The Brazilian government is sending messages through the National Radio
Station of Amazonia to warn woodcutters and miners who invaded the Kayapo'
Indian Area that they are to leave it. The Area is located in the state of
Para' and it is difficult to access it. The broadcasts are being aired in
compliance with a decision of the Federal Courts, which determined that
FUNAI (National Indian Foundation) is to remove invaders from the Indian
territory.
The measure, however, is not likely to produce concrete results: there
are thousands of miners in the area and it will not be easy to persuade
woodcutters to give up a profitable activity through radio messages. In order
to effectively remove the invaders from the Indian territory, a joint action
of the Federal Police, Funai and Ibama (Brazilian Institute for Environment)
is required.
The exit of othe woodcutters and miners also depends on the Kayapo'.
Several leaders signed commercial contracts with the invaders and are not
willing to give up the business. Funai won the support of some Indian leaders
to broadcast the radio messages, after showing them that they are actually
losing money. However, early this week staff members of the Indianist agency
who were trying to get in touch with a group of isolated Indians were
expelled from the area by a few Kayapo', who were accompanied by employees
of the Perachi timber company. The area belongs to the Union and its
ownership is being claimed by this company.
A research carried out last year by the Mata Virgem Foundation, Rainforest
Foundation International, and Japan Rainforest showed that all the Kayapo'
who live in two villages have been contamined by the mercury used by miners
in their prospection for gold. Timber companies, in turn, are not only
illegally operating in Indian lands but also deforesting areas inside them.
According to Greenpeace, an environmental organization, studies have shown
that for each mahogany tree that is cut down, 28 trees of other species are
damaged.
INDIAN DECENNIUM
During a meeting held until last weekend in Brazil, OAS (Organization of
American States) has decided to establish the International Decennium of the
World's Indian Peoples. OAS does not recognize Indians as peoples, only
as populations.
Brasi'lia, July 16th, 1994
CIMI - Indianist Missionary Council
Newsletter n. 117