LESSONS LEARNED FOR TRANSFORMATIVE SOCIAL WORK: VERNACULAR TERRITORIAL MANAGEMENT - MEÑEBAI INDIGENOUS GUARD

Abstract

During 2022, the Meñebai Indigenous Guard, self-conformed by decision of the general assembly of the Organización Waorani de Pastaza for the proper care of their territory, carried out surveillance patrols in areas of greatest threat and territorial alert: illegal hunting, illegal mining, contamination of water, etc. The Meñebai (Wao-Terero language) or “like jaguars” allowed themselves to be accompanied by a social worker from the Escuela Intergeneracional Wiñanani - Pikenani to understand their forms of vernacular territorial management, from a critical social work perspective. Based on previous work on intergenerational social relations in Waorani territory, the Daily Coexistence Space (DCS) technique was used, where a route of accompaniment to territorial processes of recently contacted indigenous peoples is proposed. Unstructured interviews supported the corroboration of information. Resulting in the identification of vernacular management characteristics of the territory and its forms of reproduction in the sovereign exercise of protecting the Waorani territory of Pastaza, through the surveillance patrols of the Meñebai. These lessons learned are intended to be a contribution to the dialogue between critical Social Work and vernacular territories so that the proposals for action in these territories respond to the context and interests of those who comprise it.