Five-thousand mahogany logs will be taken from the
Kayaps Indian Area, located in the Brazilian State of
Para', within a few weeks by the Ferreira Timber Company. It
is an illegal operation, since the trees were cut down in
Indian lands and their logs seized in August by the
Brazilian Environment Institute; however, because the area
is not being inspected in any way, the company is acting
unrestrainedly. The timber company belongs to the Kayaps who
live in the Pykany village. Apart from that, 8 thousand cubic
meters of mahogany are also being taken from the same area
by the Purimil Timber Company, with which the Kayaps who
live in Kikretum village have been doing business. All this
timber will be removed from the Indian territory before
the second fortnight of November, when the rainy season
begins.
In addition to the devastation they are causing, timber
companies are undermining the traditional social and
economic organization of the Indians. Because of the
easy money they are making, the men, particularly the
younger men, do not need to work and speed most of their
time hanging around drunk in neighboring villages.
Some Indian leaders have been corrupted and are
now negotiating multi-million contracts with timber
companies, without taking into account the damages which
this kind of exploitation is causing to the Indian
territory and community. In August, priest Diego Polizzari
and two teachers were expelled from the Kikretum village
in compliance with a requirement of the Purimil timber
company. Diego Pelizzari had denounced the illegal
exploitation of hardwood in the Kayaps area to the press.
The priest and the two teachers were expelled in spite of
the opposition of several braves and of the women. They
are member of the Indianist Pastoral of Prelazia do Xingu,
in the State of Para', and of the Indianist Missionary
Council (CIMI), an agency of the National Conference of
Bishops of Brazil (CNBB).
The Kayaps territory abounds in mahogany, but because
of its unrestrained exploitation it cannot be found in
several parts of the area any longer. The plundering of
mahogany and other kinds of hardwood began in the 60s.
Even the official Indianist agency, the National Indian
Foundation (FUNAI) has been facilitating and mediating
irregular contracts with timber companies.
YANOMAMI MASSACRE
The Federal Police concluded the investigations on the
massacre of Yanomami Indians and reached the conclusion that
it was a genocide. The preventive detention of 23 miners
has been requested. According to the officer in charge of
the investigations, the Brazilian miners actually intended
to exterminate all Indians in the two villages located in
Venezuela. The Federal Police blamed the invasion of
the Yanomami area by miners on the Calha Norte Project,
conceived by the military, and on the ex-governor of
the State of Roraima and ex-president of FUNAI, Romero Juca'.
Brasi'lia, October 7th, 1993
CIMI - Indianist Missionary Council