8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

1/9

The Piaroa Indians

8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

2/9

The Piaroatraditional lands in

VenezuelaAround 12,000 Piaroa

Occupy large, remote areas in

the Amazonas And Bolivar States

in south-central Venezuela.

Prior to 1960s, little outside

contact.

Undergone significant cultural

transition in the past 30 years.

From: Stanford Zent (2001). Acculturation and

Ethnobotanical Knowledge Loss Among the Piaroa of

Venezuela. In Maffi (Ed.) On Biocultural Diversity.

8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

3/9

Recent movement away from traditional lands

8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

4/9

Cultural transitions over the past 50 years

Small house with extended families permanent multihousetowns

Traditional subsistence economy active commercial sector

Dependence on locally available wild goods dependence onforeign good, steel tools, footwear, outboard motors, radios

Making and use of traditional crafts decline greaterdependence on Western goods

From exclusively Piaroaspeakers bilingual Piaroa + Spanishspeakers

Traditional. spirit./religious practices ~50% now Christian

8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

5/9

Why the transitions?

Improved technology and infrastructure (roadways, motorvehicles, airplanes and airstrips, cheap outboard motors)

Vigorous missionary activity

Market and work opportunities

Government services and programs (school, medical care,

housing)

Fading terror of white people

8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

6/9

Ethnobotanical knowledge loss (TEK)

8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

7/9

Conclusions

ethnobotanical knowledge is in fact being lost in the

acculturated habitat.

the impact of age on ethnobotanical knowledge is a directreflection of the prevailing process of culture change among

the Piaroa.

Levels of bilingualism with Spanish and years of education arenegatively correlated with ethnobotanical competence.

8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

8/9

QuestionsA

What are the effects on the lives and cultureof the Piaroa for abandoning Piaroamonolingualism and adopting Spanish-Piaroabilingualism?

What are the effects of abandoning traditionalspiritual practices and adopting Christianity?

Are these cultural changes in the Piaroanatural or unnatural, voluntary orimposed?

8/8/2019 The Piaroa 2010 NEW Copy

9/9

QuestionsB

In order to protect indigenous peoples in their naturalhabitats, should national governments establishprotected zones to restrict access to outsiders, goods,services, and cultural change?

What special rights (if any) should governments extendto indigenous peoples?

Should indigenous peoples be allowed to control their

lands and to exploit any resources (e.g., gold) found ontheir lands?

How could indigenous land boundaries be established?