Haley Crozier Crozier 1

Professor Rowell

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

20 September 2020
Toba - Qom Research Proposal

Introduction

The Toba-Qom people live in what is now known as the “... Gran Chaco region of what is now

Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay”. They were originally hunter-gatherers but have since had to adapt and

change their ways in order to stay alive. Deforestation, flooding, the introduction of new technology, and

an increase in pollution have all lead to the Toba-Qom having to accustom themselves to various new

ways of living (Intercontinental Cry). I would like to study these people and how they have changed and

adapted to their new ways of life. It would be beneficial to see how they have changed and if they enjoy

this new way of life or not.

Literature Review

Many studies have been done before on the Toba Qom people including studies like their

adolescence, adulthood, health situations, aging, etc. However, the study I would like to focus on is that

of their beliefs concerning the dead and dying. “ The Toba do not consider illness and death as natural

processes of the living organism, but rather they are thought to be related to an intentional action of

another human being or of some nonhuman entity”. It is also believed that some rules and restrictions

must be followed to avoid the spirit of the deceased appearing in dreams or during incursions to the

forest. To follow these rules they bury and burn the deceased person’s belongings and destroy the house

or building in which they died. Their relatives also seem to be oblivious to their death because they fear

that if they cry, mourn, or even say their name the deceased will “... have the power of deciding and

acting in relation to the existence of the living persons” (Claudia R. Valeggia and Florencia Tola).
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In studying these people I want to see how these results that I mentioned above could relate to

these people’s new way of life. In the modern world today, some of these rules and restrictions they have

can be difficult to fulfill. An example of this would be destroying the building that a person died in. This

could prove to be problematic depending on where they died. I would like to study not only these

questions but also explore more ways of how they have adapted in this new way of life.

Methodology

To prepare for this study I will need to do a long list of things. I will need to become familiar

with the language, find funding, get up to date on all my immunizations, gain knowledge on the local

health facilities, and obtain clearance from Argentina’s government. These do not even include all of my

personal details. Personal details I must take care of include finding someone to care for and watch over

my house, pets, and cars, I must also figure out what to purchase abroad and what to ship with me, find

education for my children, purchase and insuring the necessary technology and equipment, make sure my

passports and international driving license are up to date, and schedule a transferring of money between

my bank at home and one in the Paraguay. (Gary Ferraro and Susan Andreatta)

Below is a map of the area I plan to stay in, in order to study these indegenous people. The green

area represents the areas they live in currently. I plan to study in the area near San Miguel de Tucuman.

San Miguel de Tucuman is a city located in central Argentina with a population of roughly 549,000

people. The Toba Qom have “... migrat(ed) into cities and small towns” (R. Waddington) surrounding

San Miguel de Tucuman.

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(Wikipedia)

In studying the Toba Qom there are three main approaches I will take. The first will be through

the use of Participant Observation. This, I believe will be the best approach to take because I believe I

will be able to gather much more information this way and this will also allow me to get to know the

people and understand them better. The second approach I will be taking will be through the use of

Interviewing. This again, I believe will allow me to get an insider look on how the people live, what they

think of it, and changes they believe could be made by the government to better their lives. The last

approach I will take is Photography. When researching these people, I have found very few up-to-date

images of them, their way of life, and where they live. (Gary Ferraro and Susan Andreatta 104, 105, 106,

110)
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When conducting each of these methods of research there are specific things I will do to make the

information and research more accurate and helpful. When doing the Participant Observation I will “...

select a particular role and use it consistently” (Gary Ferraro and Susan Andreatta 104). I will also always

carry a copy of my questionnaire in case it is needed. When doing the Interviewing I also plan to take a

different approach and rather than using a recorder to record their responses I will simply use paper and

pencil to take down notes when I interview. I believe this would be a better way of interviewing because

in my opinion it will take unnecessary pressure off the interviewee in not using a camera where they

might feel more pressure to answer correctly and not honestly. Lastly, when doing Photography I want to

focus not only on the people but also especially on the living conditions of these people and where they

live.

