Yuracaré
Encyclopedia
Yuracaré are South America
n indigenous people living on 2,500 square kilometres along the Chapare River
watershed in Cochabamba Department
and Beni Department
, in the Bolivia
n Lowlands of the Amazon Basin
. The Yuracaré reside not far from Santa Cruz de la Sierra
and Cochabamba
, among the forests and plains near the Andes
. They are among the residents of the Yuracaré Native Community Land (TCO), the Yuqui TCO, the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory
, the Chiman Indigenous Territory, and the Multiethnic Indigenous Territory I.
The Yuracare language
is a language isolate
, and is believed to be spoken in Bolivia
by between 500 and 2,500 people. There are about 400 families in the Cochabamba Department and 62 Yuracare households in the Beni Department
. The Yuracaré, who are one of approximately 35 Bolivian indigenous groups, traditionally bury their dead along with their bow and arrows, as it is a belief that the dead go to a place underground where game is plentiful.
's IFRI
, along with the Center for the Study of Economic and Social Reality (CERES), has done research among the Yuracaré regarding the way the Yuracaré manage their forests. The organization helped the Yuracaré develop a forest management plan and receive official land titles to their territory by 1996, and in 1998 the Bolivian government officially approved the management plan. This was the first time in Bolivian history that an indigenous group was granted concessionary forest management rights. Further, the IFRI said that the natives' forest management practices increase the amount and size of fruiting trees. The Yuracaré find it important to maintain the forest because certain trees bear the fruit that is necessary in attracting the game that they hunt and of which they live off.
Like other indigenous groups in Bolivia, the Yuracaré have faced major problems stemming from cultural issues in recent years. Some background: Bolivia is South America's poorest nation, and the native populations there are the most financially deprived of all. Having remained isolated over the years, authentic native traditions have still survived, while evolving under Catholic (in this case, the Jesuits of Paraguayan Reductions
) and Spanish influences. The proliferation of the Spanish language has led to disconnect and even friction between native tongues and Spanish-speakers. Globalization
has been a major issue, as the Yuracaré have rejected privatization that has been implemented with encouragement from the U.S., to some amount of success.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n indigenous people living on 2,500 square kilometres along the Chapare River
Chapare River
The Chapare River is a river in Bolivia, which is a tributary of the Mamoré River in the Amazon River watershed. The river has its source at the confluence of Espíritu Santo River and San Mateo River in the Cochabamba Department at Villa Tunari. It is the main waterway of Chapare Province...
watershed in Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba is one of the nine component departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the "granary" of the country because of its variety of agricultural products due to Cochabamba's geographical position. It has an area of 55,631 km². Its population, in the 2007 census, was 1,750,000...
and Beni Department
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
, in the Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n Lowlands of the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
. The Yuracaré reside not far from Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
and Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
, among the forests and plains near the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. They are among the residents of the Yuracaré Native Community Land (TCO), the Yuqui TCO, the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory
Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory
Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory is a protected area and Native Community Land in Bolivia situated between the north of the Cochabamba Department and the south of the Beni Department...
, the Chiman Indigenous Territory, and the Multiethnic Indigenous Territory I.
The Yuracare language
Yuracaré language
Yuracaré is an endangered language isolate of central Bolivia in Cochabamba and Beni departments spoken by the Yuracaré people....
is a language isolate
Language isolate
A language isolate, in the absolute sense, is a natural language with no demonstrable genealogical relationship with other languages; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. They are in effect language families consisting of a single...
, and is believed to be spoken in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
by between 500 and 2,500 people. There are about 400 families in the Cochabamba Department and 62 Yuracare households in the Beni Department
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
. The Yuracaré, who are one of approximately 35 Bolivian indigenous groups, traditionally bury their dead along with their bow and arrows, as it is a belief that the dead go to a place underground where game is plentiful.
Modern issues
Indiana UniversityIndiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
's IFRI
International Forestry Resources and Institutions
The International Forestry Resources and Institutions Network is a collective of research partners at 12 universities or non-governmental organizations in 11 countries around the world that focus on how institutions and governance arrangements shape forest use and management outcomes...
, along with the Center for the Study of Economic and Social Reality (CERES), has done research among the Yuracaré regarding the way the Yuracaré manage their forests. The organization helped the Yuracaré develop a forest management plan and receive official land titles to their territory by 1996, and in 1998 the Bolivian government officially approved the management plan. This was the first time in Bolivian history that an indigenous group was granted concessionary forest management rights. Further, the IFRI said that the natives' forest management practices increase the amount and size of fruiting trees. The Yuracaré find it important to maintain the forest because certain trees bear the fruit that is necessary in attracting the game that they hunt and of which they live off.
Like other indigenous groups in Bolivia, the Yuracaré have faced major problems stemming from cultural issues in recent years. Some background: Bolivia is South America's poorest nation, and the native populations there are the most financially deprived of all. Having remained isolated over the years, authentic native traditions have still survived, while evolving under Catholic (in this case, the Jesuits of Paraguayan Reductions
Jesuit Reductions
A Jesuit Reduction was a type of settlement for indigenous people in Latin America created by the Jesuit Order during the 17th and 18th centuries. In general, the strategy of the Spanish Empire was to gather native populations into centers called Indian Reductions , in order to Christianize, tax,...
) and Spanish influences. The proliferation of the Spanish language has led to disconnect and even friction between native tongues and Spanish-speakers. Globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
has been a major issue, as the Yuracaré have rejected privatization that has been implemented with encouragement from the U.S., to some amount of success.