The document describes the Wichi people and the Impenetrable Forest region in Argentina where they live. It discusses how the Wichi have a close relationship with nature and follow seasonal traditions related to hunting, fishing and gathering. It also notes how government efforts in the 1970s to clear part of the forest for agriculture devastated the environment and harmed local plants and animals. The story then tells a fable about a Wichi boy named Pinu who is adopted by a family of wild dogs and learns their ways of life before eventually rejoining his people.

1. The Jungle Book of the

2. IT IS A GREAT REGION OF NATIVE MONTE OF MORE THAN 40.000 km2, IN THE PLAINS OF WESTERN CHACO. IT IS MAINLY
RAINY IN SPRING AND AUTUMN, AND DRY IN WINTER AND SUMMER. TEMPERATURES REACH 47°C. THE NAME
IMPENETRABLE WAS GIVEN TO IT DUE TO ITS THICK AND WILD VEGETATION. IN 1976 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PROVINCE
OF CHACO DECIDED TO CUT DOWN 5 MILLION HECTARES IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM FARM LAND. THIS PROJECT WAS NEVER
FINISHED. THE REGION WAS DEVASTATED AND TRANSFORMED INTO A THORNY CHAPARRAL PRACTICALLY INFERTILE. THIS
CAUSED THE DECREASE AND EXTINCTION OF NUMEROUS ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SPECIES AND THE IMPOVERISHMENT OF
THE NATIVES.
THEY ARE NATIVES FROM THE
REGION OF THE IMPENETRABLE. IN
THE PAST THEY WERE NOMADS,
THEIR FOOD COMES FROM THE
HARVEST, HUNTING AND FISHING
AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, FROM
THE HORTICULTURE. THOSE
ACTIVITIES WERE ORGANIZED
ACCORDING TO ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIIONS AND TO THE SEASONS
OF THE YEAR WHICH THEY NAMED
IT: “LUNAS DE LAS HELADAS”
(winter), “LUNAS DE LAS FLORES”
(spring), “LUNAS DE LAS
ALGARROBAS” (summer) and
“LUNAS DE LAS COSECHAS”
(autumn).
ACCORDING TO WICHIS´ PHILOSOPHY THE HUMAN BEING IS COMPLETELY INTEGRATED TO NATURE. HE FINDS THE
EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING ON IT AND HE IS CONSCIOUS ABOUT ITS CARE AND PROTECTION. THE LAND IS
“TIERRA DE TODOS” SINCE IT IS CONSIDERED A FREE SPACE. THEY AIM ON ENVIRONMENTAL CARE THROUGH
THEIR NON-ACCUMULATIVE POLICIES. EVERY ELEMENT IN NATURE HAS A PROTECTIVE SPIRIT THAT PUNISHES THE
ONES WHO HARVESTS, FISHES OR HUNTS MORE THAN NECESSARY.

3. ALSO KNOWN AS “CARAGUATÁ”, IT
IS A PLANT THAT CAN BE FOUND IN
THE CHACO. THE WICHIS USE ITS
RESISTANT FIBER FOR MAKING
BAGS, CLOTHES, PONCHOS, NETS
AND ROPES. DESERTIFICATION DUE
TO TREE CUTTING MAKES IT GROW
SCARCELY.
IT USES ITS BIG NAILS TO DIG AND
SNIFF OUT ANTS AND TERMITES.
IT HAS GOT A LONG PIG-LIKE
SNOUT AND ITS SENSE OF SMELL
IS HIGHLY DEVELOPED.
IT LIVES IN FORESTS, JUNGLES,
AND MONTES. IT FEEDS OF
TENDER BUDS, LEAVES, FUNGUS
AND FRUITS. IT PEELS THE TRUNK
OF THE TREE TO MARK ITS
TERRITORY. IT IS DISTRUSTFUL
AND ELUSIVE.
IT IS THE LARGEST CANINE IN SOUTH AMERICA. FAST, LONELY,
TIMID AND CAUTIOUS, IT HAS NIGHT HABITS AND IT IS
HARMELESS TO HUMANS. THE MALE REMAINS BY THE FEMALE
DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY AND COOPERATES IN FEEDING
AND BREEDING THE PUPPIES.
THE WICHIS BELIEVED THAT
THE PLACE WHERE ALL THE
WATER AND FISH THAT HAD
BEEN POURED TO FORM
RIVERS, WAS CONTAINED
WAS THE INSIDE THE SILK
FLOSS TREE.
BECAUSE OF HUNTING AND
DESCTRUCTION OF ITS ENVIRONMENT,
THE YAGUARETÉ IS ONE OF THE
SPECIES THAT IS NEARLY EXTINCT.
IT IS A SEMI NOMADIC ANIMAL THAT
MOVES THROUGH AERIAL PATHS. IT IS
CURIOUS AND CHARACTERIZED BY HIS
SHOUT.
IT MEANS HONEY IN WICHI LANGUAGE. WICHIS BASED
AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR DIET IN THE SIXTEEN
VARIETIES OF HONEY THEY TOOK FROM THE MONTE.
AFTER LOGGING AND LEAVING THE LAND POOR AND PREDATED, WICHIS WERE FORCED TO SETTLE DOWN IN THE IMPENETRABLE
AREA. AROUND 50.000 OF THEM LIVE NOWADAYS GATHERED IN SMALL COMMUNITIES IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF SOME CITIES. THEY
LIVE IN EXTREME POVERTY, WITH SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS, CAUSED BY MALNUTRITION. MARGINALIZED AND RESIGNED, THEY
SUFFER A LOSS OF CULTURAL, MORAL, RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY.

