{{Short description|Eastern Bolivian indigenous group}} [[File:Bolivia Santa Cruz Guarayos.png|thumb|The Guarayos Providence in Santa Cruz, Bolivia]] The '''Guarayos''' are an [[indigenous group]] living in their ancestral land in eastern [[Bolivia]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Espinoza|first=Fabian Farfan|title=Bolivia's land tenure experience|date=January 2002|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3362/9781780441207.010|work=Land, Rights & Innovation|pages=179–192|place=Rugby, Warwickshire, United Kingdom|publisher=Practical Action Publishing|doi=10.3362/9781780441207.010 |isbn=978-1-85339-544-4|access-date=2021-04-19|url-access=subscription}}</ref> They are located north of the department of [[Santa Cruz de la Sierra|Santa Cruz]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5117/9789087280567|title=Legalising Land Rights : Local Practices, State Responses and Tenure Security in Africa, Asia and Latin America|date=2009|publisher=Amsterdam University Press|isbn=978-90-8728-056-7|editor-last=Ubink|editor-first=Janine M.|location=Amsterdam|doi=10.5117/9789087280567 |editor-last2=Hoekema|editor-first2=André J.|editor-last3=Assies|editor-first3=Willem J.}}</ref> The current population of the Guarayo group in Bolivia is 12,000. They primarily speak [[Guarayu language|Guarayu]], and 70% of the population is [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] with the remaining 30% practicing ethnic religions. The Guarayu speak the [[Guarayu language]], a language of the Tupían language family. They are known to be predominantly agricultural as much of their culture and lifestyle relies on their land.<ref name=":2" />
== History == Most likely Guarayos migrated to Bolivia from [[Paraguay]] centuries before when the [[Guaraní people|Guaraní]] attacked the frontiers of the [[Inca Empire]].<ref name="xxx">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=175c4xOpLtYC |title= The Indians of Central and South America: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary |page = 288 |via = books.google|isbn= 9780313263873 |last1= Olson |first1= James Stuart |year= 1991 |publisher= Bloomsbury Academic }}</ref> Guarayos ancestors are believed to be the Guaraní.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|title=The Guarani Invasion of the Inca Empire in the Sixteenth Century: An Historical Indian Migration|journal=Geographical Review|last=Nordenskiöld|first=Erland|year=1917|volume=4|issue = 2|pages=103–121|jstor = 207290|doi=10.2307/207290}}</ref>
== Culture == === Traditional religious beliefs === The Guarayos believe that three persons formed the world: Alaangui, Mbirachucha, and Candir.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Grubb|first=W. Barbrooke|date=June 1924|title=Mythology of the Guarayo Indians.|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0015587x.1924.9719283|journal=Folklore|volume=35|issue=2|pages=184–194|doi=10.1080/0015587x.1924.9719283|issn=0015-587X|url-access=subscription}}</ref> They also hold Zaguaguayu with respect as their first ancestor.<ref name=":0" /> The traditional religious beliefs include attributing marks on the moon to misbehavior of Abeulo, their Great Father.<ref name=":0" />
=== Clothing === As missionaries came into their villages, Guarayos were in feather ornaments and paint without any other clothing.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Miller|first=Leo E.|date=December 1917|title=The Yuracare Indians of Eastern Bolivia|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/207395|journal=Geographical Review|volume=4|issue=6|pages=450–464|doi=10.2307/207395|jstor=207395 |issn=0016-7428|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Today, the Guarayo women wear dresses out of long cloth and men wear long bark-cloth tunics.<ref name=":3" />
== Lifestyle == ===Daily life=== The Guarayos reside in the Bolivian lowlands and are predominantly hunter-gatherers and small farmers that grow corn, bananas and rice.<ref name=":7">{{Citation|last1=Gabay|first1=Mónica|title=Latin America—Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile|date=2011-09-08|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2144-9_3|work=Traditional Forest-Related Knowledge|pages=79–117|place=Dordrecht|publisher=Springer Netherlands|isbn=978-94-007-2143-2|access-date=2021-04-19|last2=Barros|first2=Santiago|last3=Bessonart|first3=Sebastián|series=World Forests |volume=12 |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-2144-9_3 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Guarayos communities began forming sindicatos to occupy and allocate land in the 1970s.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal|last=Wucherer|first=Pedro M.O. Svriz|date=2011-09-06|title=Jesuitas, guaraníes y armas. Milicias Guaraníes frente a los indios del Gran Chaco|journal=História Unisinos|volume=15|issue=2|doi=10.4013/htu.2011.152.13|issn=2236-1782|doi-access=free}}</ref> These sindicatos, known locally as agrarian zones were headed by presidents selected by traditional village leaders.<ref name=":9" /> Of the Guarayo population, 90.6% were below the poverty line, compared to 58.6% for Bolivia, and 38% for the Department of Santa Cruz.<ref name=":7"/>
=== Marriage and child birth === It was difficult for the Guarayo people to abandon [[polygyny]] as they resisted accepting marriage traditions of the church.<ref name="xxx" /> Young women require the consent of both their father and brother, where marriages between a man and his sister's daughter is preferred. Following the birth of a child, [[couvade]] is practiced.<ref name=":9" /> Fathers remain in their hammocks for the first three days after their child's birth in order for the child's soul to follow its father and not be injured.<ref name=":9" />
=== Death === When a Guarayo dies, their soul travels to the land of Tamoi, the Great Ancestor.<ref name=":3" /> On this journey, their soul passes through various temptations with great danger.<ref name="xxx" /> At the end of the journey, Tamoi washes the soul as it will now become young and attractive again.<ref name=":3" />
