Circular migration and community identity: their relationship to the land.

This chapter examines how an indigenous population manages to stay in a locale where campesinos (peasants) have very small land holdings, access to water is limited, and there are few possibilities for employment in their own community. It shows that circulation, i.e. short-term migration for work, is one of the primary strategies to remain rooted to place. Circulation broadens the economic options available but maintains cultural capital. The chapter begins with a literature review of circulation and its longstanding role in highland Ecuador. This is followed by a description of the methodology utilized to understand economic activities, attachment to place, and circulation and migration in rural Cotacachi. 276 migration interviews from 17 communities were analysed. The data analysis provides insights into the economic, social and cultural realities that allow people to stay tied in rural communities of Cotacachi.