Paper short abstract:

In this presentation, I will discuss the relation of hunting activity and agricultural activities in contemporary village life of the Embera in Panama. By considering this incoherence of the different economic activities, I would like to discuss the idea of property in contemporary village life.

Paper long abstract:

In this presentation, I will discuss the hunting practices of the Embera in Panama. Even though the Embera in eastern Panama consume products circulated in the international, national, and local market economy, they also practice slash-burn agriculture and hunting for daily consumption. My objective is to describe the relation of hunting activity and agricultural activities in such a situation of diversification of economic activities in contemporary village life.

Through the political discourse of indigenous rights and conflicts with neighboring non-indigenous group, the concept of land property has also been taking roots in their daily life. Claiming their collective land property, the Embera try to exclude outsiders' agricultural activity from their territory. This conscious of exclusive use of the territory resides with their agricultural activities. They often claim or indicate individual land rights even toward un-used lots by using some fruit trees as markers of border of different lots.

However, in the context of hunting, the idea of exclusive use of territories or crops are not taken notice. Not only hunters can go into wherever they (or their dogs) find preys, but also people let animals eat their crops. The Embera do not practice trap hunting in their agricultural filed. Moreover, they even allow outsiders to hunt inside of their territory. Here, we can regards that properties in agricultural activity are not matter of concern in hunting practice. By considering this incoherence of the different economic activities, I would like to discuss idea of property in contemporary village life.