My Travels to the Tropics for Some Shifters of Cultivation

The rickety yellow stopped on dusty road for me to get out.  As the dust cleared,  the driver told me to head down the path and I will know when I arrived at the village.  Before I could ask him anything else, the car did a Y-Turn and left the way we came. I began to travel through the rainforest, but it wasn't long until it cleared into a wide field, cleared of trees and some people picking at the ground.  I asked where I could find Raul, my guide of his settlement for the day. They pointed to one of the houses in the distance and I continued through the cleared area.


Raul, a member of the Kayapo people, met me outside of his home where he gave me a huge hug and began to explain to me what type of cultivation they use and how they proceed on planting their agriculture.  He began to talk as we walked around the perimeter of the swidden (cleared area) which were, when he explained it to me, consecutive rings so they could plant more vegetation in each ring.   He said that they first use axes or machetes to cut down the trees and then they burn the undergrowth. When the rain comes by it washes away the ash into the soil, creating a nutritious land that bares great vegetation...for a while.  The most productive year for them is the second year after the initial slash -and - burn; they were in their third year.  Raul said this was the last year they could use this land before it was unbearable so he should me the next plot of land that the villagers would use for the upcoming year.

He should me some of the harvested food of last year which was maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, and other vegetation.  He then gave me some for a snack as he continued to talk about how much his people benefit from using this land.  In the back of my mind, I thought of the deforestation of the rain forest and while it is great for them to utilize the land, I was troubled with how much it ruins the land around them after they are done.

I then returned back to the road where I came from where the yellow car was waiting for me.



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