News-Letter Nr. 492

'Fraternity Campaign 2002' Focuses on Indigenous Peoples

The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) chose indigenous peoples as the main theme for the "Fraternity Campaign 2002". The title chosen was "Fraternity and Indigenous Peoples". The campaign shall be launched on Ash Wednesday, February 13th, which marks the beginning of Lent, but at the beginning of next year, dioceses, congregations, and Catholic communities will be discussing, debating, and promoting initiatives aimed at supporting and defending indigenous peoples. Coincidentally, the campaign begins on the same year as Cimi celebrates thirty years since its foundation. The issue should be defended by all creeds and religions that work with or simply support the indigenous cause, much along the same lines as the ecumenical Fraternity Campaign held in 2000. The motto chosen, "For a Land Without Evil ", was inspired on the Guarani myth about the destruction and rebirth of the earth.

Guaranteeing land tenure is a fundamental aspect of life for indigenous people. Among the 756 indigenous lands in Brazil, only 236 have effectively guaranteed land tenure, (i.e. with the entire demarcation process concluded) and 175 are awaiting the beginning of the demarcation process. The procedure is carried out in five phases and can take many years to be concluded, depending on the political and economic interests at stake in each region.

In support of the indigenous peoples, the Brazilian people are called to emulate their own grassroots resistance as a means to transform the country, which has been historically marked by inequality. The challenge that lies ahead is that of building a more just and humane society while also rethinking values, concepts, and stereotypes.

The Fraternity Campaign for next year will help Christians and faithful from other creeds and religions who work with indigenous peoples to widen initiatives aimed at building solidarity, at supporting the indigenous movement, at advocating its struggles for adequate public policies which value education, healthcare - respecting their traditional medicine, environmental protection, and the demarcation of their lands.

30 years of Cimi

The indigenous population is currently estimated at 510,101 individuals and 225 peoples, who speak 180 languages. The indigenous people are currently among the fastest growing sectors of the population, but this has not always been the case. When Cimi was founded in 1972, the indigenous population was estimated at approximately 180 thousand people who ran the serious risk of vanishing, according to anthropologists and historians. Part of this catastrophic scenario was due to official policies aimed at integrating indigenous peoples into the "national community".

Throughout the last thirty years, the indigenous population grew and at least 65 indigenous peoples recovered their self-esteem and determination to reaffirm their ethnic and cultural identity. For many years, these peoples were obliged to hide their ancestry or to join other indigenous peoples to ensure their own survival. Now they fight for the demarcation of their territories and for the federal government to meet their basic needs. They run up against official indigenist policies and the biases held by society. Yet they are also backed up by a network of solidarity and sympathy, which the Fraternity Campaign shall widen and consolidate.

Brasília, December 18, 2001
Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi

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