Governing indigenous territories in the Peruvian Amazon : placing people or forest first?

Abstract: The current competition for land in the Peruvian Amazon presents a challenge to many indige-nous communities which do not have legal ownership over their customary lands. In response to this challenge, several actions have been taken by indigenous groups to gain possession over forest areas which they consider as part of their ancestral territories. This thesis analyses the strategies of Alto Huaja, a Kechwa-Lamista community in the region of San Martín, to get a collective title for their communal forest territory. More specifically, it explores how this strug-gle is being influenced by different external actors and their views and models for how indige-nous territories should be governed. Through the lens of governmentality, the thesis explores the two main tenure arrangements under discussion in San Martín – conservation concession and title – the rationales that underpin them and their possible consequences for Alto Huaja. The data was collected through participatory observation and informal interviews in Alto Huaja and semi-structured interviews with nine organizations (governmental authorities, NGOs and indigenous organizations) that are connected to Alto Huaja. The results suggest that the Ke-chwa-Lamista’s opportunities to control their ancestral lands are becoming more tied to their ability to do conservation and behave as ‘ecological natives’ rather than their rights as indige-nous peoples, a development that could turn them from being farmers to becoming conserva-tionists.