VOL 28 JULY- AUGUST 2017
S U O N E INDIG Â S T N E MOVEM
STEPHANIE B. LINO & LILIANA CARACOZA
THE COUNTRY'S #1 INDIGENOUS MOVEMENTS MAGAZINE
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History Protests, lodging and other forms of mobilization by different indigenous communities have been of great importance in the development of social change. Active participation in creating social change has been essential in the raising of awareness and support in formal and informal ways. By analyzing the history, current issues, strategies, and accomplishments, we can understand the development of indigenous communities’ over time. To gain better insight while abroad we will be analyzing aboriginal communities in São Paulo, Rio de Janerio, and Campo Grande. For decades indigenous communities have often been segregated from political forums, marginalized and oppressed. In Brazil, indigenous communities are often fighting for the Brazilian society and the state to respect their rights to land, health, education, and cultural autonomy. After Brazil's independence from the Portuguese crown, the state abandoned the mentality of "total war" against indigenous people. Instead, they opted to establish the "Justice of Orphans" in which the state declared indigenous people incapable of autonomous interaction with Brazilian society. With this "protection" Aboriginal where taken away their land and personal rights. Those views continue for most of the twentieth century. In 1916, the Brazilian Civil Code characterized indigenous individuals as "incapable" to exercise entitlements. With the state being in charged of indigenous peoples' land, income, and even if Indians could travel. Making the perception that if indigenous people claim autonomy, it will threaten Brazil's unity. After the 1973 Indian Statute had been established, the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI) put it on practice. The law constraint indigenous peoples' from the pursuit of political, cultural, social and individual rights. The following year's indigenous people started actively participating in the processes of aboriginal rights, with the 1988 Constitution and have become very vocal in the protection of their rights not only within the Brazilian society but internationally as well.
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Strategies and Accomplishments Protest action and mass media are just a few of the many tactics that Indigenous people use to bring their message across on a global level while also gaining support from not only their communities but from non-indigenous allies as well. While support from the media can be a good thing, the media also plays a big part in portraying the negative side of Indigenous movements putting a bad image on the indigenous communities. Community mobilization can contribute to social capital and have positive outcomes for not only indigenous communities but other outside communities as well. Protests are sometimes a crucial strategy to force governments and highly regulated agencies to comply to decision-making on issues that affect their lives and also apply pressure on decision-makers. Community mobilizations have had many accomplishments in reaching success such as the drafting of the National Constitution of 1988 in Brazil but, there have also been many failures. Violent outbreaks from authorities in an attempt to demobilize or disrupt Indigenous movements have been widespread along with the use of tear gas, warrants, and detention. Protests do target not only specific projects but also the overall rights of indigenous people such as proposed law changes. The question remains: Is protest necessary for indigenous people to ensure that their voices are heard, and rights are respected? The success of these projects is not always achieved but determining success is also hard, and all protests actions are likely to have successes and failures. Indigenous people till this day still struggle to fight for their rights, but it is something that will continue to happen to gain respect for their rights and protect their natural environments. Until this moment indigenous communities are facing violence, and over the past century, indigenous are victims of rape, torture, and mass murder. Those attacks are perpetrated with the help of the Brazilian state and the Indian Protection Service. Only 12.5 percent of Brazilian land remains in possession of indigenous communities. Indigenous people are also forced out of their environments and forced to adapt new habits. Indigenous movements and international pressure have been successful in the maintaining of aboriginal rights. However, more help is the demarcation of their lands.
"WE ARE NOT MYTHS OF THE PAST, RUINS IN THE JUNGLE, OR ZOOS. WE ARE PEOPLE AND WE WANT TO BE RESPECTED, NOT TO BE VICTIMS OF INTOLERANCE AND RACISM." Rigoberta Menchú
PROF. JONATHAN W. WARREN
LINKS: https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/c/quadro-geral https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/29/opinion/the-genocide-of-brazils-indians.html
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N O I S U L C N O C
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We would like to explore more on the current issues that indigenous people face in Brazil while exercising our current understanding on the topic. We hope to speak to local aboriginal communities and leaders on indigenous movements while abroad. We would like to gain further knowledge on what Professor Warren spoke on how racial intersectionality influences aspects of indigenous movements. We would like to present our research on indigenous movements in Brazil to not only local communities while abroad, but to a much broader audience in the U.S., We would also like to explore their perspective regarding their natural environments, education, health, and gain better insight into their culture as well. Â
As a group, we believe that indigenous people should be treated equally while being heard by political and cultural parts of the society. They should be able to maintain their human rights, rights to land, education, health, cultural autonomy. While getting rid of cultural biases that are so embedded in the society. Hopefully changing the perspective of not only the society overall but indigenous communities to preserve their indigenous identity. That way their culture can transcend from generations to come. We will be conducting ourselves accordingly and going in with an open mind. Actively working to get rid of our biases and prejudices if any exists. Â We will be using different media sources, such as interviews, photographs, and audio pieces, to establish a better visual understanding of the topic. Making our participants aware ahead of time of any media content obtained that they might be participating in. If certain individuals
KYLIE SOPHIA MAE
