Mapping in the Izozog region of the Gran Chaco, southeastern Bolivia (1995-6)

Starting in late 1995, Native Lands began working with the Capitanía de Alto y Bajo Izozog (CABI) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on a project to produce maps of the land occupied by 22 communities of Guaraní Indians in a piece of the Gran Chaco called the Izozog. This is a roughly 19,000 km2 tract of land flanking the Parapití river to the southeast of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. In recent years, integrity of the region has been threatened by extensive soy bean farming and illegal hunting. The mapping had the objective of documenting Guaraní use and occupation of the Izozog and laying the groundwork for legalization of their territory. Tied to this effort, CABI and WCS have joined forces to create the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park, a 3.5 million hectare protected area to the east of the Izozog and adjacent to the Paraguayan border. Since the mapping took place, the Izoceños have gained control of their lands through the Tierra Comunitaria de Origen (TCO) provision of Bolivia's Agrarian Reform Law; and the Kaa-Iya Park is being managed by CABI with assistance from WCS.