’s memoir,[1] entitled, Somos los Indios Olvidado, which means “We are the Forgotten Indians.” Here, she describes life as a young Guarani girl in Paraguay, constantly being shuffled from plot to plot due to the turmoil and land development.
…I think I experienced my fondest memories before my teen years; before we began to move around. All those times playing in the river, catching frogs and eating berries to my heart’s content. The rest is a bit hazy now, but I remember a lot of smiles. Then came the announcement that changed our lives. We were told that the land of our ancestors had been bought, and that we would have to leave. I , unlike my elders, did not witness the bulldozers devour everything we cherished; every shrub, every tree. I will never forget, however, the first reservation they had sent us to…
I remember that my family shared a cabin with another, but we lived comfortably. There were nine houses on the plot, if I recall correctly; most of them occupied by at least three families, which was sometimes troublesome. We had been separated from my grandparents and other crucial members of our once close-knit family. I was about twelve at the time, the oldest of three. I had two younger brothers, Tomaso, who was seven, and Arturo, who was only an infant. It was his cries that ultimately, directed my curiosity onto more amusing things.
As I walked through the area, I sadly realized that there were only six trees on what we could consider “our” land. I did not understand then, but I was drawn toward a lonely Angico tree that stood stoically on the east side of the reserve. Sometimes when I could not sleep, I would sit in its branches until daybreak. It was by far the tallest tree in the area, and I thought I could see everything from there. I would watch as faces emerged from the cabins, attentively listening to conversations about when the next rations would arrive, to arguments about whether or not the coffee beans were ready for harvest, and little voices asking about what there would be for breakfast. The men would go off to test their luck with the fish, while the women brewed yerba mate tea, and tended to the gardens.
Little did I know, I was sitting on a very big piece of our culture. The community shaman noticed my affection for the tree, and decided to take the opportunity to teach the children about the medicinal arts of our ancestors. He crowded us around the tree, and explained that the Angico serves many purposes and is to be treated with the utmost respect. Its sap can be used to cleanse wounds, and heal burns, while the bark can be made into a tonic that relieves diarrhea, and fatigue. These lessons became practically a daily routine…and we found ourselves immersed deeper into our traditions.