4. AMONG THE NEAR THE FATHER WOKE UP, YAWNED
AND STRETCHED HIS THE ILLUMINATED HIM. SUDDENLY,
HE HEAR D
A ROAR COMING FROM THE OF THE IMPENETRABLE.
-IT ’ S THE - MOTHER SAID, LYING BESIDE HER BABIES
-IT SOUNDS ANGRY.

7. NEARBY, THEY HEARD
SOME
RUST. WAS ABOUT
FATHER
TO JUMP WHEN HE SAW A LITTLE BOY WHO COULD
BARELY , THE BOY LOOKED AT HIM AND LAUGHED FEARLESSLY.
-A HUMAN PUPPY- MOTHER SAID. -HE IS VERY CUTE AND
HELPLESS
BRING HIM WITH OUR PUPS. I WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM. HE IS SO
SWEET! I WILL CALL HIM PINú

8. AFTER A WHILE, A
GRUMPY
APPEARED.
-WHERE IS THAT HUMAN PUP? I CAN SMELL HIM. GIVE HIM TO ME!
HIS PARENTS MANAGED TO
ESCAPE, BUT
WILL NOT.

9. IS OURS, GET OUT OF HERE.-
MOTHER
SAID.
THE EVIL MEN HUNTED ALL MY FAMILY, THAT ‘S WHY I AM GOING TO HUNT
THAT LITTLE MAN, YOU WILL SEE -
SAID THE
AS HE WALKED
AWAY.

10. FATHER AND
MOTHER
TOOK TO
THE
TO INTRODUCE HIM TO THE OTHER ANIMALS. EVERYBODY WAS THERE:
THE ,THE ,THE AND MANY OTHERS.

11. THEY WERE SO HAPPY TO MEET THE
HUMAN PUP, THAT THEY MADE A
A BIG FUSS. AT THAT
MOMENT THE
ARRIVED.
-WHAT IS A HUMAN PUP DOING AMONG US?’- HE SAID DEFIANTLY.
-I WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM - THE SAID
-AND I WILL BE HIS TEACHER - THE SAID.
THE WALKED AWAY GRUMBLING.

13. GREW UP HAPPILY IN THE WILD. HE ATE AND HE SWAM
IN THE RESTED UNDER THE AND HE RODE THE
IF ANY ANIMAL
STUCK A
HE WOULD REMOVE IT.
THE TAUGHT HIM THE LANGUAGE OF THE ANIMALS
AND THE LAWS
,HOW TO ASK FOR PERMISSION TO HUNT IN A TERRITORY
ONLY FOR EATING, NOT FOR FUN. HE ALSO TAUGHT HIM THE
TO ASK FOR HELP: “WE HAVE THE SAME BLOOD”.
OF THE

14. ONE DAY THE CARRIED HIM IN TO THE TOP
NONE OF THE ANIMALS
OF THE TREES.
FROM THE CAN REACH

15. THAT HIGH. HAVE
DETOURS, UPS AND DOWNS. THEY TOOKTHROUGH
THAT AT TOP
SPEED, HAULING AND JUMPING FROM TO . FROM UP THERE
THEY SHOWED HIM THE OF THE MEN, IT WAS COVERED
BY A BIG OF
ON THE TOP OF THE

16. WHEN
CAME DOWN
OF THE THE TOLD HIM: YOU’LL
BE A MAN SOON AND YOU’LL HAVE TO LEAVE THE
-WHAT’S WRONG WITH MEN THAT THEY CANNOT LIVE WITH THEIR
BROTHERS ?-

17. -MEN HAVE FORGOTTEN THE LAWS AND THE OF
THE
WE ANIMALS CANNOT LIVE WITH THEM FOR WE FEAR THEM. WHAT’S MORE,
IF YOU STAYED HERE, THE WOULD CHASE YOU.

