Government Wants to Remove Woodcutters from Indian Lands
6/16/94
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/** rainfor.genera: 166.0 **/
** Topic: WOODCUTTERS AND THE KAYAPO INDIANS **
** Written 11:14 am Jun 16, 1994 by ax:cimi in cdp:rainfor.genera
**
BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT WANTS TO REMOVE WOODCUTTERS
FROM INDIAN LANDS USING RADIO MESSAGES
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 Kayaps, 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 demaged.
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