News-Letter Nr. 475

Tapirapé Indigenous People Report Invasion of Their Lands

A group of Tapirapé indigenous people came to Brasília to ask measures against timbermen and settlers who are invading the Urubu Branco indigenous area, located between the municipalities of Santa Teresinha, Confrésia and Porto Alegre do Norte, in the state of Mato Grosso. In the last six years, this land has been constantly invaded. On July 20, the Tapirapé, together with staff members of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), caught a group of six men camped on the banks of the Gameleira river, inside the indigenous area in question, with provisions, fuel, weapons, and tractors. They were there to steal brazilwood and Jatobá (Hymenaea stilbocarpa), which are used in manufacturing furniture items. In the operation, Ibama seized logs, weapons and tractors and left them with the regional administrative office of Funai in São Félix do Araguaia. The indigenous people warned Funai, Ibama and the Federal Police that if nothing is done they will remove the invaders from the area themselves.

According to the Tapirapé, farmers have devastated approximately 100 hectares in the area already to plant grass and raise cattle. According to the indigenous people, the noise of the chain saws is scaring their game.

Although the 167,000-hectate Urubu Branco indigenous area has been homologated and registered, many settlers still occupy part of it. About six years ago there were 30 families there. "Now this figure has doubled," reports Paulo Tapirapé. The settlers have been selling plots in the indigenous land and jeopardizing its demarcation. It is suspected that they are being hired by large farmers of the region. In 1999 the placement of markers in the land to indicate its boundaries was suspended for lack of security. The employees of the company that was hired to carry out this work were intimidated, threatened and had their van burned. They said that they would only return to the region under the protection of the Federal Police, which so far could not be arranged. The markers and signs that have been placed to identify the indigenous area are being destroyed. All these incidents will once again be reported to the Federal Public Prosecution Service and to Funai, in Brasília. "This is the last warning," Valdemar Tapirapé said.

Kaingang Demand Demarcation of Indigenous Land

A delegation of Kaingang indigenous people from the Rio dos Índios indigenous land, located in the municipality of Vicente Dutra, north region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, came to Brasília this week to ask Funai to take steps to make sure that the work of a Technical Group that was set up to identify and delimit that indigenous land will be completed timely. The approximately 800-hectare area is located at a distance of 470 kilometers from Porto Alegre, on the border between the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. The indigenous delegation was supported by a neighboring community of Iraí.

Since October of last year the Kaingang have been waiting for Funai to publish a report identifying an area that has been encroached upon by a tourist resort and by about 100 families of settlers. In a conversation held with the president of Funai, Glênio Alvarez, the indigenous people accepted a new deadline proposed by him, October 31, for the report to be completed and demarcation procedures to begin. The Kaingang said that if the agency fails to meet this deadline they will solve the problem themselves with the help from the regional indigenous movement. They said they will blame Funai for any conflicts arising from their action.

Brasília, 23 August 2001. Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi

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