INDIGENOUS RESOURCE RIGHTS AND CONSERVATION OF THE MONKEY-PUZZLE TREE(ARAUCARIA-ARAUCANA, ARAUCARIACEAE) - A CASE-STUDY FROM SOUTHERN CHILE

This article outlines the ethnobotanical and economic importance of th e monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), a long-lived conifer endemi c to the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina. It also assesses th e connection between indigenous resource rights and environmental cons ervation by examining the history of the tree's use in Ralco Lepoy, an indigenous community of 800 inhabitants located in the Andes of south ern Chile. Primary data,were collected through interviews and field ob servations. Secondary data were collected through archival research in national and provincial capitals. Self-determination and territorial rights are important factors in the indigenous interest in and commitm ent to the conservation of tile monkey-puzzle tree. A complementary ap proach to indigenous land rights and environmental protection may be a n appropriate strategy to decentralize conservation efforts and ensure local participation in developing sustainable resource management pla ns.