Bélgica Dagua, "Why Deer Don't Have Masters."

From interviews with Tod D. Swanson

Cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, "Bélgica Dagua, 'Why Deer Don't Have Masters.'" Youtube video. 1:29. December 14, 2016. https://youtu.be/IdDXGLANcV0

Description

Bélgica Dagua argues that deer are unique in not having masters because they are the ghost of humans. Most animals have an amu , a spirit master analogous to a Hopi Kachina who protects them and causes them to flourish. To protect them these amus keep the species locked in corrals inside the mountains only letting out a few to be hunted. For this reason the animals are relatively scarce in the forest but plentiful inside the mountains.

Unlike peccaries the deer do not have amus because deer are the transformed ghosts of people who die. For this reason deer haunt the areas around their previous homes as well as their old manioc gardens. According to Bélgica there are many deer in her home community because the deer have no amu to lock them up. By contrast there are few peccary in the forest because the their amu keeps them protected inside local mountains.

A western ecologist might attribute the relative abundance of deer to hunting practices. Because deer are believed to be ghosts they are not hunted for food and consequently multiply. Peccaries by contrast are heavily hunted.

English Translation

Not available

Kichwa Translation

[ Ñuka wañukpi pay imachari chi coral ña urku ukuy riwn pay ]. Ma, mana, mana amuyuk ashatami pajllaybi ti an chi. Amu illakman chiga kuti amuyuk gunataga, amuguna ña ´´win´´ apanawn. Mana amuyuk chan chi taruga ñuka rikujpiga. Chasna runamanda tujuk ashka payga karan runa wañushkay tukun, amu mana tian. Ya amu, amuyukgunaga ña ´´win´´ amuga kwinrangawa undachishka tianguna karan. Payguna maykan animal chi churanay churashka. Randi taruga wasillay purinun pay wañushkamanda. Payga chi wasi, wasima kuti chasna chi payta chi pambashkaybi muntunarishka tiajashka. amuzilla asha chashna asha tarugaga más, yapakta ñukanchi tiajashkama tiaj ashka. Kay randi lumukuchiguna randi mana tanto chasna ashkara tian ansalla pero, amu charin mas ashka kacharishkama anzawata.

Spanish Translation

[ Cuando yo fallezca él (amo) me llevara a un coral en la selva]. No, él no tiene amo (jefe) por eso pasa libre. No tiene jefe él, los que tienen jefes ¨win¨ él se los lleva. Yo pienso que el venado no tiene amo (jefe). De una persona se convierte en eso (venado) cada vez que fallezca una persona se convierte en eso. Por eso no tiene jefe. Los que tienen jefe ¨win¨ ya los jefes los cuidan o los agrupan en cada hueco (cueva), ellos escogen donde tiene que ir cada animal. ¿El venado solo pasa por los alrededores de la casa cuando fallece? El pasa ahí cerca de la casa, en la casa donde le enterraron había muchos (venados). Porque el venado no tiene jefes por eso hay muchos venados. De estos jabalís casi no hay muchos solo un poco, pero ellos tienen más jefes. Por eso solo sueltan un poco.

Analysis

Bélgica Dagua argues that deer are unique in not having masters because they are the ghost of humans. Most animals have an amu , a spirit master analogous to a Hopi Kachina who protects them and causes them to flourish. To protect them these amus keep the species locked in corrals inside the mountains only letting out a few to be hunted. For this reason the animals are relatively scarce in the forest but plentiful inside the mountains. Unlike peccaries the deer do not have amus because deer are the transformed ghosts of people who die. For this reason deer haunt the areas around their previous homes as well as their old manioc gardens. According to Bélgica there are many deer in her home community because the deer have no amu to lock them up. By contrast there are few peccary in the forest because the their amu keeps them protected inside local mountains. A western ecologist might attribute the relative abundance of deer to hunting practices. Because deer are believed to be ghosts they are not hunted for food and consequently multiply. Peccaries by contrast are heavily hunted.