Link to Four Views Project https://fourviewshist181.jenniferandrella.com/exhibits/show/dance-skirt-kilt
My Four Views project was focused on a skirt/kilt of the Wichi tribe who live in South America mostly Argentina and Bolivia. This investigation has profoundly increased the interest in looking at the history of South American tribes who were able to develop a strong economy and tribe. The Skirt/kilt was very significant to the tribe, they used it for important religious ceremonies. The case for this specific item was used for the religious dance to bring in a great hunting season, which can be seen by taking a closer and deeper look at the material used to create the piece. This piece has been fantastic and being able to find information on the location and economic stability that they were able to obtain to live peacefully.
The Wichi tribe was based in the South American region near Argentina and Bolivia, known as the Indians of Gran Chaco. These were the most economically stable tribes stemming from the region where they resided. The Gran Chaco was a scorching area that helped plants and vegetation grow very efficiently. Being able to have accessibility to this area also meant they were able to have very important means of survival. The most important plant/tree in the Gran Chaco area was the quebracho tree which was fundamental to the tribe to increase their economic value. The tribe is also well-known for their fishing and hunting, meaning they have many talents that they use to survive and thrive in the environment in which they live. This meant that although they had many resources around them because of the wilderness and adaptability of the plants that they would use to consume, they were good for creating food and using these natural resources for medicinal purposes. Many of the Wichi members were very talented and knowledgeable on the topic of harvesting plants for curing. I find this very interesting as they created these medical remedies that were ultimately from natural sources and used them to trade with other tribes around them.
Like many if not all of the other tribes in the world, they had encounters with colonial groups that would enter the land that they preserved. Something interesting to think about is the idea that because of the diverse and dense area that they lived in, the colonial groups weren’t able to find them initially and they struggled a bit to find them. Once they were found, the Christian religion was brought up, and the idea of proselytism came into play as the people who tried to colonize them attempted to push the religion into their lives and create an environment in which the colonizers felt at home. This idea has been seen to have happened to many other tribes where many different methods were used to create the adaptation into Christianity creating increased power for the colonizers as they were then able to use religion as a way to separate tribes and make them victims. The Wichi people also went through the dispossession of land by the colonizers especially since the land that they lived on was so rich and very important for economic development and expansion of the land. Much of this land was used for the good of the colonizers, not only did they take away the land and take advantage of it, but they also displaced the Wichi people meaning they had to learn to adapt to a new environment in which they didn’t have the resources they needed and ultimately meant they had to ask for help from the colonizers. The land that was taken away, the Gran Chaco, was mainly used for the good of the colonizer’s ranching and the importance of the trees. Many of the resources helped with the ranching of cattle and using the Quebracho tree to sell and export to other areas of the U.S. The impact of colonization continued into the health of the Wichi people with the arrival of diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza. Wichi people had never encountered these types of diseases, meaning they had no kind of immunity and didn’t know what to use to cure them. With the arrival of these diseases, the weakening and death of the tribe also arrived, this ultimately made it easier for the colonizers to take advantage and take their land and resources.
During this investigation, I was also able to find that people who belong to the Wichi people are stil around to this day. The majority of these people decided to reside in the Gran Chaco region making it very important to reside in the land that their ancestors once owned. Wichi people also had their language being indigenous with few people being able to translate to Spanish or English. I found it very inspiring to think about the idea that many of the people who decide to continue their roots can speak the language and live in the area that their tribe grew up in. Some schools have also started to teach them Spanish and making them able to communicate with other people is vital to spreading more awareness about their existence and importance in society which ultimately opens the door to more opportunities for people in their community. Another important aspect is community centers where Wichi people are able to come together and enjoy some time with each other while doing activities that they grew up doing in their tribe.
Overall, this investigation has definitely opened my eyes to the fact that there are many different tribes out there in the world, and they add to society in many different ways. Being able to learn about these tribes can help one think about the diversity that there really is. Many times these people are criticized simply because of language barriers or clothing that makes them seem different from others, I think that being able to speak out about the many different tribes that are in the area should be influenced in classes to inform people and know the diversity there is around everyone.
Sources:
“Plant Life.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/place/Gran-Chaco/Plant-life#ref470175. Accessed 2 June 2024.
“Wichí.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Wichi. Accessed 2 June 2024.
“People and Culture – DOBES.” DOBES, 14 Nov. 2013, dobes.mpi.nl/projects/chaco/wichi/people.
Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. “People of the Grass House: 1750-1820 – Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.” Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, 28 Sept. 2023, wichitatribe.com/culture/history/people-of-the-grass-house-1750-1820.