The Jungle Book of the

IT IS A GREAT REGION OF NATIVE MONTE OF MORE THAN 40.000 km2, IN THE PLAINS OF WESTERN CHACO. IT IS MAINLY RAINY IN SPRING AND AUTUMN, AND DRY IN WINTER AND SUMMER. TEMPERATURES REACH 47°C. THE NAME IMPENETRABLE WAS GIVEN TO IT DUE TO ITS THICK AND WILD VEGETATION. IN 1976 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PROVINCE OF CHACO DECIDED TO CUT DOWN 5 MILLION HECTARES IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM FARM LAND. THIS PROJECT WAS NEVER FINISHED. THE REGION WAS DEVASTATED AND TRANSFORMED INTO A THORNY CHAPARRAL PRACTICALLY INFERTILE. THIS CAUSED THE DECREASE AND EXTINCTION OF NUMEROUS ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SPECIES AND THE IMPOVERISHMENT OF THE NATIVES.

THEY ARE NATIVES FROM THE REGION OF THE IMPENETRABLE. IN THE PAST THEY WERE NOMADS, THEIR FOOD COMES FROM THE HARVEST, HUNTING AND FISHING AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, FROM THE HORTICULTURE. THOSE ACTIVITIES WERE ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIIONS AND TO THE SEASONS OF THE YEAR WHICH THEY NAMED IT: “LUNAS DE LAS HELADAS” (winter), “LUNAS DE LAS FLORES” (spring), “LUNAS DE LAS ALGARROBAS” (summer) and “LUNAS DE LAS COSECHAS” (autumn).

ACCORDING TO WICHIS´ PHILOSOPHY THE HUMAN BEING IS COMPLETELY INTEGRATED TO NATURE. HE FINDS THE EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING ON IT AND HE IS CONSCIOUS ABOUT ITS CARE AND PROTECTION. THE LAND IS “TIERRA DE TODOS” SINCE IT IS CONSIDERED A FREE SPACE. THEY AIM ON ENVIRONMENTAL CARE THROUGH THEIR NON-ACCUMULATIVE POLICIES. EVERY ELEMENT IN NATURE HAS A PROTECTIVE SPIRIT THAT PUNISHES THE ONES WHO HARVESTS, FISHES OR HUNTS MORE THAN NECESSARY.

ALSO KNOWN AS “CARAGUATÁ”, IT IS A PLANT THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THE CHACO. THE WICHIS USE ITS RESISTANT FIBER FOR MAKING BAGS, CLOTHES, PONCHOS, NETS AND ROPES. DESERTIFICATION DUE TO TREE CUTTING MAKES IT GROW SCARCELY.

IT USES ITS BIG NAILS TO DIG AND SNIFF OUT ANTS AND TERMITES. IT HAS GOT A LONG PIG-LIKE SNOUT AND ITS SENSE OF SMELL IS HIGHLY DEVELOPED.

IT LIVES IN FORESTS, JUNGLES, AND MONTES. IT FEEDS OF TENDER BUDS, LEAVES, FUNGUS AND FRUITS. IT PEELS THE TRUNK OF THE TREE TO MARK ITS TERRITORY. IT IS DISTRUSTFUL AND ELUSIVE.

AFTER LOGGING AND LEAVING THE LAND POOR AND PREDATED, WICHIS WERE FORCED TO SETTLE DOWN IN THE IMPENETRABLE AREA. AROUND 50.000 OF THEM LIVE NOWADAYS GATHERED IN SMALL COMMUNITIES IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF SOME CITIES. THEY LIVE IN EXTREME POVERTY, WITH SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS, CAUSED BY MALNUTRITION. MARGINALIZED AND RESIGNED, THEY SUFFER A LOSS OF CULTURAL, MORAL, RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY.

BECAUSE OF HUNTING AND DESCTRUCTION OF ITS ENVIRONMENT, THE YAGUARETÉ IS ONE OF THESPECIES THAT IS NEARLY EXTINCT.

IT IS A SEMI NOMADIC ANIMAL THAT MOVES THROUGH AERIAL PATHS. IT IS CURIOUS AND CHARACTERIZED BY HIS SHOUT.

