News-Letter Nr. 478

Farmers Request Hearing to Attack Indigenous Rights

At the request of farmers and federal representatives who defend their interests, the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Policies of the Brazilian House of Representatives held a public hearing Tuesday afternoon, the 11th, to discuss the demarcation and occupation of indigenous lands. What was supposed to be a debate on legal aspects of the issue ended up becoming a forum of hostilities and prejudice against indigenous peoples. The plenary of the Comittee was fully occupied by both small and large farmers, lawyers, anthropologists and indigenous representatives. Four hours of tense discussions and heated speeches followed.

The hearing was attended by Cimi's legal advisor, Paulo Machado Guimarães, the president of Funai, Glênio Alvarez, a representative of Incra, an anthropologist designated by large landowners, the legal advisor to the Agricultural Federation of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul (Famasul), which incites farmers and small rural producers against the Guarani and Kaiová, the coordinator of the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), Jacir of Souza, and Sebastião Terena.

The main objective of the farmers and their representatives at the hearing was to defy the traditional right of indigenous peoples to their lands and attack them in their dignity with racist and discriminatory words. Representatives of indigenous entities attending the hearing were verbally attacked also, particularly the Cimi representatives, who were accused of promoting an "invasion industry."

The hearing showed how the farmers have developed strong links among them through the National Agricultural Confederation (CNA) for the clear purpose of preventing indigenous lands from being demarcated. This entity has been playing a role similar to that of the Ruralist Democratic Union (UDR), which in the 1980s sponsored the development of rural militia and persecuted indigenous leaders, rural workers and small farmers.

The representative of the CNA, Leôncio de Souza Brito Filho, said that the farmers are so worried about the issue that the entity set up a National Committee for Indigenous Affairs to follow up on conflicts between farmers and indigenous people and guide the farmers on what measures they should take in each case. All that the president of Funai did was defend the administrative procedures and the technical and scientific criteria adopted right now for demarcating indigenous lands and the role of the agency in complying with the constitutional obligation to regularize these lands. He mentioned how the agency has scarce resources and funds to carry out its mission.

Cimi's legal advisor defended the immediate recognition and demarcation of indigenous lands and said that the situation would be much better by now if a fair land reform had been carried out and a final policy for demarcating indigenous lands had been adopted. He criticized the sluggishness of actions to ensure indigenous rights and blamed the conflicts on all state governments that recognized title deeds to lands located in indigenous areas. "Those who donated and sold lands of the Union, indigenous lands, are to be blamed for this situation," said Paulo Guimarães. "Title deeds should not preempt the constitutional rights of indigenous peoples. Their ethnic and constitutional rights should be respected," he added. The coordinator of CIR, Jacir de Souza, spoke about the suffering of indigenous peoples and mentioned their struggle to demarcate the Raposa/Serra do Sol area in the state of Roraima as an example. He mentioned the efforts being made by indigenous communities to prevent timbermen, miners and large landowners from invading indigenous lands. Jacir reported attempts of farmers to divide indigenous communities and emphasized that lands are not a cause of disputes among indigenous peoples. "Indigenous people don't fight among them for the land. Indigenous people share the land and take into account the needs of other people. There's enough land for everybody. Small farmers don't have to fight with indigenous people."

In Cimi's opinion, small farmers are being manipulated by large farmers and large landowners as a means to preserve their own privileges and continue to accumulate lands greedily. The entity says that actions such as the ones seen in the public hearing will not intimidate indigenous people in their struggle. Cimi pledged to continue to support and defend the traditional and constitutional rights of indigenous peoples.

Brasília, 13 September 2001. Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi




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