Title of Work:

Conflicts of Natural Resources in Mines on Indigenous Communities Lands.

Abstract:

In Catamarca, Argentina, I had the opportunity to do an internship at a mine where I learned about what it means to be an environmental consultant. I worked in the environmental department, reading environmental regulations, monitoring processes when production begins both inside and outside the mine, and understanding the pollution effects that the environmental department would have to address after production. Without an environmental impact report, production in the mine cannot proceed, and solutions to the pollution that occurs there must be in place. Therefore, my contribution included conducting chloride analysis in the water, taking daily compost samples, and processing documents. Additionally, I applied what I learned there to participate in my second internship in environmental meetings, observing how industrial companies seek to extract natural resources from the lands of indigenous communities. Linguistically, I am a heritage speaker. The linguistic features I noticed in Tucumán that are different from what I'm used to are "che" and the use of "voseo" instead of "tú" when addressing someone. I was able to adapt because I’m familiar with Latin culture and my roots. Intercultural competence helped me integrate into a community and learn Spanish which was different from what I’m used to speak.

Title of Work (IGP Language):

Conflictos de Recursos Naturales de Minas en Tierras de las Comunidades Indigenas. 

Abstract (IGP Language):

En Catamarca, Argentina tuve la oportunidad de hacer una práctica en una mina donde aprendí sobre lo que es ser un consultante ambiental. Participe en el departamento ambiental, leyendo las reglas ambientales, los procesos de seguimiento al momento de comenzar con la producción dentro y fuera de la mina, así mismo también los efectos de contaminación que el departamento ambiental tendrá que resolver después de la producción. Sin un reporte de impacto ambiental la producción no puede ser posible en la mina, ya que se tiene que tener soluciones a la contaminación que se produce, por lo tanto mi contribución era realizar análisis del cloruro en el agua, tomar muestras diarias del compostaje, y procesamiento de documentos. Además, puse en práctica lo que aprendí ahí para participar en mi segunda pasantía en reuniones ambientales en cómo las compañías industriales tratan de obtener una producción de los recursos naturales en las tierras de las comunidades indígenas. Lingüísticamente soy hablante de herencia. Las características lingüísticas que note en Tucumán diferentes a las que conocía fueron el uso de “che” y el uso “voseo” en vez de tuteo. Logré adaptarme porque puede familiarizarme a como es la cultura Latina y mis raíces, la competencia intercultural me ayudó a integrarme en una comunidad diferente para mi, donde aprendí un español diferente al que estoy acostumbrada a hablar.

Elevator Pitch Transcript: 

Hi everyone my name is Mia Chavez, I’m double majoring in Environmental and Sustainability studies and Spanish. I also have a minor in Anthropology, Geology, and Italian, with a certificate in Innovation Thinking and Problem-Solving.

I had the opportunity to study abroad in San Miguel de Tucuman Argentina at the Universidad Nacional de San Miguel de Tucuman in the faculty of Natural Sciences Miguellillo. I took environmental classes, as well as geology and humanities classes. 

I needed it to get used to the linguistics from there as the voseo “vos” that I mostly use tu “you”. As a heritage speaker, it was difficult to adapt to the new words such as “re”, “laburo”, “recibirse”, “colectivo”, but if you are really into getting to know the linguistics, and like just meeting people and communicating with them, it gets really easy to just start using those words in general.

I had the opportunity to participate in two internships, which were connected in the end. My first internship was participating in the environmental department in the mine of Farallon negro in Catamarca Argentina which is in the north of Argentina and next to Tucumán, you can see it here on the map. 

My job was mostly collecting examples of water in every area provided, to analyze the chloride levels for consumption, as well as checking the areas such as “basuderos” garbage dumps where every waste ended up and needed to be covered to make use of the land later and to check the “playas de lixiviation” water leaching where the water and all chemicals used after all the production process it was throw up away.

Therefore, in the end, I was able to work with their compost regarding the information provided about the food waste from the food department to create more sustainable ways of food production to reduce or use the compost to better grow for soil.

I also had the opportunity to shadow the health and security department inside of the mine to see the demonstration of their work and got to follow the roles of security because they had so many protocols before you go inside of the mine, and after you come outside of the mine as well, so you need to follow all those rules. Here are some videos where you can see that as well that I’m taking “muestras”, and demonstration of the water samples, and la “playa de lixiviacion” water leaching right here.

In the second part of the internship, after learning everything that I practiced in the mine, I assisted as an environmental consultant with indigenous community meetings, where the main topic was to resolve the conflict between industrial companies who tried to buy or take away indigenous lands. 

That’s all for me, if you have any more questions about what I did, how was my internship, or if you should go to Argentina and you have questions, shoot me an email and let me know, and I hope to see you all at the summit, thank you.

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