The subject of this collection of essays is the effect of the Chaco War (1932 – 35) on the native peoples of the Chaco region contested by Paraguay and Bolivia. For three years, Bolivian and Paraguayan armies ranged across the Chaco region, and eventually the Paraguayan army defeated the Bolivians. The different native groups that lived in the Chaco were caught between the two armies and the conflict proved to be disastrous for most native groups. Some were killed outright. Others served on one or the other side as guides or auxiliary troops or were impressed for labor services. Women were sexually abused by soldiers from both sides of the conflict. Many fled the war zone for Argentina, where they found work on sugar plantations or elsewhere. Armies on the move transmitted disease that spread to those caught in their path.
The essays in this collection document the experiences of...