18. WAVED THE ANIMALS. HE HUGGED THE
AND
THE
TICKLED HIM WITH HER NOSE. WHEN HE SAID GOODBYE TO MOTHER
AND
FATHE
R
HE NOTICED A
-WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME? – HE ASKED.
-YOU’RE CRYING LIKE HUMANS DO. –SHE REPLIED.
MOTHER - NEVER FORGET ABOUT US.
RUNNING DOWN HIS FACE.

19. STARTED LEAVING THE
BEHIND.

20. AFTER A LOT OF,
HE REACHED THE VILLAGE OF THE WICHIS. IT DIDN’T
LOOK
LIKE THE THE HAD SHOWN HIM.
THERE WERE ONLY A FEW
SMALL MADE OUT OF BRANCHES, SOME SKINNY
AND MEN AND WOMEN GATHERED UNDER THE

21. WHEN THEY SAW , MANY KIDS RAN TO WELCOME HIM.
-HE COMES FROM
THE
HE MUST ME HUNGRY – SAID THE WOMAN AND
SHE OFFERED HIM
SOME

22. WITH THE BRANCHES
THE WICHIS TAUGHT HIM TO LIGHT THE
FROM THE AND TO
KNIT WITH FIBER OF LEARNT THE LANGUAGE OF
HUMANS. AT UNDER THE , SOME MEN AND
WOMEN TOLD STORIES. CAME CLOSER TO TALK TO THEM,
-ANIMALS ARE AFRAID OF US – HE TOLD THEM. –THEY SAY
MEN HAVE FORGOTTEN THE LAWS.

23. -THEY TELL THE TRUTH- THE WOMAN REPLIED – SOME MEN CUT
THE AND THEY WILL TURN THE INTO
A
THEY POLLUTE
THE AND WILL GET SICK. WE GET SICK TOO.
WE ARE PART OF THE EARTH JUST LIKE T,HBREOTHERS AND SISTERS OF
THE ANIMALS , WE HAVE THE SAME BLOOD.
SMILED AFTER HE LISTENED TO THE

24. SUDDENLY THE APPEARED AND EVERYONE STARTED TO RUN.
THE WANTED TO JUMP
OVER
BUT AVOIDED HIM AND TOOK
FROM THE
A LIT THE STOOD STILL, PANICKED BY
THE SO TALKED TO HIM:
-DON’T BE AFRAID- HE SAID- YOU TOOK CARE OF ME WHEN I WAS

25. ALONE IN THE NOW WE ARE GOING TO
TAKE CARE OF YOU.
“WE HAVE THE SAME BLOOD”,. HEARING THE
THE BECAME AS TAME AS A

26. THE REST OF THE CHILDREN NEARED
THE
TO TOUCH HIM.
-THE -SAID THE , ALL OF US ARE IN THE DANGER. –WE HAVE
TO THINK TOGETHER ,TO PROTECT OURSELVES- SAILDE T US GET TOGETHER
HUMANS AND ANIMALS, TO THINK OF A SOLUTION.
IN THE OF THE IMPENETRABLE THE WICHIS GATHERED WITH THE
ANIMALS
TO TALK UNDER THE

27. THEY WERE LOYAL AND HAPPY EVER AFTER,
EATING ALL KINDS OF HONEY.
THE END

28. TREES BUSHES
MONKEYS
MONTE
AGUARÁ GUAZÚ
PARROTS
LEGS
FULL MOON
WALK
HOUSES
HEART BRUNCH
PINÚ
YAGUARETÉ
TATÚ CARRETA
BRANCH
THE MAGIC
WORDS
TAPIR
CARZUELA
ANTEATER
HONEY
FRUITS
WATER
SUN
THORN
PATHS
CITY
CLOUD
SMOKE
NOSE
TEAR
DOGS
CAROB TREE
EAT
FIRE
PALO SANTO
BAGS
CHAGUAR
NIGHT
PALO BORRACHO
DESERT
RIVER
FISH
TRUNK
STARS
CAT
MAZE
ARMS