Relations with wildlife of Wichi and Criollo people of the Dry Chaco, a conservation perspective

• Autores: Camino, Micaela; de Sousa Mendes Parreira Cortez, Sara; Altrichter, Mariana; Matteucci, Silvia Diana
• Año de publicación: 2018
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: CHACO; CONSERVATION; INDIGENOUS PEOPLE; LOCAL CULTURES; MESTIZO PEOPLE; SUBSISTENCE HUNTING
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Indigenous Wichís and mestizos Criollos inhabit a rural, biodiversity rich, area of the Argentinean Dry Chaco. Traditionally, Wichís were nomads and their relations with wildlife were shaped by animistic and shamanic beliefs. Today, Wichís live in stable communities and practice subsistence hunting, gathering and in some cases, fishing. Criollos are mestizos, i.e. a mixture of the first Spanish settlers and different indigenous groups. They arrived during the 20th century from neighbouring Provinces. They practice extensive ranching, hunting and gathering. Our aim was to help develop effective and legitimate actions to conserve wildlife species in this region, focused on Wichís' and Criollos' perceptions of and relations with wildlife. We conducted semistructured interviews (N=105) in rural settlements. We found differences in both groups' hunting techniques, drivers and perceptions on the importance of wild meat for nutrition. However, both groups have a close relation with wildlife, they use wild animals in a variety of ways, including as food resource, medicine and predictors of future events. Wichís and Criollos also relate with wildlife in a spiritual dimension, have animistic and shamanic beliefs and have unique traditional ecological knowledge. Hunters in both communities are breaking traditional hunting norms but conservation measures grounded on these norms have a higher probability of success. Management recommendations include developing programmes focused on (i) conserving thin armadillos; (ii) conserving pregnant and breeding females of all species; (iii) managing dogs to avoid unnecessary killings and on (iv) improving local livelihoods. We also provide recommendations that are specific for each group.
Fil: Camino, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; Argentina. The Zoological Society of London; Reino Unido. Proyecto Quimilero; Argentina
Fil: de Sousa Mendes Parreira Cortez, Sara. Proyecto Quimilero; Argentina
Fil: Altrichter, Mariana. Prescott University; Estados Unidos. International Union for Conservation of Nature; Suiza
Fil: Matteucci, Silvia Diana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo. Grupo de Ecología del Paisaje y Medio Ambiente; Argentina