Tupinikim and Guarani Mbya' Indians from the State of
Espi'rito Santo met this week at the National Congress, in
Brasi'lia, with representatives of Aracruz Celulose S.A.,
which is resposible for 23% of the world pruduction of
cellulose, to discuss the restoration of 13,724 hectares
of their territory which were invaded by the company.
The Indians were expelled from the area in 1967; on that
occasion, five of their villages were destroyed and the
land cleared for plantations of eucalyptus, the raw
material used in the production of cellulose.
As a result of the meeting, FUNAI (National Indian
Foundation), which represented the ministry of Justice at
the meeting, is expected to set up a work group in January
which will take the necessary steps to demarcate the area
now occupied by Aracruz.
The Tupinikim and Guarani Mbya' Indians want their
lands back because the 4,492 hectares which make up the
three Indian areas located in that state are not enough to
ensure the survival of the over 1,700 persons who live in
them. If the demarcation is actually carried out, the
three areas will become one. Because the land they were
left with is not enough to meet their needs, the Indians
are forced to seek jobs outside the Indian territory. The
eucalyptus plantations have dried rivers and streams where
they fished in the past. There is not enough land for
crops either. The Indians say they intend to reforest the
area, which originally belonged to the Atlantic Rain
Forest. Actually, the Tupinikim and Guarani Mbya' have
rights over an area which is much larger than the one they
are claiming: in 1610, the then governor of Espi'rito
Santo donated 129,600 hectares to them.
Aracruz Celulose, a multinational company, will
surely try to prevent the demarcation. The company
established itself in the area in 1967 and began to
produce cellulose there ten years later. Today, it
accounts for 40% of all the cellulose produced in Brazil.
At the meeting held at the National Congress, the company
insisted that it brought many benefits to the region.
According to information provided by the Landless
Rural Workers' Newspaper, the low production costs in
Brazil explain the interest of multinational cellulose
producers in the country. While in Brazil trees can reach
the cutting stage after only six years, they take over 50
years to ripen in Europe. Still according to that
newspaper, the sales of Aracruz Cellulose amounted to
about US$ 18 million in 1992.
Brasi'lia, December 3, 1993
CIMI - Indianist Missionary Council