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4/7 Update on Maleku article (references updated 4/10)

I have reorganized the article with new headings; incorporated my research into the existing article; and transferred over information from the Maleku language page that is more relevant here. The article as it stands now is below.

The Maleku are an indigenous people of Costa Rica located in the Guatuso Indigenous Reserve near the town of Guatuso (San Rafael de Guatuso). Around 600 aboriginal people live on the reserve, making this the smallest tribe in Costa Rica, but outsiders have come into the community as well. Before the Spanish colonization, their territory extended as far west as Rincon de la Vieja, and included the volcano Arenal to the south and Rio Celeste as sacred sites. Today their reserve is concentrated south of San Rafael de Guatuso, an hour north of La Fortuna.

History

The Maleku historically lived in the Río Frío watershed on a geographic span of 2,500 square miles. They remained undiscovered until 1750, with the incursion of Spanish colonizers. Between 1868 and 1900, rubber farmers migrated onto Maleku territory, often in armed bands, decreasing Maleku territory to 400 square miles. The resulting death, enslavement, and dislocation of the Maleku eventually ended due to the influence of Catholic missionaries. The missionaries provided the Maleku with tools and firearms while encouraging the development of European farming practices. However, the violent incursion and subsequent cultural and economic factors decreased the pre-contact population of 6,000 to its current 600-member count.

Culture

The Maleku culture is still practiced today, as seen in the production of traditional art for economic subsistence. Their culture is also shared with visitors through the tours they offer, which include cultural information like history, diet, and the reforestation program and ideology. While the presence of Catholic missionaries was protective in the era of colonization, the terms of engagement did not remain economic and included the partial loss of cultural practices.

The Maleku no longer live in their traditional houses, since the trees necessary to make them are now endangered, nor do they wear their traditional clothes. Today the villages mostly contain cement houses, but still contain a couple of traditional houses used for ceremonies as tourist attractions. The Maleku traditionally bury their dead directly inside their homes, so the dead are never forgotten. Living in cement houses, the Maleku have had to acquire special permission from the Costa Rican government to bury their dead in their backyards.

Reserve

The reserve consists of 3 "palenques" or villages, Palenque Sol, Palenque Tonjibe, and Palenque Margarita. Their economy primarily relies on indigenous art; carvings, paintings of wooden masks and jucara (bowls made from gourds), and musical instruments are their most popular items. These are sold to tourists in the villages or taken to cities like San Jose to be sold there.  Most members in the villages (including children) make some type of art or help out, by cutting and preparing the necessary balsa wood trees or fruit needed for the projects. Additionally, many adults leave the reservation to work elsewhere periodically or to relocate permanently.The Maleku’s rate of unemployment, at 10%, is the highest of any Costa Rican indigenous community; self-sustainability is further compromised by the small territory, which preempts their traditional reliance on hunting and fishing. The reserve also contains two elementary schools that teach the Maleku language and culture.

The Maleku use most of the money they earn to buy back the land they consider to be theirs, since their reserve is actually limited to 15% of the territory granted to them by the Costa Rican government with the foundation of the reservation in 1976. Thus, of 11.5 square miles legally considered reserve lands, the Maleku own less than 2 square miles. While the land legally belongs to the Maleku, this is not enforced; the majority remains unreturned, having been sold or traded to non-indigenous people before this time in the uneven exchanges typical in the dispossession of indigenous lands. Due to this appropriation of Maleku lands, 62% of residents in the legally designated Maleku reserve currently are non-Maleku. Surrounding fields have been sold to farmers who have cleared the Maleku forest to raise cattle. The Maleku are also devoted to reforestation efforts and plant trees on the lands they reclaim. In addition, they advocate for private owners to reforest the land even if they will not return it to the Maleku.

Diet

Their traditional diet consisted of various plants and animals from the tropical forests. Animals include a wide variety of fish, and turtles, from the Rio Frio, Rio Sol, and Caño Negro. The Maleku still hunt for iguana meat and use the skin on their traditional drums. Some plants, while mildly toxic, are still part of a traditional Maleku diet. Medicinal plants are also important to the Maleku, particularly given their rural location and distance from mainstream medical centers.

Tourism

The Maleku still invite tourists to visit their villages, although most tourists prefer to see them perform ceremonies in traditional palm clothing in the nearby town of La Fortuna. Tourists who visit the villages, however, get a better sense of Maleku culture, even if it is somewhat diminished in modern times. One can visit the traditional gardens of healing plants and admire animals that still inhabit the forest, including toucans, frogs, and monkeys.

Politics

In January 2012, the Maleku Tribal Council received national recognition as a registered governing body. This group oversees reforestation of native lands, and its legal status allows it to apply for grants for community projects. For example, the rancho, a building used for Council meetings and traditional ceremonies, had deteriorated over time and caught on fire, prompting a call for restoration; this effort reached full funding in 2013. More controversially, a group of Maleku began an occupation of a private estate within the reserve on December 10, 2012. The occupation lasted three months. However, it does not appear to have had reaching effects on the historic and continued appropriation of Maleku lands.

Vocabulary and Language

70% of the tribe speaks Maleku language. Very few people still speak the native language. For a more extensive list of terms, see Maleku language.

• kapi kapi = hello
• w-ay = yes
• hebet = no
• irri miotem? = what is your name?
• mioten ... = my name is ...
• arrachapi kahole = I would like a cup of coffee
• errekeki kerakou = let's go (to a place)

References

"Maleku Indigenous Tribe." Maleku. http://www.malekuindianscostarica.com/

Minor, Jessica. "Life, Health, Purity, and Survival: the Maleku of Costa Rica Struggle to Regain Lost Lands." March 26, 2013.https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/life-health-purity-and-survival-maleku-costa-rica-struggle-regain-lost-lands

"Indigenous Maleku." http://www.amadeus.co.cr/en/projekte/maleku-indigenas/

"Maleku Village Tours." http://www.malekuindianscostarica.com/

Waddington, Ray. "Indigenous Peoples of the World - The Maleku." http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=Maleku

La Reserva Forest Foundation. "Rancho Bienvenido, Maleku Reserve, Costa Rica." https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/rancho-bienvenido-maleku-reserve-costa-rica/reports/?pageNo=1

Vinding, Diana; Gray, Andrew; and Parellada, Allejandro (1998). From Principles to Practice: Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity Conservation in Latin America, pp. 234–37. IWGIA.

Toro Hami. Dir. Jeffrey López. Association of Popular Initiatives Ditsö, 2013.

"Documentary shows problems faced by Costa Rica's Maleku indigenous people." Inside Costa Rica. April 4, 2013.

"Mascaras Maleku traducen lenguaje cultural." Diario Extra (in Spanish).