The Dilemmas of Adaptation

Abstract

This text argues that in the present experience of the indigenous peoples of Paraguay there are dilemmas to adapting satisfactorily to contemporary living conditions. The first is related with the image presented by the national press that presents an ideal (and legitimate) way of being indigenous, which is opposed to a model that should be avoided. The second deals with the continuity and discontinuity regarding the tradition that exists among the indigenous peoples of Paraguay, with a continuity in various aspects with the traditional economy and on the other hand with the need to generate money. The third situation deals with the existence of a kind of decision by which some individuals decides, opting for apparently advantageous options that contain unforeseen disadvantages. The fourth situation presented refers to the dichotomy between the vision that certain individuals of the national society have that affirm that indigenous peoples who “live like us are no longer indigenous peoples”, and on the other hand the will to adapt to the modern world that individuals belonging to indigenous peoples in Paraguay have.