News-Letter Nr. 619


Forum for the defense of indigenous people's rights launched

The Forum for the Defense of Indigenous People's Rights was launched yesterday (23 June). This will be a place for discussions and analysis of the performance of the Brazilian state in guaranteeing the rights of the indigenous people. Concerned that the three powers are taking steps backwards when dealing with matters concerning the indigenous people and their rights, which are guaranteed by the Federal Constitution of 1988 and supported by International Labor Organization Convention 169, indigenous people’s organizations and entities that support them believe that by joining their forces together they can confront the government’s omission and the constant attacks by forces opposed to the indigenous people, which are taking place at the present time.

During the launch ceremony, the participants were unanimous about the importance of setting up the Forum. The expectations of Márcio Santilli, of the Socio-environmental Institute, are that it will feed off the mobilizations that were carried out during the Constituent Assembly, when the union of these forces was of great importance for the achievements of that time.

The president of the Pastoral Land Commission, Dom Tomás Balduíno, believes that its contribution to this discussion Forum will not be of use for only the indigenous people, but for Brazil “which up to today, feels that its constitution has been mutilated, especially as far as the indigenous people are concerned”.

Dom Luciano Mendes, who spoke in the name of Cimi, said that the creation of the Forum represented a landmark in the fight of the indigenous movement, because “it is a constant not a transitory action”. However, Dom Luciano emphasized, “it depends on all of us, who are militants for the indigenous cause, to keep this initiative going”.

To start with, the Forum will work on some issues, considered as emergencies – land, health and mining in indigenous lands. Initially, the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COAIB) will take on the role of secretary, and has already timetabled a meeting for today, where actions will be planned.

According to Jecinaldo Saterê Mawé, COAIB coordinator, the initial objective is to produce a dossier covering these issues and focusing on: the current state of indigenous health care after the changes that have taken place in Funasa; the urgent ratification of the Raposa Serra do Sol indigenous land and the real situation of the peoples of that land; and mining in indigenous lands, especially in the Roosevelt reserve, belonging to the Cinta Larga people. “The dossier will enable society to discover the real situation and the problems that we are facing”, he said. The Forum will be a place where problems can be shared; current situations can be analyzed and pressure can be applied so that an effective indigenous policy can be put together. “We will work to direct the government towards constructing a participative indigenous policy, with the presence of indigenous communities and organizations that support them”, said Jecinaldo.

The 6th Chamber of the Public Prosecutor's Office will follow up on all the projects that fall within the scope of the legislative and executive powers and will keep the Forum constantly up-to-date.

In the opinion of Deborah Duprat, Sub-attorney General of Brazil and coordinator of the 6th Chamber, the Forum is of fundamental importance for guaranteeing that the indigenous people are the protagonists as far as all the positions assumed by the State that involve them are concerned. Deborah says that this Forum will enable the indigenous people to have a discussion place for confronting the negative policies that the State has been developing, in non-compliance with Convention 169 and the Constitution, and where the indigenous people are not even heard. “Their (the indigenous people’s) pleas are not even considered valid. This forum is just the place for the indigenous people to reclaim for themselves the role that the Constitution and Convention 169 has set aside for them, that of effectively saying what they want and obliging the State to act according to these intentions”, the Sub-attorney General said.

The Attorney General of Brazil, Cláudio Fonteles, was also present at the launch and used this turn of phrase to define the Forum. “Whilst the bird has wings, it has to fly. And this is a place where our wings will never leave our bodies, this is a place for perpetuity”.

The forum’s first exposure

After leaving their traditional Mata Alagada land, situated in the municipality of Lagoa da Confusão, around 300 kilometers from Palmas, Tocantins, to which they had returned on 10 June, the Krahô-Kanela people have returned to square one.

The situation of this people is the first to be brought to public attention by the Forum for the Defense of Indigenous People's Rights. On 16 June, the Federal Court issued a court order granting land rights against the people, after the judge, in Cristalândia, transferred the decision to the federal jurisdiction. An agreement signed by Funai, to speed up the process of straightening out the situation of the Mata Alagada land and of providing a place where they can stay with dignity and support until the end of the process, made the Krahô-Kanela leave the area.

In Brasília, the situation of this people was reported by the chief Mariano, who asked the Forum for support. The struggles and the lack of respect to which they have been subjected, were exposed by the leader who stated that all they want is the land that was taken from them over 20 years ago and he explained what had motivated the people to return to their area. “We were forced back because of the negligence of Funai. For more than 20 years, our people have had nowhere to live. The people there (at Funai) give us little support. The study into our land is moving very slowly, it seems that they spend a long time without looking at the papers. This has forced us to enter our traditional land”.

The moments of tension that they lived through during the days that they were in the area, when they took two judicial officers hostage, were cleared up by the chief who guaranteed, that they had no intention of fighting or hurting anyone. “We only want our land, the fight is for our land”. Moving from one place to another and fed up of the government’s negligence faced with the situation they are in, the decision to return to their land was considered by the indigenous people to be the only way of getting their land back.

Mariano asked the organizations present for their help, because he believes that the government institution will do little for them. “I am asking you to help us reach our land. Help us because Funai is not helping. It is because of the wait for help from Funai that our people have been suffering for more than 20 years. We are not going to keep on suffering for any longer. If Funai does not sort things out, we will”, he concluded.

Brasília, June 24th 2004
Cimi - Indianist Missionary Council



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