News-Letter Nr. 469

Ibama Appoints 'Manager' for the Pascoal Mount

The Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) appointed Milene Maia Oberlaender "Conservation Unit Manager" for the "National Pascoal Mount Park."Since 1999, when the Pataxó reoccupied the Pascoal Mount and demanded its demarcation as an indigenous area and the revocation of the decree that created the Park, Ibama tried to intervene on several occasions to expel the indigenous people from their territory.Cimi and the National Indigenous Action Association (Anai) reject the action of the federal agency and report that the nomination of the "manager" is another maneuver against the rights of the Pataxó to their traditional area.

In a public note, Anai says that the decree that created the Pascoal Mount National Park in 1961 is unconstitutional, because the park was implemenmted inside the traditional territory of the Pataxó.The indigenous people were expelled from the region for the Conservation Unit to be created.For two years they have been trying to reoccupy an area that belongs to them.In compliance with a legal determination issued by the Federal Public Prosecution Service, Funai set up a Technical Working Group (GT) to review the bounds of the indigenous area on the Pascoal Mount for the purpose of recovering the area subtracted by the Park.The GT completed its activities and the indigenos people are now waiting for the report to be published by Funai.

When they reoccupied the Mount, the Pataxó expelled the Ibama managers from it and began to manage the park themselves and attend to tourists.Displeased with the situation, Ibama filed a suit for repossession of the reoccupied area but at the same time tried to persuade the indigenous people to accept a "shared management" arrangement (indigenous people and Ibama) for the Pascoal Mount.The indigenous people say they will not budge on their decision to defend their right to the land and are now waiting for its demarcation.

The presence of the "manager" has been causing conflicts with indigenous leaders.After she was assigned to that position, news got about that the indigenous people were deforesting the area.The Pataxó say that the accusations are part of a slanderous campaign aimed at turning the public opinion against them and turn them into villains who destroy nature.

In Cimi's opinion, Ibama should not allowed to continue to try to entice, divide, and pressure indigenous people with the aim of regaining control over the Pascoal Mount in flagrant disrespect for their constitutional rights."The overlapping of conservation units on indigenous lands and the controversy created by the federal environmental agency are irresponsible acts, since the original rights of indigenous peoples to that territory have precedence over any decree to create a conservation unit.Nobody is more aware that the Atlantic forest should be conserved and preseved than the indigenous people themselves," said the executive secrtetary of Cimi, Egon Heck.

Federal Police Arrests Enemy of the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe

Farmer Marcos Vinícius Gaspar Guimarães (Marcão), known for threatening the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe, was arrested this week by the Federal Police in Pau Brazil, south of the state of Bahia, under charges of carrying a gun without a license.He was arrested on July 10 at the central office of the Rural Union of the city.The police acted at the request of the Federal Public Prosecution Service, which had heard from indigenous people that gunmen led by Marcão were circulating in the streets of the city.The police are looking for the gunmen, who fled the city when they heard about the police action.

The Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe fear that the farmer may be released at any moment, but his arrest brought them relief, because it served as a warning about the criminality and insecurity prevailing in the municipality of Pau Brasil. Marcos Vinícius is facing several other charges for violent behavior.

Brasília, 12 July 2001
Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi




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