Seeds, cultivation and harvesting inside a mapuche huilliche family in Lumaco, Lanco, region XIV of Chile

Abstract

This paper examines a part of results of an investigation about know ledges and practices connected with agriculture and harvesting in the forest, inside an mapuche huilliche family of Lumaco, Lanco municipality. Across oral sources, the findings of this case study examines a progressive decrease in the harvesting activities and an abandoning process of some vegetables species, used for alimentation, across the XX century, in this indigenous community. The seeds management inside of Lumaco community is an essential factor for adequate understanding how certain species, traditionally cultivated had been relegated, out of the knowledge of the new generations. Also, the investigation about seeds management and harvesting of wild plants and fungus provides contextual information contributes to the understanding of cultural changes in a geographic sector, which never had been an object of systematic studies in the social sciences area.