"Our grandparents are buried here; our grandparents know:" re-membering a Quijos territory and identity
Date
2013
Authors
Korn, Allison R.
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Anthropology, 2013
Abstract
In this thesis I explore how memory shapes Quijos notions of territory and
identity. My research is based on fieldwork I conducted with the Amazonian Quijos in
Napo, Ecuador. I examine how the places on the land are intimately tied to Quijos
production of shamanic knowledge, health, and social wellbeing, as well as how the land
is an essential element that enables the Quijos to remember. The Ecuadorian state has
historically attempted to control the Quijos using models of “behavior” imposed through
agrarian reform and the creation of ecological conservation areas. I explore the
emergence of the “new” Quijos identity and focus on how its members interact with the
state as they attempt to gain autonomy. Finally, I argue that through memory-work, the
Quijos effectively produce their own identity and territory, thus creating a space
independent of state intervention that provides the autonomy they are seeking.
Description
x, 169 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm
Keywords
Quijos , Memory , Territory , Identity , Agrarian reform , Ecological conservation , State intervention , Dissertations, Academic , Collective memory -- Ecuador -- Quijos River Valley , Group identity -- Educador -- Quijos River Valley , Traditional ecological knowledge -- Ecuador -- Quijos River Valley , Indigenous peoples -- Ecuador -- Quijos River Valley -- Land tenure , Agriculture -- Ecuador -- Quijos River Valley