One victory is not enough for the indigenous people of Brazil

By Karla Peña

On the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2008, the indigenous people of Raposa Serra do Sol in the Brazilian state of Roraima celebrated a victory against encroaching farmers, cattle ranchers and local politicians who are attempting to overturn the constitutional right for indigenous land democratization. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva granted territorial protection of the land in 2005, but was quickly challenged by the non-native economic beneficiaries of the land.

The Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) in Brazil reports there are about 735,000 indigenous people in the nation, including isolated communities and those living in urban centers. Indigenous areas are 11% of the national territory, with the majority in the Amazon.

Local indigenous communities have been marginalized to small plots of unfertile land by developers planting soybeans and sugar cane and raising cattle. For example, in Mato Grosso do Sur, the Gurani/Kaiowa children suffer malnutrition and high death rates as a result of the inequitable access of land, clean water and food.

The United Nations Declaration of Indigenous People accepted by the General Assembly in 2007 recognizes the right of indigenous people to determine their culture, identity, language and tradition, along with practice of prior consent before land concessions. This non-binding document was ratified to generate voluntary compliance—a slow trajectory for the thousands of indigenous people of the world.

Stronger cooperative networks could result in more recognition of indigenous rights like this victory in Brazil. Allies mobilizing for human rights in Brazil include the Indigenous Missionary Council (Conselho Indigenista Missionario - CIMI), Brazil Landless Workers Movement ( Moviemiento dos Trablhadores Rurais Sem Terra – MST), Via Campesina, and Coordinator of Indigenous Organization of the Amazon (Coordinadora de las Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica COICA).

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www.amazonwatch.org
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