Who Are the Enxet?
The Enxet (also known as Lengua or Enlhet) are a Mascoian-speaking indigenous people of the Paraguayan Chaco, inhabiting the Presidente Hayes and Boquerón departments. Numbering approximately 16,000-18,000, they are one of Paraguay's largest indigenous groups. The Enxet comprise several related groups including Enxet Sur (Southern Lengua), Enenlhet, and Toba Maskoy. Their territory has been extensively colonized by cattle ranches and Mennonite colonies, leading to landlessness and labor dependency. The Enxet have been at the forefront of indigenous land rights advocacy in Paraguay, winning landmark cases at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Traditional Life
Traditional Enxet society was organized around mobile bands exploiting the Chaco's seasonal resources. Hunting provided game from the dry forest and savanna; fishing was important during seasonal floods; gathering supplied wild fruits, honey, and plant materials. The Enxet developed detailed environmental knowledge enabling survival in the harsh Chaco climate. Social organization was flexible, allowing bands to merge or split according to resource conditions. Shamanism addressed spiritual and medical needs; elaborate initiation ceremonies marked life transitions. Contact with European society began through Anglican missionaries in the late 19th century; mission stations provided refuge but also initiated cultural transformation. The 20th century brought land alienation as ranchers and Mennonite colonists acquired Enxet territories.
Land Rights Struggle
The Enxet have pioneered indigenous land rights litigation in Paraguay. Communities dispossessed of ancestral lands have brought cases to the Inter-American human rights system, winning precedent-setting decisions. The Yakye Axa and Sawhoyamaxa communities obtained rulings from the Inter-American Court ordering Paraguay to return lands and provide basic services. Implementation remains incomplete, but these cases established important legal precedents for indigenous territorial rights in the Americas. Enxet organizations continue advocating for land restitution, with varying success across communities. The land rights struggle has united Enxet communities and created alliances with human rights organizations internationally.
Contemporary Enxet
Modern Enxet communities face the consequences of territorial dispossession. Many live on small, inadequate landholdings or on ranches where they work as laborers. Traditional subsistence is impossible without land; wage labor, small agriculture, and crafts provide income. Some communities have recovered lands through legal processes or purchases by supporting organizations. The Enxet language remains strong among older generations, though youth increasingly use Spanish. Cultural knowledge persists but is challenged by sedentarization and economic marginalization. Health and education services remain inadequate in remote communities. The Enxet represent indigenous peoples actively using legal and political means to recover ancestral territories while maintaining community cohesion under difficult circumstances.
References
- Renshaw, J. (2002). The Indians of the Paraguayan Chaco: Identity and Economy
- Kidd, S. W. (1999). Love and Hate Among the People Without Things
- Inter-American Court of Human Rights. (2005). Yakye Axa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay