INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 9 



THE TERENA 



(Pis. 1-11) 



TERENA ECONOMY IN THE CHACO 



HABITAT 



Although it is no longer possible to determine 

 by direct investigation the exact nature of the 

 economy of the Terena upon their entry into the 

 Chaco, indirect evidence points to agriculture as 

 being the basis of subsistence. The Terena are an 

 Arawak-speaking people and the Arawak-speaking 

 tribes in the Amazon Basin are predominantly 

 agriculturists. Terena myths tell of how 

 Turikoyuvakdi taught the people to practice agri- 

 culture : 



The Indians were hungry but they had no tools and 

 did not know how to obtain food. The twins then gave 

 the Indians all their tools. To the men, Yiirikoyuvakdi 

 gave the ax, povdoti; the digging stick, ilome'i; the knife, 

 piritau; tlie sickle, yopilocdti ; the war club, puld'oi; the 

 bow. shekii; arrows, shum6; and the spear, suiki. To the 

 women, the twins gave the spindle, hopde. Yiirikoyuvakai 

 then taught the Indians how to hunt, fl.sh, and grow crops. 



We know, too, from old records, that the Arawak- 

 speaking neighbors of the Terena were agricultur- 

 ists. Thus, although no direct written or verbal 

 evidence exists concerning the original nature of 

 Terena economy it appears reasonably safe to as- 

 sume that they were agriculturists in pre-Colum- 

 bian days. 



The Terena now describe their economic life in 

 the Chaco as having been based on agriculture, 

 hunting, fishing, collecting, and raiding. This 

 shift away from an emphasis on agriculture is 

 understandable. The Chaco with comparatively 

 greater sources of wild food plants, fish, and game 

 than existed in the tropical forest, offered not only 

 the resources but a stimulus for their use. In addi- 

 tion, the practice of agriculture in the Chaco was 

 not the same as in the rain forest. The long 

 drought period in the Chaco demanded a storable 

 surplus not necessary in a region where annual 

 rainfall is more evenly distributed. Above all, the 

 Terena came into contact with Chaco tribes that 

 depended principally upon hunting, fishing, and 

 collecting, and a mutual exchange of economic cus- 

 toms seems to have taken place. Wlien the Terena 

 took over the horse and the practice of hunting and 

 raiding their neighbors on horseback, dependence 



on agriculture became even less important. Con- 

 ditions of the physical environment and cultural 

 contacts, therefore, help to explain the econonaic 

 readjustments which the Terena appear to have 

 made in the Chaco. 



Geographically the region formerly occupied 

 by the Terena belongs to the great depressed plain 

 of the upper Paraguay River known as the Chaco. 

 The northeastern part of this plain is character- 

 ized by vast swamps relieved here and there by 

 low crystalline hills. This part of the Chaco, too, 

 has greater precipitation than the semiarid central 

 Chaco. The Terena speak of their Chaco home 

 as being wet and refer to dangers from floods. 

 Although the annual rainfall here is estimated at 

 50 inches, it must be remembered that the rains 

 fall from October to May, the remaining months 

 being extremely dry. In the summer months, 

 temperatures may reach over 100° F. During the 

 winter months of July and August cold winds blow 

 from the south, often bringing below-freezing 

 temperatures. 



This part of the Chaco is classified as savanna, 

 swampy near the Paraguay River but merging 

 into scrub forest to the west, with denser "galeria" 

 forests lining the more permanent water courses. 

 In the past, this region was 2Jarticularly rich in 

 I^lant and animal life which could be readily con- 

 verted to human use. Among the wild plants 

 which were of subsistence value to man were such 

 trees and shrubs as the algarroba (Prosopis) , the 

 acacia, the Barbary fig, the chafiar {C'ourliea 

 decorticans) , mistol, the wild orange, and a wide 

 variety of palms. Wild rice grew in the swamps. 

 Locusts and the larvae and honey of bees were 

 used. The scrub forests and swamps were the 

 home of such animals as the deer, peccary, tapir, 

 capybara, and the jaguar. Land and water birds 

 were plentiful, and the rivers were stocked with 

 many varieties of fish as well as turtles and shell- 

 fish. 



Discussing the resources of the Chana (Guana) , 

 Sanchez Labrador says : 



The "Palo Santo" is the most widespread tree. They 

 employ the hardwood of this tree to make spades to use 

 in their fields, and pipes to smoke tobacco, which they 

 appreciate very much. Birds are more abundant on the 

 west bank of the river than on the east bank. Tlie birds 

 feed in the fields of the Chanfi. They hunt many birds 



