The objects’ share: an essay on the materiality of a land conflict in the Argentine Chaco

Résumé 0

‪The expansion of the agricultural-pastoral frontier into the forested lands of the Argentine Chaco is contributing to an increase in land conflicts involving the local population, including indigenous Wichí and Creole ranchers. This article looks at the materiality of conflicts by observing the active role played by objects and, in particular, their capacity to produce and transform social relations. Examining a piece of wire, a tree, a cross, a gate, a banner, a fence or even cans and cisterns helps to temper analyses that focus on how access to resources is regulated, which end up ignoring the complexities that characterise local reality. Through the ethnography of everyday life and the analysis of field photos, this article offers a new perspective on current tensions.‪