espite the recent ‘victory’ of the Deni indigenous population, which after 18 years of waiting at the start of August obtained the formal demarcation of its ancestral land, the overall scenario of the living conditions of the autochthonous populations of Brazil remains dramatic: this is the denouncement launched by the CIMI (Missionary Indigenous Council), which on Monday concluded its XV General Assembly in Luziânia, in the State of
Goiás.
A ‘militarization’ justified by the pretext of defending the borders, but that hides the actual intent to bring whites into the native communities and continue impeding these territories from being demarked into a sole territory, also favoring the invasion of indigenous land, the exploitation of natural resources by gold miners or lumber traffickers and the destruction of their culture.
“Reports arriving from various zones of the nation depict a preoccupying scenario”, referred in a statement the CIMI, the organism presided by Monsignor Gianfranco Masserdotti, Bishop of Balsas, who for 30 years has assisted the struggle for survival of the autochthonous populations of the South American nation. “The participants were profoundly indignant over the 18 murders of native leaders committed since the start of 2003 and the total absence of a new ‘indigenous’ policy or at least of any signs that indicate ‘substantial changes’, as promised in the ‘Compromise with indigenous populations’ contained in the program of the government of President Lula”.
The CIMI also added that the anti-indigenous sectors have reinforced in various States, smaller and more isolated communities are at higher risk of extermination in the Mato Grosso do Sul, in Rondônia, in Acre and Amazonas, reports indicate a deterioration of health conditions in numerous autochthonous lands, while the exodus of numerous natives without any form of assistance continues toward the urban centres. The CIMI also indicated the situation of areas such as Raposa/Serra do Sol, in Roraima, inhabited by 15-thousand Macuxi, Wapixana, Ingaricó, Patamona and Taurepang natives, that are still attending the signing of a homologation decree by the Head of State.
The organism in conclusion renewed the request for the revocation of the 4.412 decree of 2002 on the military and federal police presence in indigenous territories, a measure that – as also underlined by the CNBB (Brazilian Bishops Conference) – contains unconstitutional aspects, as well as representing a threat to the integrity of the territories and the actual life of the autochthonous populations.
A ‘militarization’ justified by the pretext of defending the borders, but that hides the actual intent to bring whites into the native communities and continue impeding these territories from being demarked into a sole territory, also favoring the invasion of indigenous land, the exploitation of natural resources by gold miners or lumber traffickers and the destruction of their culture. In a scenario still marked by serious human rights violations against the native communities, the most positive note remains that which emerged in a study of the Brazilian Statistics Institute, conducted based on the latest national census.
Despite the worst predictions, that indicated their extinction by 2000, the Brazilian indigenous population has passed from 294-thousand individuals in 1991, to the current 701-thousand. It is not coincidental that the missionaries call them the “resurrected populations”.
(From MISNA)