NON-ANIMALS AND THE "ANIMAL" CATEGORY. DEFINING THE ZOO-SOCIOCOSMOLOGY OF THE TOBA (QOM) OF THE ARGENTINIAN CHACO

Abstract

This article analyses the categories that classify the world among the Toba (Qom) of the Argentinian Chaco. It compares the attributes that define humans and non-humans in order to reveal the complexity of the latter category, which includes animals. First, it examines certain peculiarities of the appearance, food preferences, sexual and reproductive regimes, behaviour and habitat of those animals that the Toba call shiỹaxaua (person), and then explores the same features among those that they identify as 'animals'. Finally, it problematizes the category of the "animal" and proposes a macrotaxonomy that provides an analytical framework within which we can expand aspects of these Amerindian's zoo-sociocosmology.

Key words:
non-animal; macro-taxonomy, Qom; Toba; Gran Chaco