The Chaco Project Book - Asociación Escuelas Lincoln

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The Toba People of Chaco The Toba are an ethnic group in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. As of 2005, there are 47,951 Toba in Argentina, living mainly in the provinces of Chaco, Formosa and Santa Fe. The Chaco region in the north of Argentina and part of Paraguay was formerly covered with forests. The Toba were originally nomadic hunter–gatherers who, upon the arrival of the Spanish, adopted the horse and resisted colonial encroachment and missionization for several centuries. In the 1880s the Argentine government began a campaign to occupy new territories, defeating the last organized attempts by the Toba to defend their lands. The Argentine Chaco was divided up in large portions and exploited, especially for the valuable quebracho tree, used for its tannin and its extremely durable timber. This devastated the ecosystem in a relatively short time. The private owners of the Chaco then turned to cotton production, employing the Toba as a cheap seasonal workforce; the conditions did not change substantially for decades. Beginning in 1982, the region suffered unprecedented floods, which caused crops to be ruined; and in the 1990s, mechanical harvesters imported from Brazil left many Toba without jobs. The provincial government of Chaco resorted to pay a one–way ticket to the Toba willing to migrate south into Santa Fe. Source: Toba (Tribe), Wikipedia.org
Tobas Suffer Neglect by Daniel Schweimler, BBC News - Argentina, September 27, 2007 The Toba are one of the few remaining indigenous groups in Argentina. They live in “The Impenetrable Forest”, the poorest area in the poorest province of the country. The early Spanish settlers wrote about the Tobas saying they were a fierce people, hardened by an inhospitable terrain. The Toba are a tiny minority in Argentina, with only 18,000 people. Argentina has one of the smallest indigenous communities in the Americas, making it difficult for them to find a voice and maintain their language and customs. Poverty and Malnutrition Many look much older than they are, and are suffering from tuberculosis or the effects of Chagas disease, caused by a parasitic insect. These are illnesses with their roots in poverty. Many Toba still live in primitive mud and stick huts. The straw roof provides little protection from the relentless heat that batters Chaco province in the summer. The Toba hunt and gather wild fruits. But the growth of soya production in recent years has enticed farmers to the region in search of new lands to cultivate. Deforestation The local branch of the environmental organization, Greenpeace, has warned that massive deforestation is threatening some native groups with extinction. To make matters worse, the traditional cultivation of cotton in Chaco, which used to provide the Toba with seasonal work, is being replaced by less labour–intensive soya production. The impenetrable forest is becoming less impenetrable and with it the Toba are losing their lands and livelihoods. Many have emigrated to the cities where large communities struggle to earn a living in burgeoning shanty towns.
Page 1 and 2: The Chaco Project Celebrating 20 ye
Page 3: If given an option between doing so
Page 6 and 7: The Early Years by Matilde Flesc Wh
Page 10 and 11: Agony of the Toba People Translated
Page 12 and 13: Severe Drought Chaco has been affec
Page 14 and 15: When we returned to the kindergarte
Page 16 and 17: All these kids want is to be loved
Page 18 and 19: What began as a long, sweaty and ti
Page 20 and 21: Building
Page 22 and 23: Group Pictures Building at Telasco
Page 24: Dedicated to Silvina López Fernand

The Chaco Project Book - Asociación Escuelas Lincoln

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