IT IS THE LARGEST CANINE IN SOUTH AMERICA. FAST, LONELY, TIMID AND CAUTIOUS, IT HAS NIGHT HABITS AND IT IS HARMELESS TO HUMANS. THE MALE REMAINS BY THE FEMALE DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY AND COOPERATES IN FEEDING

AND BREEDING THE PUPPIES.

IT MEANS HONEY IN WICHI LANGUAGE. WICHIS BASED AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR DIET IN THE SIXTEEN VARIETIES OF HONEY THEY TOOK FROM THE MONTE.

THE WICHIS BELIEVED THAT THE PLACE WHERE ALL THE WATER AND FISH THAT HAD BEEN POURED TO FORM RIVERS, WAS CONTAINED WAS THE INSIDE THE SILK FLOSS TREE.

AMONG THE NEAR THE FATHER WOKE UP, YAWNED

AND STRETCHED HIS THE ILLUMINATED HIM. SUDDENLY, HE HEAR D

A ROAR COMING FROM THE OF THE IMPENETRABLE.

-IT ’ S THE - MOTHER SAID, LYING BESIDE HER BABIES

-IT SOUNDS ANGRY.

NEARBY, THEY HEARD SOME

RUST. WAS ABOUT

TO JUMP WHEN HE SAW A LITTLE BOY WHO COULD

BARELY , THE BOY LOOKED AT HIM AND LAUGHED FEARLESSLY.

-A HUMAN PUPPY- MOTHER SAID. -HE IS VERY CUTE AND HELPLESS

BRING HIM WITH OUR PUPS. I WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM. HE IS SO SWEET! I WILL CALL HIM PINú

FATHER

AFTER A WHILE, A GRUMPY

APPEARED.

-WHERE IS THAT HUMAN PUP? I CAN SMELL HIM. GIVE HIM TO ME!

HIS PARENTS MANAGED TO ESCAPE, BUT

WILL NOT.

IS OURS, GET OUT OF HERE.-MOTHER

SAID.

THE EVIL MEN HUNTED ALL MY FAMILY, THAT ‘S WHY I AM GOING TO HUNT

THAT LITTLE MAN, YOU WILL SEE -SAID THE

AS HE WALKED AWAY.

FATHER AND MOTHER

TOOK TO THE

TO INTRODUCE HIM TO THE OTHER ANIMALS. EVERYBODY WAS THERE:

THE ,THE ,THE AND MANY OTHERS.

THEY WERE SO HAPPY TO MEET THE HUMAN PUP, THAT THEY MADE A

A BIG FUSS. AT THAT MOMENT THE

ARRIVED.

-WHAT IS A HUMAN PUP DOING AMONG US?’- HE SAID DEFIANTLY.

-I WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM - THE SAID

-AND I WILL BE HIS TEACHER - THE SAID.

THE WALKED AWAY GRUMBLING.

GREW UP HAPPILY IN THE WILD. HE ATE AND HE SWAM

IN THE RESTED UNDER THE AND HE RODE THE

IF ANY ANIMAL STUCK A

HE WOULD REMOVE IT.

THE TAUGHT HIM THE LANGUAGE OF THE ANIMALS AND THE LAWS

,HOW TO ASK FOR PERMISSION TO HUNT IN A TERRITORY

ONLY FOR EATING, NOT FOR FUN. HE ALSO TAUGHT HIM THE

TO ASK FOR HELP: “WE HAVE THE SAME BLOOD”.

OF THE

ONE DAY THE CARRIED HIM IN TO THE TOP

OF THE TREES.NONE OF THE ANIMALS

FROM THE CAN REACH

THAT HIGH. HAVE

DETOURS, UPS AND DOWNS. THEY TOOKTHROUGHTHAT AT TOP

SPEED, HAULING AND JUMPING FROM TO . FROM UP THERE

THEY SHOWED HIM THE OF THE MEN, IT WAS COVERED

BY A BIG OF

ON THE TOP OF THE

WHENCAME DOWN OF THE THE TOLD HIM: YOU’LL

BE A MAN SOON AND YOU’LL HAVE TO LEAVE THE

-WHAT’S WRONG WITH MEN THAT THEY CANNOT LIVE WITH THEIR BROTHERS ?-

-MEN HAVE FORGOTTEN THE LAWS AND THE OF THE

WE ANIMALS CANNOT LIVE WITH THEM FOR WE FEAR THEM. WHAT’S MORE,

IF YOU STAYED HERE, THE WOULD CHASE YOU.