Focusing now on the logistics of the trip I plan to fly down to Argentina. This, I believe, will be

the most efficient way to travel. I will also then ship down my supplies so that they arrive when I do. I

have an informant who is also a friend of the Toba Qom people that I will communicate with to organize

everything concerning getting to the community, being introduced, and having a place to stay in the

community. To do my research I plan on bringing a laptop but also a notebook. I have decided I will carry

the notebook with me around to record interviews, notes, and other observations because it will be more

efficient and easier. Then, when I get back to my house at night I will input my notes and photos into the

computer. Iin case something happens to the notebook or computer, I will have the notes and photos

backed up so they will not be lost.

Many things could and most likely will go wrong on this trip. One issue could be Culture Shock.

Culture Shock is “ A psychological disorientation experienced when attempting to operate in a radically

different cultural environment” (Gary Ferraro and Susan Andreatta 113). This could include symptoms

such as homesickness, boredom, withdrawal, a need for excessive amounts of sleep, compulsive eating

and drinking, irritability, exaggerated cleanliness, etc (Gary Ferraro and Susan Andreatta 114). Other
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issues that could occur could be natural disasters, not enough funding, sickness, or the breaking or

stealing of equipment. All of this could drastically set back the research that is being conducted and put us

back anywhere from days to weeks to months.

The estimated time table for this study would most likely be anywhere from six months to one

year. This all depends on how smoothly things go once the research begins. If everything goes perfectly

the research could be done relatively quickly. However, if some of the issues I mentioned above interrupt

the research in any way this could set us back a period of time. The time table is hard to say until we are

actually doing the research actively because so many variables could affect it.

There is an Ethical Code for Anthropologists that we must all follow. A main rule of the code that

should be carefully followed is that of Responsibility to the People Studied. This is important, especially

in this situation because of confidentiality. If people do not feel safe interviewing they may not answer

honestly or even at all. To ensure that this does not become an issue in my research I plan on blurring out

all faces in the photos I take and establish that any and all research and interviewing information taken

will remain confidential to protect the individuals of the community being studied. No one will be named

specifically other than perhaps puting the age, occupation, and gender of the person interviewed. (Gary

Ferraro and Susan Andreatta 57)

Conclusion

Overall, I am interested in studying this group of people for a number of reasons. I would like to

see how one of the most prominent Native American groups have adapted to their new lives. I would also

like to see if there are issues that are still prominent within this group that could potentially be fixed or

helped in any way. Lastly, I would like to see if by studying the struggles of these people I or other

anthropologists can, in the future, help other tribes who are going through similar struggles with adapting
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to a new way of life. Long-term, this could provide very valuable information and research can be used

in many different ways to help many different groups or individuals.

Bibliography

“Toba-Qom News and Analysis on Intercontinental Cry.” Intercontinental Cry,

Center for World Indigenous Studies, intercontinentalcry.org/indigenous-peoples/Toba-

Qom/.

Waddington, Ray. “The Indigenous Toba People.” Indigenous Peoples of the World - The

Toba, The Peoples of the World Foundation, www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=Toba.

“Toba People.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Aug. 2020,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_people.

Vallegia, Claudia R, and Florencia Tola. “Argentina Toba.” Ember Vol. 2, 7 Apr. 2003,

www.sas.upenn.edu/~valeggia/pdf%20papers/Valeggia%20&%20Tola%202003%20The

%20Toba%20Encyc%20Med%20Anthro.pdf.

Ferraro, Gary, and Susan Andreatta. Cultural Anthropology - An Applied Perspective.

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11th ed., Cengage Learning, 2017.

“In-Text (Citation) References // Purdue Writing Lab.” Purdue Writing Lab, Purdue

University, owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/asa_style/in_text_citation_references.html.

*All Information found on how to cite ASA found under Purdue Writing Lab.*