The Amerindian societies of Paraguay have lived in harmony with their surroundings for centuries , yet this balance is being tipped precariously . Although most of the Paraguayan population comes from indigenous descent , only 2 % of Paraguay ’ s population identifies as indigenous ( IWGIA 2 )
Many fear taking a stand and identifying as indigenous , fearing discrimination , marginalization , or other socio-economic implications . Even more , their land is being lost at an alarming rate to agricultural conglomerates and deforestation , driving displacement of these communities and threatening the loss of their heritage . Take the Kem Hayak Sepo community from the Enxet town near the Ruta Transchaco ( kilometer 192 ) as an example . This community is composed of over seventy indigenous families , and their land has been reduced from twelvethousand hectares to a mere three-hundred hectares ( Tierra Viva 10 ). The Kem Hayak Sepo community , once thriving with cultural richness on their ancestral lands , now stands as a reflection of the devastating effects and drastic land reductions also happening to thousands of other communities within Paraguay as land is converted into farmland for agricultural use ( TierraViva 4 ). Furthermore , as these indigenous communities lost their land , they simultaneously lost their independence . The hunting grounds necessary for survival are disappearing as they are replaced by monochromatic seas of soy and corn . Once vibrant lands , stripped of all their diversity , life , and richness , to be replaced by agricultural fields . The forests , fields , rivers , and streams that these communities have relied on for centuries , disappear . The once-sacred lands vanish into the grasp of modernization , creating a multi-faceted sequence of hardships that leave indigenous communities displaced and vulnerable . Without land to support themselves , and limited external aid , indigenous communities are placed in a position of not only having to maintain their heritage but surviving as well .
In October of 2021 , a United Nations Human Rights Council ( UNHRC ) sub-committee spectating the government ’ s adherence to indigenous communities ’ rights within Paraguay passed a monumental declaration stating that the “ home ” of an indigenous community now also included their farmland , hunting grounds , and territories used to maintain their ways of life ( UN 3 ). This prominent act was a major step in the right direction as it broadened the scope of what was considered indigenous
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