Ethnoecology, Resource Use, Conservation And Development In A ...

damaging at the low levels of exploitation to which these stands are currently
subjected, given the wide geographic dispersal of forest dwellings.
A variety of hardwood species of forest timber are employed in house
construction, both in the village and in the forest. Depending on size, these may be
used for house posts, beams and rafters. A few individuals have access to chainsaws,
of which there are two in the village, and operate businesses in the sale of sawn
boards. At the moment this operates almost entirely on a local level, and the limited
extent of the markets available in the village restricts levels of extraction. However,
some areas are locally depleted in the most favoured timber species: as mechanical
haulage is not available this is restricted to within a few miles of the ‘bush mouth’, as
the boundary between forest and savannah is called in Creolese. The high selectivity
and the use of mature trees makes this an area in which the risks of use exceeding
the limits of sustainability are high. A small number of vines are also used in building,
for tying together wooden materials.
Traditional crafts retain an indispensable role in subsistence, particularly in the
processing of cassava. Graters, matapees (long woven tubes used for squeezing the
poisonous juice out of grated bitter cassava), sifters and fans are all made from local
materials, as are baskets, warishis (woven backpacks used for carrying farm produce
to the house, or provisions on extended forest trips), carrying bags and other items,
including some of a purely ornamental nature. The loss of the skills employed in
making this technology is a widespread concern among those wary of the increasing
focus of Wapishana youth towards Brazil. A small number of species are employed,
most important being mokoro (Heteropsis flexuosa), nibi (Clussia spp.), and other
vines such as mamu'uzu (not identified); tibisiri, a product of the etai leaf, and the
leaves of etai and other palms such as low, are also important as craft materials.
Balata remains important in the manufacture of locally-used products, most important
of which are gobis, large containers used to hold water or other drinks. Other
purposes for which plant parts and other forest products are gathered include
medicine, incense, latex for glues and firelighters, cigarette papers, binas and a
variety of magical uses.
4.6 Animal Husbandry
The rearing of domestic livestock by Wapishana people probably postdates the
settling of European ranchers on their land by a fairly short interval. Farabee (1918)
makes no mention of the keeping of domestic animals, and it had earlier been
reported that Wapishana people met by Schomburgk expressed a disdain for the flesh