== Politics == === Central Organization of Native Guarayos Peoples === Following the destruction of an interdepartmental highway{{Clarify|date=June 2024}} opening the region to outsides, the Guarayo people created second level organization, Central Organization of Native Guarayo Peoples (COPNAG).<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last1=Larson|first1=Anne M.|last2=Cronkleton|first2=Peter J.|last3=Pulhin|first3=Juan M.|date=June 2015|title=Formalizing Indigenous Commons: The Role of 'Authority' in the Formation of Territories in Nicaragua, Bolivia, and the Philippines|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.02.004|journal=World Development|volume=70|pages=228–238|doi=10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.02.004|issn=0305-750X|hdl=10535/7266|hdl-access=free|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Leaders were elected a general assembly consisting of representatives across the province.<ref name=":5" /> COPNAG is responsible for representing Guarayo interests, allocating resources through submitting forest management plans entitled TCO lands, and certifying the authenticity of pre-existing land claims.<ref name=":5" />
COPNAG struggled with accusations and fraud because of the power the leaders of the organization have over land claims.<ref name=":5" /> The organization soon split and a parallel group, the ‘authentic’ COPNAG assumed power and were soon recognized by the Santa Cruz departmental government and the Comité Cívico of Santa Cruz.<ref name=":5" /> Daniel Yaquirera, the new President of COPNAG, has been fighting the pressures on their land with minimal support from the state government for their land rights.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=He|first1=Yifan|last2=Baldiviezo|first2=Juan Pablo|last3=Agrawal|first3=Arun|last4=Candaguira|first4=Vicente|last5=Perfecto|first5=Ivette|date=2019-12-31|title=Guardians of the Forests: How Should an Indigenous Community in Eastern Bolivia Defend Their Land and Forests under Increasing Political and Economic Pressures?|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/cse.2019.sc.946307|journal=Case Studies in the Environment|volume=3|issue=1|pages=1–14|doi=10.1525/cse.2019.sc.946307|issn=2473-9510|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
=== 1996 Forest Law === The 1996 Forest Law finally recognized the Guaryos as legitimate forest users occupying shared land.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=He|first=Yifan|last2=Baldiviezo|first2=Juan Pablo |first3=Arun |last3=Agrawal|first4=Vicente |last4=Candaguira|first5=Ivette |last5=Perfecto|title=Guardians of the Forests: How should an indigenous community in eastern Bolivia defend their land and forests?|url=https://www.learngala.com/cases/bolivia-forests|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Gala|language=en}}</ref> During a period of broad reforms, this law was negotiated for the status and use of Bolivias forest land.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=de Jong|first1=Wil|last2=Ruiz|first2=Sergio A.|date=March 2012|title=Strangers among trees: Territorialisation and forest policies in the northern Bolivian Amazon|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2011.02.004|journal=Forest Policy and Economics|volume=16|pages=65–70|doi=10.1016/j.forpol.2011.02.004|issn=1389-9341|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The law allowed them to consolidate their control of the land and create 76 forest management plans.<ref name=":6" /> The government has not fully supported and defended these forest properties which has created insufficient security. In recent years, soybean producers have moved to the southern parts of the farmlands, occupied by the Guarayos, as the region has higher economic stakes.<ref name=":2" /> This has led to greater administrative problems as organizations and the government often neglect the Guarayos property rights.<ref name=":2" />
=== BO Road Sector Capacity Development Project === The BO Road Sector Capacity Development Project includes an Indigenous Peoples Plan financed by [[World Bank Group|The World Bank]] credit and loan that was approved in September 2015.<ref name=":7"/> Through promoting intercultural dialogue, mechanisms of respect, and education for road usage and garbage management, the project aims to support the Guaryo and [[Sirionó|Siriona]] people.<ref name=":7" /> Since the Guarayo group is in the project area, the Indigenous Peoples Plan was created in order for the indigenous group to benefit from the project.<ref name=":7" />
=== Evo Morales === When [[Evo Morales]] won the presidential election in 2006 making him the first indigenous president of Bolivia, he promised hope to indigenous groups, including the Guarayos, by standing firmly with them and the environment.<ref name=":6" /> However, during 2000–2017, deforestation in the Guarayos Indigenous Territory was enhanced by agricultural commodity production.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|title=Guardians of the Forests: How Should an Indigenous Community in Eastern Bolivia Defend Their Land and Forests under Increasing Political and Economic Pressures?|url=https://www.conservation.org/research/guardians-of-the-forests-how-should-an-indigenous-community-in-eastern-bolivia-defend-their-land-and-forests-under-increasing-political-and-economic-pressures|access-date=2021-04-19|website=www.conservation.org|language=en}}</ref> Evo Morales' presidency weakened the Guarayos governance as [[extractivism]] and export-oriented agriculture was prioritized over group autonomy.<ref name=":8" />
==References== {{Reflist}}{{Ethnic groups in Bolivia}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Guarayo People}} [[Category:Guaraní]] [[Category:Indigenous peoples in Bolivia]] [[Category:Indigenous peoples of the Gran Chaco]]