The recovery of part of the territory traditionally occupied by Xavante
Indians depends on a concrete action of an Italian corporation, Agip Petroli,
the holding company of the Italian state-owned Enter Nazionali Idrocarbure
(ENI). The area in question, which is located in the state of Mato Grosso, is
presently known as Suia'-Missu farm and was bought by ENI in 1981. Although the
chairman of the company, Gabriele Cagliari, announced on June 10 at the Earth
Summit that the area would be returned to the Xavante Indians, he has not made
good his promise so far. Cagliari had said that the area would be returned to
the Indians on the 8th of this month.
According to FUNAI (National Indian Foundation), ENI's representatives in
Brazil oppose the idea of returning the area to the Xavante Indians, defying
the decision made by the board of the company in Italy. These representatives
have been demanding a statement from FUNAI on the rights of the Xavante Indians
over the area.
The delay to give the area back to the Indians is making it even more
difficult for them to recover their territory. Two thousand families of
squatters invaded the Suia'-Missu farm on June 15, a few days after the
announcement made by ENI's chairman. The squatters were encouraged to invade
the area by mayors, politicians and farmers of the region, who oppose the idea
of returning it to the Xavante Indians. They even prepared a map to show to the
families the places they should invade and they are threatening to react with
violence if the Indians do return. There have been accusations that they are
occupying parts of the farm. These politicians claim that they rely on the
support of the governor of the state of Mato Grosso , Julio Campos, and perhaps
this is true, considering that he has not taken any measure to prevent the
invasion. Agip Petroli, opn its turn, hasn't voiced a word about the invasion
of the farm, which is regarded as an area belonging to it.
The Suia'-Missu farm occupies most of the 200 thousand hectares of the
Maraiwatsede Indian Area. FUNAI initiated the demarcation of the area, but its
immediate continuity depends on Agip's consent to the return of the Xavante
Indians.
Agip Petroli bought the Suia-Missu farm in 1981. In the 50's, small
squatter families began to invade Marciwatside. The area was bought by farmer
Ariosto da Riva, who began to refer to the Indian territory as Suia'-Missu
farm. In 1962, the farmer associated with the Ometto entrepeneurial group in
business undertakings. Ariosto da Riva and the Ometto family are of Italian
origin.
Conflicts between the Xavante Indians and the invaders began to grow until
in 1966 the federal administration transferred part of the Indians to the Sao
Marcos Salesian Mission, 300 km away from the area. Not long after that, a
measles outbreak hit the mission and over 100 Indians died, many of whom had
come from Maraiwatsede. The Indians who had stayed in Suia-Missu were taken to
another xavante area. The Ometto group sold the farm to the Liquigas do Brasil
company in 1972, which on its turn sold it to Agip Petroli in 1981.
The Xavante Indians never gave up the idea of returning to Maraiwatsede.
Every year groups of Indians have been returning to the traditional territory
to visit their old cemeteries and villages there. But only in 1984 the Xavante
Indians of Suia-Missu managed to get together once again in a single village,
making it possible for them to claim their traditional territory in an
organized way.
Brasmlia, July 17th, 1992
CIMI - Indianist Missionary Council