Noelia Elizabeth Cerruto Torrico, Centro Andino para la Gestion y Uso del Agua, , noeliacerruto@gmail.com
Abstract
In the community of La Chimba, in Northern Ecuador, the notion of water territory and the existence of a formal "community‟ are rather new. Even though comuneros have lived there for generations, the community was formally established as a social organization in 2002. La Chimba, among other indigenous communities, is at the core of current claims over water resources in the Páramo of Cayambe. This article shows how an indigenous community simultaneously constitutes itself as well as a water territory in the defense of their water security. To observe the construction of both community and water territory, I focused on history and ritual practices as dynamic elements. The results show that natural heritage, social organization and the construction of hydraulic infrastructure are the principal elements in the constitution of both community and water territory. Yet, water territory does not easily correspond with formal units of water management, thus claims more likely continue in the Páramo of Cayambe.
Keywords: water territory, community, ritual exchange