Guarani-Kaiowá biocultural memories of the forest and the beings that live in it: cosmopolitical ecology from the perspective of ethnoconservation

Abstract

This paper is the result of a collaborative and participative construction between a Kaiowá researcher, her community, and a non-indigenous researcher which reflects on the importance of the Kaiowá people’s biocultural memories of the forest and the beings that inhabit it together, weaving a dialog on ethnoconservation from the perspective of cosmopolitical ecology. Participatory active research was used, with the methodology constructed through participatory workshops, guided tours, free listing, and interviews. The participants were the school community and three Tekoha Tapy Kora spiritual leaders in Amambai, Mato Grosso do Sul. We found that the presence of the forest (in its various levels and diversity of beings) comprises a vital part of the tekoha (territory of life) and permits life to exist in all its dimensions. The political mobilizations of indigenous peoples in defense of territories and biodiversity indicate new epistemic and political horizons for research in ethnobiology and conservation biology. This dialog between different sciences can contribute to the struggle for existence and the recomposition of life in its multiple dimensions.

Keywords
Biodiversity; Traditional Guarani-Kaiowá knowledge; Biodiversity conservation; Ethnobiology