Conflicts have been exploding in several parts of Brazil in recent weeks
as a result of the noncompliance, by the Brazilian government, of
constitutional obligations in relation to Indian peoples. These conflicts could
be avoided if measures such the removal of invaders from Indian lands were
taken.
A woodcutter was arrow-shot to death on July 3rd by Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau Indians
in the Amazonian state of Rondonia. Two brothers of that woodcutter, who were
also arrow-shot, narrowly escaped from being killed also. The three men had
been removing hardwood from the lands of those Indians for several months.
Invasions of the uru-eu-wau-wau area became more intense as of the 80's.
Through INCRA (Colonization and Land Reform Institute), the government itself
issued several title deeds for lands included in the Indian territory, in
addition to settling families of tenant farmers there. Although the demarcation
of this territory was homologated in October of last year, the invasions were
not halted, particularly those of woodcutters. The killing of the woodcutter on
Friday was a new warning that the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau Indians, who live in virtual
isolation, will not accept further invasions of their lands.
In the state of Maranhao, in the so-called Brazilian pre-Amazonian region,
the fight between the Guajajara Indians and invaders of the Canabrava Indian
Area was resumed. Last week, inhabitants of the village of Sao Pedro dos
Cacetes, which is located in the heart of the Indian territory, invaded the
Crioli village and abducted seven Guajajara Indians, making them hostages. The
invaders wanted to make sure that in case they are indeed forced to leave that
village they will be resettled and indemnified for all improvements they
introduced in the area. The Indians ended up being released on July 3rd, but
almost three thousand invaders remained in the Indian area.
On May 14th, nine Federal Police officers invaded the Sabonete village and
tortured several Guajajara Indians, including women and children, allegedly to
carry out "an operation against the traffick of marijuana and hashish." The
shots fired by these officers were heard in the distance by other Indians, who
gathered around them and seized their weapons in the ensuing fight.
The first tenant farmers of Sao Pedro dos Cacetes settled in Canabrava at
least 30 years ago, against the will of the Guajajara Indians. After nine
pregnant Indian women were killed by the invaders, FUNAI (National Indian
Foudation) provided the government of the state of Maranhao, in 1979, with
federal funds to remove and resettle those families, which totalled 147 in that
year. Nobody knows what that government did with those funds, as the invaders
were not removed from the area in question.
Right now, the Guajajara Indians are being pressured to accept the
existence of the village in their lands. In exchange for this, they would be
provided with another area. But even if the Indians accept this arrangement,
conflicts are not likely to end and the Guajajara people might reclaim the area
occupied by the village at any moment; according to the Constitution, the
rights of the Indians over their lands are imprescriptible.
Brasilia, July 9th, 1992
CIMI - Indianist Missionary Council