Support Groups Sign Letter of Agreement
July 21-24, the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of the
Rio Negro held an indigenous assembly in Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira,
in Amazonas, Brazil. Ten indigenous organizations of the Rio Negro
participated in the assembly, as well as Manoel Moura, director of
Coordinating Group of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin
(COIAB), and Ailton Krenak, of the national coordination of the
Union of Indigenous Nations (UNI). The local and national
indigenous leaders at the meeting signed a letter of agreement
(termo de compromisso), with significant implications for the
future of the indigenous movement in Brazil. A translation of the
document follows.
Letter of Agreement
1. Considering that this meeting of indigenous organizations of the
Rio Negro,
called by FOIRN - Federation of Indigenous Organizations of the Rio
Negro - has broad participation of local leaders, through the
directorates of the associations;
2. Considering the presence of representatives of the directorate
of COIAB (Coordinating Group of the Indigenous Nations of the
Brazilian Amazon);
3. Considering the presence of representatives of the National
Coordination of UNI (Union of Indigenous Nations), and the themes
and proposals discussed at this meeting;
We Resolve:
a) To sign this protocol defining an agenda for work on three
levels of organization;
b) To prepare a common agenda to formulate a program for
structuring the local, regional and national indigenous movement;
c) To declare together a public commitment, with all of the
legally constituted indigenous organizations, associations,
councils, etc., to define the form and date to convene the voting
members of each organization for the definition of the model of
national organization that we want, and its structure and mandate;
d) To inform all our grassroots supporters through the channels of
communication of the groups that support the indigenous struggle
of the positive result of the meeting and the urgent necessity of
having a civil organization (organizacao civil);
e) To communicate with the groups that support the indigenous
struggle, in order that they cease the dissidence that hinder the
indigenous movement when they undertake parallel programs of a
paternalistic, academicist nature;
f) That the indigenous organizations and support groups are
responsible for national mobilization so that the Congress does not
alter indigenous rights assured by the constitution; Being in
agreement, all the indigenous organizations represented sign this
protocol. (signed by 34 indigenous leaders, representing the
organizations listed below)
UNI - Union of Indigenous Nations (National)
COIAB - Coordinating Group of the Indigenous Organizations of
Amazonia
FOIRN - Federation of the Indigenous Organizations of the Rio Negro
ACIRI - Association of the Indigenous Communities of the Rio Icana
ACITRUT - Association of the Indigenous Communities of Tarawa, Rios
Vaupes and
Tiquie
UNIDI - Union of Indigenous Nations of the Iauarete District
UCIDI - Union of the Indigenous Communities of the Iauarete
District
UNIRT - Union of Indigenous Nations of the Rio Tiquie
ACIBRN - Association of the Indigenous Communities of the Lower Rio
Negro
AINBAL - Balaio Indigenous Association
ACIRNE - Association of the Indigenous Communities of the Rio Negro
AMITRUT - Association of Indigenous Women of Tarauaca, Rios Vaupes
and Tiquie
ARCINE - Rural Association of Indigenous Communities of the Rio
Negro
-in agreement with item d), the support groups listed below sign:
CEDI - Ecumenical Center for Documentation and Information
NDI - Nucleus of Indigenous Rights
CIMI - Indigenous Missionary Council