Who Are the Toba Qom?
The Toba Qom (or simply Qom) are a Guaycuruan-speaking indigenous people of the Gran Chaco region, primarily in Argentina's Chaco, Formosa, and Santa Fe provinces, with smaller communities in Paraguay. Numbering approximately 70,000-80,000 (making them one of Argentina's largest indigenous groups), the Qom have experienced dramatic transformations including forced sedentarization, conversion to Pentecostal Christianity, and urban migration. They are notable for developing distinctive indigenous expressions of evangelical Christianity that combine traditional spiritual practices with charismatic worship, creating new forms of indigenous religiosity influential across Latin America.
Traditional Life
Traditional Qom society was organized around bands of mobile hunter-gatherers exploiting the Chaco's seasonal resources. Fishing provided crucial nutrition, especially during seasonal river floods that concentrated fish. Hunting supplied game; gathering contributed wild fruits, honey, and plant foods. The Qom developed sophisticated environmental knowledge adapted to the Chaco's extreme conditions. Social organization was flexible, based on kinship and band membership. Shamanism was central to traditional religion—shamans (pi'oxonaq) communicated with spirits, healed illness, and mediated between human and supernatural realms. Colonial-era conflicts with Spanish and then Argentine expansion culminated in military campaigns that conquered the Chaco by the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Iglesia Evangélica Unida
Beginning in the 1940s, Pentecostal Christianity spread rapidly among the Qom, producing the Iglesia Evangélica Unida (IEU)—an indigenous-led church that became the majority religion. This movement combined evangelical theology with elements of traditional spirituality: healing practices, dreams and visions, and expressive worship incorporating indigenous musical styles. Qom pastors lead congregations; services feature enthusiastic singing, testimony, and spiritual healing. The IEU provided community cohesion and meaning during traumatic sedentarization and marginalization. It also created networks connecting dispersed Qom communities. This religious transformation demonstrates how indigenous peoples can adopt and transform introduced religions, creating new syntheses that address their specific needs and incorporate traditional elements.
Contemporary Qom
Modern Qom live in diverse situations: rural communities in the Chaco, urban barrios in cities like Resistencia and Rosario, and even Buenos Aires. Many face poverty, discrimination, and limited economic opportunities. Traditional subsistence is largely impossible; wage labor, government assistance, and informal economy provide income. The Qom language remains vital; bilingual education programs operate in some areas. Political organization has developed, with Qom leaders engaging in indigenous rights advocacy at provincial and national levels. Land claims continue to be contested. Health and education indicators lag behind national averages. Cultural revival efforts preserve traditional knowledge while the evangelical church remains central to community life. The Qom represent a large indigenous population navigating between tradition, religious transformation, and urban migration in contemporary Argentina.
References
- Miller, E. S. (1979). Los Tobas Argentinos: Armonía y Disonancia en una Sociedad
- Wright, P. G. (2008). Ser-en-el-sueño: Crónicas de Historia y Vida Toba
- Ceriani Cernadas, C. (2008). Nuestros Hermanos Lamanitas: Indios y Fronteras en la Imaginación Mormona