TOBA INDIANS IN PARAGUAY

TOBA ARE AN ETHNIC GROUP WHO LIVE IN GRAN CHACO REGION. THERE ARE 47,000 TOBAS IN ARGENTINA AREA. THEIR NAME MEANS PEOPLE . THEY CUT THEIR HAIR SHORT IN THE FRONT OF THE HEAD THEY CUT THEIR HAIR SHORT, IN THE FRONT OF THE HEAD AS A SIGNAL OF MOURNING. THE CHACO REGION IN THE NORTH OF PARAGUAY WAS FORMERLY FORESTS.THEY GOT HORSES AFTER SPANISH CAME HERE. THEY RESISTED COLONIAL ENCROACHMENT AND MISSIONS.

IN 1880'S THE GOVERNMENT BEGAN A CAMP IN TO DEFEAT BEGAN A CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT THE LAST ORGANIZED ATTEMPTS TO DEFEND TABALAND. THEY HAD QUEBRACHO TREE THAT WAS USED FOR ITS TANNIN AND LUMBER. ONCE THEY HAD CUT THESE TREES THE ECOSYSTEM BECAME UNBALANCED. THE PRIVATE OWNERS GREW COTTON
AND THEY EMPLOYED SEASONAL LABORERS.

THEN IN 1924 200 TOBAS WERE MASSACRED BY ARGENTINA POLICE. IN 1982 THE REGION SUFFERED FLOODS AND RUINED CROPS. IN 1990'S THEY IMPORTED MECHANISMS THAT HARVESTED
FRUITS AND LEFT FOLKS JOBLESS. THE MAJORITY (10,000) MIGRATED TO ROSARIO, IN THE SOUTH. THEY FOUND FAMILY TIES, JOBS, GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE AND AN URBAN LIFE. THAT IS DIFFICULT TO BECOME ACCULTURATED TO.

THEIR IS LANGUAGE IS PART OF GUAICU LANGUAGE GROUP. IT HAS ABOUT 60,000 SPEAKERS, WITH 20,000 LIVING IN ARGENTINA.

THEY HAVE TWO PEACE POLES WITH THE MESSAGE "MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH" WRITTEN IN THE TOBA LANGUAGER AND IN GUARANI, AS WELL AS SPANISH AND ITALIAN. IT IS A SAMPLE OF THE OF THE LOCAL AND EUROPEAN CULTURES WHO SHAPED THIS COUNTRY.

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