Presence and Purpose of Nonindigenous Peoples on Indigenous Lands: A Descriptive Account from the Bolivian Lowlands

Integration into the market economy changes indigenous people's use of land and resources. We study one pathway leading to integration of indigenous peoples to the market economy: the entrance of non indigenous peoples into lands inhabited by indigenous populations. We analyzed data from a survey (n=779) in 87 Tsimane' villages, an Amazonian society We assessed the entrance of traders, loggers, cattle ranchers, highland colonist farmers, and other nonindigenous peoples in villages settled in parks, forest concessions, indigenous territories, and private lands. Interactions were generally frequent, friendly, and had an economic basis. The Tsimane' expressed hostility to the entrance of highland colonist farmers. The entrance of nonindigenous peoples was associated with unregulated natural resource extraction. If conservationists want to gain the allegiance of Tsimane' on conservation efforts, they will have to present them with a better alternative than the current economic benefits generated by the presence of non indigenous peoples on their lands.