Paper short abstract:

This paper explores human-jaguar interactions in Amazonian Guyana. For the local Makushi people, jaguars are shamans. Jaguars are also at the forefront of scientific conservation efforts. The paper evaluates the dynamics between indigenous and scientific knowledge in big cat conservation in Guyana

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores human-jaguar engagements among the Makushi people of Amazonian Guyana. In common with indigenous peoples across Amazonia, Makushi cosmology is based on a shamanic complex which places jaguars at its centre. Along with anacondas and harpy eagles, jaguars (kaikusi) are the archetypal shamanic animals. Jaguars are shamans, and, like shamanic beings in general, can transit the levels of the cosmos. Likewise, human shamans (pia'san) can communicate with - and transform into - jaguars. At the same time, jaguars are at the forefront of conservation efforts. Makushi communities host visiting scientists researching the ecology of neotropical cats, including an ongoing project which uses camera traps to map jaguar populations in the surrounding forest. Although Makushi experts are willing collaborators, there are inevitable disjunctures between the indigenous and scientific knowledge undergirding these interactions. For instance, the Makushi recognise many more species of cat than are currently identified by biologists. These include the mysterious 'tapir tiger', a huge underwater jaguar, and the 'waracabara tiger', a small cat which flies through the canopy at great speed. From a biological purview, these ethno-species occupy the realm between zoology and cryptozoology: biologists discount their existence, whilst anthropologists treat them as mythological beings. Herein, I evaluate Makushi accounts of jaguar-like cats from an ontological perspective, giving more credence to indigenous knowledge and lifeways. Exploring collaborations and conflicts between indigenous and scientific communities in big cat conservation in Guyana allows for some broader reflections concerning the compatibility of scientific and indigenous knowledge in Amazonia.