WAVED THE ANIMALS. HE HUGGED THEAND THE

TICKLED HIM WITH HER NOSE. WHEN HE SAID GOODBYE TO MOTHER

AND

FATHER

HE NOTICED A

-WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME? – HE ASKED.

-YOU’RE CRYING LIKE HUMANS DO. –SHE REPLIED.

MOTHER - NEVER FORGET ABOUT US.

RUNNING DOWN HIS FACE.

STARTED LEAVING THE

BEHIND.

AFTER A LOT OF, HE REACHED THE VILLAGE OF THE WICHIS. IT DIDN’T LOOK

LIKE THE THE HAD SHOWN HIM.

THERE WERE ONLY A FEW SMALL MADE OUT OF BRANCHES, SOME SKINNY

AND MEN AND WOMEN GATHERED UNDER THE

WHEN THEY SAW , MANY KIDS RAN TO WELCOME HIM.

-HE COMES FROM THE

HE MUST ME HUNGRY – SAID THE WOMAN AND

SHE OFFERED HIM SOME

THE WICHIS TAUGHT HIM TO LIGHT THEWITH THE BRANCHES

FROM THE AND TO

KNIT WITH FIBER OF LEARNT THE LANGUAGE OF

HUMANS. AT UNDER THE , SOME MEN AND

WOMEN TOLD STORIES. CAME CLOSER TO TALK TO THEM,

-ANIMALS ARE AFRAID OF US – HE TOLD THEM. –THEY SAY

MEN HAVE FORGOTTEN THE LAWS.

-THEY TELL THE TRUTH- THE WOMAN REPLIED – SOME MEN CUT

THE AND THEY WILL TURN THE INTO A

THEY POLLUTE

THE AND WILL GET SICK. WE GET SICK TOO.

WE ARE PART OF THE EARTH JUST LIKE THE,BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF

THE ANIMALS , WE HAVE THE SAME BLOOD.

SMILED AFTER HE LISTENED TO THE

SUDDENLY THE APPEARED AND EVERYONE STARTED TO RUN.

THE WANTED TO JUMPOVER

BUT AVOIDED HIM AND TOOK FROM THE

A LIT THE STOOD STILL, PANICKED BY

THE SO TALKED TO HIM:

-DON’T BE AFRAID- HE SAID- YOU TOOK CARE OF ME WHEN I WAS

ALONE IN THE NOW WE ARE GOING TO

TAKE CARE OF YOU.

“WE HAVE THE SAME BLOOD”,. HEARING THE

THE BECAME AS TAME AS A

THE REST OF THE CHILDREN NEARED THE

TO TOUCH HIM.

-THE -SAID THE , ALL OF US ARE IN THE DANGER. –WE HAVE

TO THINK TOGETHER ,TO PROTECT OURSELVES- SAID LET US GET TOGETHER

HUMANS AND ANIMALS, TO THINK OF A SOLUTION.

IN THE OF THE IMPENETRABLE THE WICHIS GATHERED WITH THE ANIMALS

TO TALK UNDER THE

THEY WERE LOYAL AND HAPPY EVER AFTER,

EATING ALL KINDS OF HONEY.

THE END

BUSHES

MONTE

AGUARÁ GUAZÚ

LEGS

FULL MOON

HEART BRUNCH

WALK

YAGUARETÉ

PINÚ

PARROTS

TATÚ CARRETA

BRANCH

THE MAGIC WORDS

TAPIR

CARZUELA

ANTEATER

HONEY

FRUITS

WATER

SUN

THORN

MONKEYSTREES

PATHS

CITY

CLOUD

SMOKE

NOSE

TEAR

HOUSES

DOGS

CAROB TREE

EAT

FIRE

PALO SANTO

BAGS

CHAGUAR

NIGHT

PALO BORRACHO

DESERT

RIVER

FISH

TRUNK

CAT

STARS

MAZE

ARMS