Juridizaciones en las fronteras: Procesos de misionalización y construcción de derecho indígena en Paraguay y Argentina (1978-1984)

Abstract

The text analyzes processes of indigenous missionization generated in the1970s/80s in the Chaco territories of Paraguay and Argentina. It explores the existing relationships between Christian pastoral agents settled on both sides of the national border, and suggests that such links were a relevant element to understand the dynamics of the sanction and content of the Integral Aboriginal Law in the province of Formosa (1984) -located in the extreme northeast of Argentina. The analysis is based on the concepts of juridization, aboriginal pastoral and frontier. The first one is necessary to think about the historical process through which legislations are produced. Aboriginal pastoral, on the other hand, is a native term that refers to various Christian ecclesiastical actors (bishops, priests, consecrated lay men and women, nuns, seminarians, Protestant pastors, among others) who since the sixties of the 20th century dedicated themselves to working and living alongside native peoples, imprinting their practice with a certain "liberationist" sense. The term native is conceptualized here to understand this collective subject and the space of indigenist Christian sociability in which it was configured. Finally, the concept of frontier is necessary to analyze the different border dynamics that took place in the historical process under study (concept/object, concept/metaphor, border, frontier and ethnic frontiers). Methodologically, the article draws on historical documents, periodical publications and the analysis of secondary sources.

El text analitza processos de missionalització indígena generats a les dècades de 1970/80 en territoris jaqueños del Paraguai i l'Argentina. Indaga sobre les relacions existents entre agents cristians de pastoral assentats a un costat i a l'altre de la frontera nacional, i planteja que aquests vincles van ser un element rellevant per comprendre la dinàmica que va prendre la sanció i contingut de la Llei Integral de l'Aborigen a la província de Formosa (1984) - ubicada a l'extrem nord-est d'Argentina. L'anàlisi es basa en els conceptes de judicialització, pastoral aborigen i frontera. El primer és necessari per pensar el procés històric mitjançant el qual les legislacions són produïdes. Pastoral aborigen, en canvi, és un terme nadiu que remet a diversos actors eclesiàstics cristians (bisbes, sacerdots, laics i laiques consagrades, religioses, seminaristes, pastors protestants, entre d'altres) que des de la dècada del seixanta del segle XX es van dedicar a treballar i viure al costat de pobles originaris imprimint a la seva pràctica cert sentit “alliberamentista”. Aquell terme nadiu aquí és conceptualitzat per comprendre aquest subjecte col·lectiu i l'espai de sociabilitat cristiana indigenista en què es va configurar. Finalment, el concepte de frontera és necessari per analitzar les diverses dinàmiques frontereres que van tenir lloc en el procés històric sota estudi (concepte/objecte, concepte/metàfora, border, frontier i fronteres ètniques). Metodològicament, l'article es nodreix de documents històrics, publicacions periòdiques i anàlisi de fonts secundàries.

The text analyzes processes of indigenous missionization generated in the 1970s/80s in the Chaco territories of Paraguay and Argentina. It explores the existing relationships between Christian pastoral agents settled on both sides of the national border, and suggests that such links were a relevant element to understand the dynamics of the sanction and content of the Integral Aboriginal Law in the province of Formosa (1984) -located in the extreme northeast of Argentina. The analysis is based on the concepts of juridization, aboriginal pastoral and frontier. The first one is necessary to think about the historical process through which legislations are produced. Aboriginal pastoral, on the other hand, is a native term that refers to various Christian ecclesiastical actors (bishops, priests, consecrated lay men and women, nuns, seminarians, Protestant pastors, among others) who since the sixties of the 20th century dedicated themselves to working and living alongside native peoples, imprinting their practice with a certain "liberationist" sense. The term native is conceptualized here to understand this collective subject and the space of indigenist Christian sociability in which it was configured. Finally, the concept of frontier is necessary to analyze the different border dynamics that took place in the historical process under study (concept/object, concept/metaphor, border, frontier and ethnic frontiers). Methodologically, the article draws on historical documents, periodical publications and the analysis of secondary sources.