are uncomfortable or would not like to take part in our project, they will be respectfully removed from all media content. We will Indulge ourselves within indigenous movements to better understand their mobilization strategies and motives. To find some common ground with the people that we will be interacting with we will share our own beliefs and understandings while taking into consideration their own. In our journals, we will be reflecting on everyday interactions and connections to our project. We are looking forward to many new experiences that will shape us as individuals, students, and future professionals.Â
INDIGENOUS MOVEMENTS: FIGHT FOR LAND AND EQUITY IN BRAZIL By Liliana Caracoza
VOLUME 2. | PAGE 5
Traveling to different parts of Brazil, we learned about various current social issues happening in the country. One, in particular, got my attention, indigenous movements in Brazil. Aboriginal communities in Brazil face in the daily basis lack of resources such as health, education, economic sustainability and cultural autonomy. While not all the visits in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro covered indigenous populations, it was astonishing to see the lack of representation of indigenous people. Speaking to different speakers, I got a small amount of information. For example, indigenous communities can only be mention as “native populations” not communities or individuals. That is to reduce the amount of visibility and dehumanize them— making it easier for the society to not affiliate with any of the growing concerns that those populations face. Indigenous communities need to make their voices heard. While visiting the resistance museum in Sao Paulo, they spoke about the people that were victims of the regime. However, they did not mention the number of indigenous individuals that are still “missing” from this period. Approximately one thousand indigenous people were killed or not even classified as "missing" by the military regime. The current government gave a stipend to all the families of those who died or are lacking in that time. However, that does not include original families. The lack of information on the topic is not the only concern, but also a demonstration of the lack of representation of the population. As mention earlier, indigenous communities are put in a place of violence and marginalization. Their human rights are almost none existent. Due to some political leaders involved in corruption with agriculture companies, indigenous have a hard NOMADIC | 24 time preserving their land and autonomy.
I would like to learn from aboriginals about their experiences and struggles in the conservation of their land and cultural autonomy. Also, find more information from indigenous communities in Campo Grande. Sadly, native in the state of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have been seen as “lixo” (trash). I would like to learn more about how they are preserving their culture in a world where they are seen as in the way of progress. Only small amounts of indigenous can keep their land, and it’s becoming harder for the demarcation of their land. The process has been delayed for years. Only thirteen percent of the country’s territory is set aside for indigenous communities. Indigenous since its colonization by the Portuguese crown continue to be oppressed.
How are indigenous communities currently working in the preservation of their land? How are they being represented politically and with the Brazilian society? Regarding education, how many indigenous individuals finish tertiary education? What is the current political situation regarding indigenous movements? How are indigenous populations reacting to the growing pains towards their communities? What are some of the opinions and strategies within the different groups who are involved in the movement? Unfortunately, most of my questions have not been answered. I am hoping to have greater interaction with indigenous communities and professionals in the area in Campo Grande.
I want to live where I really belong— on my own land. YANOMAMI | BRAZIL
Left: Resistance Museum Right: Avenida Paulista PAGE 6
Due to the timeline of the program, I have not had the opportunity to interview an Aboriginal individual about the struggles and accomplishments of indigenous movements in Brazil regarding their fight for equity and demarcation of their native land. In my media manifesto explain below, I highlighted the importance of effective communication done correctly—with respect and with an open mindset. However, it contradicts in the way that I was not able to interview someone within the group. Another way of contradiction is the part that for them to get their land back some of the resources that I am benefiting at this moment in Brazil was taken away from them-leaving the rest of the population in a hard position. The only way for indigenous movements to be understood and comprehended is through the use of communication, not from individuals like myself who are not part of the group. They need to express their opinions and frustrations that they experience in their daily lives. We can be part of their progress, but we have to give them the necessary outlets for them to express themselves freely and to make change within the population.
MINIARTICLE
Photo: Batman Alley | São Paulo
Interview with:
Prof. Oswaldo
de Oliveira Universidade Metodista de São Paulo
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REFLECTION ARTICLE
PAGE 8 Issue 27 | 234
This trip to Brazil, have not only open doors to a better understanding of myself but also the current and past issues that Brazil faces. I am in love with all the interactions that until this moment I have encountered. The lack of language is one of the most challenging parts of the trip. The time frame of the program is not working for the greater benefit of our understanding of the Brazilian culture. We do not have a lot of time to explore and know our surroundings. In past experiences, I was able to learn more by having more interaction with the communities that I had the pleasure to visit. This trip is a great way for us, students, to explore and learn about society. However, we are not able to do so, if we do not have time. I am grateful for all the experiences that I have an encounter, mostly the political agendas of the current Brazilian government. The visits to the museums in São Paulo gave me a better framework of how the past continues to be present in the Brazilian society. I would have liked to learn about indigenous movements earlier on, to have a better understanding regarding my project— that way it could have been more accurate. I am excited about our upcoming trip to Campo Grande where we will be learning more about indigenous movements. Since we did not have enough time in São Paulo, I was not able to meet with indigenous movements in the area. Continuing to learn as much as possible continues to be my priority of the trip, until this moment partly that has been accomplished. I would like to see more of what Brazil has to offer and social issues that are embedded within the society. During the last couple of days, I was able to speak to different professors, faculty, and individuals from the community about how they feel about my topic and the frustrations that the various groups face in Brazil. I am anxious to learn more from different communities in Brazil and to continue to grow as a professional, student and as an individual.