Abstract

This paper is about the way in which indigenous people changed their relationship with natural resources due to the creation of the National Natural Park Amacayacu in 1975, and the way in which indigenous peoples perceive the increase of tourists with the concession of ecotourism services in the same Park in 2005.  The purpose of the paper is to show how indigenous people worked previously in the traffic of animal species and wood and, now, aim to promote conservation of these. Also, the paper shows how tourism has not benefited all and therefore has become demotivated to young people who are looking for other alternatives in education and work.  For this, environmental interpreters and young people mainly from the community of Mocagua were interviewed. Although, different ways of viewing conservation and tourism in surrounding communities and in the same Park visitors' center were observed.  As a result, It was observed  that the interpreters have learned a conservationist speech but also are not passive subjects in relation to tourism since they maintain a different way of seeing tourist activities and the people who get involved on it.

Key words: Conservation, Amazon indigenous, tourism, anthropology of tourism, national natural parks, tourism studies, anthropology and sociology of tourism, Colombian Amazon, Amacayacu, ticuna.