Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9:30-11:30am & 4-8pm Mon-Fri, 9:30-11:30am & 6-8pm Sat)
, an open-air workshop on
the north side of Parque 2 de Febrero.
Several of the most impressive pieces are on display here, and this is where the Bienal
is held. Locals can buy pieces at a symbolic cost, but they have to display them street-
side.
Museo del Hombre Chaqueño
MUSEUM
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(JB Justo 280; 8am-noon & 3-7pm Mon-Fri)
This small but excellent museum is run
by enthusiastic staff (some English spoken) who talk you through displays covering the
three main pillars of Chaco population: indigenous inhabitants (there are some excellent
ceramics and Toba musical instruments on display); criollos; and 'gringos,' the wave of
mostly European immigration from the late 19th century onwards. Best is the mythology
room upstairs, where you'll get to meet various quirky characters from Chaco popular re-
ligion.
INDIGENOUS GROUPS OF THE GRAN CHACO
With some 50,000 members, the
Toba
of the Gran Chaco is one of Argentina's
largest indigenous groups, but their existence is nonetheless frequently ignored.
Toba protests highlight the stark reality that many communities suffer from aban-
doned government facilities and, in some, people actually die of starvation. Few Ar-
gentines have much idea about the struggles of this pueblo olvidado(forgotten
people).
As a traveler, it's easy to zip through the sun-scorched Chaco without ever noti-
cing the presence of indigenous people, except, perhaps, for the crafts sold at
government-sponsored stores or along the roadside. In Resistencia the Toba live in
barrios (neighborhoods) that are separated from the rest of the city. And those
who don't live in the city either live in towns that travelers rarely visit (such as Juan
José Castelli or Quitilipi) or deep within the Argentine Impenetrable. If you know
the way, you'll find Toba asentamientos(settlements) that are unlike anything else
in Argentina. People live in extreme poverty (although there's always a church)
and, except for the occasional government-built health center, nearly all buildings
are made of adobe, with dirt floors and thatched roofs.
The Toba refer to themselves as Komlek (Qom-lik) and speak a dialect of the
Guaycurú linguistic group, known locally as Qom. They have a rich musical tradi-
tion (the Coro Toba Chelaalapi, a Toba choir founded in 1962, has Unesco World
