Enrique Alejandro Moreno

Relations between humans and non-human animals have been of great importance throughout history. These relationships have primarily been conceived in terms of human appropriation of animal resources and their exploitation, use, and management. Such perspectives have largely been grounded in the reproduction of the dichotomy between culture and nature, assuming an anthropocentric standpoint. However, over the past thirty years, intense debates have emerged that seek to critically reflect upon these views and, above all, on the impacts that these conceptualizations of human–animal relations have had. In this context, our aim is to incorporate this discussion into a specific case study: the relationships between humans and non-human animals in the eastern region of Catamarca Province, Argentina. We will consider a temporal scale encompassing the last two millennia, focusing on the changes and continuities that have characterized these interactions. Particular attention will be given to the ways in which these relationships are reflected in the construction of contemporary public policies and in the ongoing marginalization of the ancestral knowledge held by the populations currently inhabiting the region.