The Indigenous Mbya Protect the Atlantic Rainforest
The indigenous Mbya Guaraní people belong to the Guaraní ethnic group, one of the indigenous populations of South America. They speak a variety of Guaraní accents, and most also speak Spanish or Portuguese. This is because the former nomadic people have found their home in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil.
The Mbya settled in the Argentine region of Misiones in the northeastern border area of Argentina over 20,000 years ago. As in pre-Columbian times, they live as hunters, gatherers, and planters. The Mbya are primarily a nomadic people. In search of food and medicine, they roam the forest. However, the forest areas are continuously shrinking. This has severely restricted their habitat and food sources. As a result, farming has become an essential part of their livelihood today. On limited space, they cultivate many different types of maize, as well as beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, and melons.
Living with the forest while conserving resources
The Mbya cultivate a very environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Each person should only use as many resources as they really need. Their world view and spirituality are completely focussed on living in and with nature. They believe that humans, animals and plants are interdependent: They live with and from each other. Accordingly, the Mbya see themselves as equal to all organisms in the forest. This also means that no species may over-exploit or unjustifiably harm another. In addition, all animal and plant species have a protector in the spiritual world of the Mbya.
The Mbya have lived in accordance with nature for thousands of years and protect the biodiversity of the jungle. As experts in the subtropical rainforest, they use the flora and fauna as a source of food and medicine.
Mbya medicine is based on a holistic view of people and their health. The life purpose to be fulfilled also plays an important part in the individual diagnosis. The Mbya then utilise the diversity of secondary plant substances and their effects for medicinal purposes. Thanks to the enormous natural diversity of species, their utilisation is wider than that of European folk medicine.
Together in an open and equitable community
The former nomadic folk live in an open community. The composition of the group can change again and again. They traditionally build their houses from palm poles. They weave the walls from bamboo and insulate them with loamy earth. They cover the roof made of logs with palm leaves. Increasingly, boards and corrugated iron are also being used.
The Mbya discuss upcoming community decisions intensively in meetings. Everyone is invited to attend. Women and men are treated equally. The discussion is led by the person who is the head – known as the Mburuvicha. They generally only make decisions the following day.
Decisions that affect the entire Mbya people are made at Aty Assemblies. The Mburuvicha of the various communities meet to find cross-community solutions in processes lasting two to three days.