News-Letter Nr. 437

Conama Sets up Working Group to Discuss the Establishment of Conservation Units in Indigenous Areas

The National Council for the Environment (Conama) has decided to set up a working group composed of representatives of non-governmental organizations dealing with environmental and indigenous issues to define alternatives for the impasse around the existence of conservation units inside indigenous areas. This group will follow up the activities being carried out by an existing governmental group. The decision was made at an extraordinary meeting held on November 14. According to data provided by the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), an agency of the Ministry of Environment, 28 conservation units have been established in indigenous territories.

As Cimi mentioned at that meeting, it is perfectly possible and necessary to preserve the environment in indigenous areas under the provisions of the Constitution and specific rules. The constitutional rights of indigenous people, however, prevail over the normative treatment of conservation units, which means that the establishment of such units in indigenous lands is unconstitutional. For this reason, the Conama must annul the decrees that created conservation units in indigenous territories.

Cimi reported administrative problems to Conama derived from how governmental agencies, in this case the Ibama, have been treating indigenous communities where conservation units have been established. Conflicts between indigenous people and Ibama officials have become commonplace, revealing the inability of these officials to deal with the presence of indigenous people in conservation units. Restrictions and limitations on the permanent possession of indigenous areas by indigenous people have been imposed in some cases as a result of the position adopted by environmental groups and even by the official environmental agency, which have often treated indigenous people as predators and devastators of the environment.

The deputy attorney general and coordinator of the 6th Coordination and Review Chamber, Maria Eliane Menezes de Farias, stated very clearly that indigenous people cannot be charged with deforesting and devastating forests because of the presence of invaders in indigenous lands. In her opinion, all indigenous lands must be demarcated immediately and all invaders removed from them before any discussions on the preservation of the environment in indigenous areas can be held.

According to Cimi, indigenous people should not be treated as devastators of the environment, considering that they have managed to preserve their lands despite the 500 years of an economic project that has destroyed the environment in many areas, which at present is represented by a neoliberal model whose goal is to exploit natural resources indiscriminately. In various conservation units, such as Monte Pascoal (state of Bahia) and Piraqueçú and Piraquemirim (state of Espírito Santo), indigenous people have reported the devastation of the environment and have managed to expel the perpetrators of such acts from affected areas.

Audience on Sexual Abuse Against the Yanomami

The Human Rights Committee of the Chamber of Deputies will be holding a public audience on December 12 to discuss reports brought by Peri and David Yanomami of sexual abuse committed by soldiers of the 4th Special Border Platoon (PEF) of the Army against Yanomami females in the region of Surucucus, state of Roraima. Representatives of the Army, Funai, the Pro-Yanomami Committee (CCPY), and Cimi will attend the audience, in addition to one of the two Yanomami who reported the incident. At the public audience, the Army will provide explanations about the reported involvement of soldiers in the paternity of Yanomami children and in sexual harassment and rape cases.

Brasilia, 16 November 2000.
Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi

.. back to main page


For more details on the text you may want to contact Cimi directly under e-mail:



Webmaster Pro REGENWALD

We're happy to receive your comments or answer your questions. now, if you want to contribute to this work