Biocultural heritage and resilience in the indigenous peoples of the Chaco region, Argentina

Abstract

The Qom ethnic group, also known as "Toba", constitutes a majority among the indigenous population of the province of Chaco (Argentina). Their hunter-gatherer ethos was modified by a system of life based on primary production into which they were incorporated as settlers and rural workers. The Qom communities develop sustainable cultural strategies based on ancestral knowledge about vital aspects, such as the medicinal properties of plants and related healing practices. The goal of the research is to record traditional knowledge and practices linked to the health-disease process of the Qom in the province of Chaco and to consider them conceptually as manifestations of cultural resilience. From this perspective, we understand the persistence of social functions of former leaders who, displaced from the exercise of political power, redefine their influence in vital community processes.