Retour sur les luttes territoriales awajun

Abstract

Within the Amerindian territories of Amazonian Piedmont (Peru), commercial exploitation of wood and extractivism are causing an increase of economical and/or cultural conflicts. June 5th, 2009 is an important date for Awajun (jivaro linguistic family), settled on High Marañón river. It refers to a brutal repression of native people protest movements (against news laws) by the armed peruvian forces close to Bagua. In the absence of feedback from the peruvian State regarding their requests of the use and free disposal of their lands, some indigenous organizations try to create a “integral territory”. This project is a response on the fact that awajun society, their environment and their decision making are limited by the political existence of an indigenous territory and are influenced by external actors (peruvian State and extractivism private companies). It highlighted how the cultural roots are actually defined by political choice. In this paper, I want to go back to the recent history of awajun political struggles, and then I ask the idea of cultural roots.

Keywords

• territory
• Peru
• 65459
• indigenous peoples’ struggles
• extractivism