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The use, construction, and importance of canoes among the Maijuna of the Peruvian Amazon

El Uso, Construcción e Importancia de las Canoas Entre los Maijuna del Amazonia Peruano

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Abstract

Canoe construction was studied in a Maijuna community to better understand the role and significance of canoes in the life and subsistence strategies of an Amazonian group. In this community the types of canoes constructed and used by the Maijuna have changed considerably over the past 20 years. Twenty-seven species were identified as being specifically employed by the Maijuna to construct the type of dugout canoe currently being made in the community. The scarcity of preferred species used for canoe hulls directly affects the trees chosen for construction and may have been a contributing factor behind the complete switch from making the traditional type of dugout canoe.

Resumen

Se estudió la construcción de canoas en una comunidad Maijuna para comprender mejor el papel e importancia de las canoas en las estrategias de vida y subsistencia de un grupo amazónico. En esta comunidad los tipos de canoas construidos y usados por los Maijuna han cambiado considerablemente durante los últimos 20 años. Fueron identificadas veintisiete especies empleadas específicamente por los Maijuna para construir el tipo de piragua que está siendo hecha actualmente en la comunidad. La escasez de las especies usadas preferentemente para hacer los cascos de las canoas, afecta directamente a los árboles elegidos para su construcción, y puede haber sido un factor contributivo detrás del completo cambio en la producción del tipo tradicional de piragua.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Miami University, 45056, Oxford, OH

    Michael P. Gilmore & W. Hardy Eshbaugh

  2. Department of Sociology, Gerontology, and Anthropology, Miami University, 45056, Oxford, OH

    Adolph M. Greenberg

Authors
  1. Michael P. Gilmore
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  2. W. Hardy Eshbaugh
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  3. Adolph M. Greenberg
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Gilmore, M.P., Eshbaugh, W.H. & Greenberg, A.M. The use, construction, and importance of canoes among the Maijuna of the Peruvian Amazon. Econ Bot 56, 10–26 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2002)056[0010:CATUCA]2.0.CO;2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2002)056[0010:CATUCA]2.0.CO;2

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