The long stones of Tafí del Valley, Tucumán:

ancestrality and territorialities

Abstract

The "Piedras Largas" (for some people still known as "menhirs") of the Tafí valley have been (and still are) protagonists in the historical, cultural, social and political development of times that precede, but are also contemporary to the national State. In this article I propose to advance in the analysis of some processes of resistance and interpellation that, from indigenous social sectors in the Tafí valley, put in tension logics of scientific interpretation and patrimonial management of those very old lithic manifestations. To do so, I first present these approaches, which start from the assumption of the non-existence of contemporary indigenous peoples, and then confront them with the perspective that can be seen in our studies and in our professional and personal practices. From this perspective, these ancestral materialities were (and still are) a substantial part of the territory and are presented to us as “residual cultural elements” fully active, from which native peoples strengthen their claims for their ancestral territory and the free exercise of their self-determination, challenging paradigms imposed by the State.

ARK CAICYT: https://id.caicyt.gov.ar/ark:/s16688090/mrrbjc6ce