Geography

From protest to productivity: the evolution of indigenous federations in Ecuador

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This article considers whether Ecuador's indigenous federations can harness their organizational capacity, and the renewed sense of ethnic identity to devise income generating projects that will benefit the country's substantial population of Indian citizens. This article will explore how existing federations have evolved, in order to uncover the economic roles they seem best suited to play. Finding a workable balance between the need to professionalize and modernize and the need to strengthen and protect ethnic cultural identity is not easy. The revalidation of traditional knowledge cannot be prejudged solely on the basis of its economic or ecological potential. Yet if federations can dynamize Indian resource management practices to generate new income while preserving their cultural significance, then the challenge of uniting development and culture to enhance the economic security of member families will have been met. -from Authors

Publication Title

Grassroots Development

Publication Date

1-1-1992

Volume

16

Issue

2

First Page

11

Last Page

21

ISSN

0733-6608

Keywords

rural sociology, development economics and policies, Ecuador, ethnic groups, economic development, rural development, community, development integration, development projects

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