1 12 26 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/3dbf49c9f164f6b5d7c2310eb53ea6d4.pdf ae55d8600b818edce703df9a386fe547 PDF Text Text JOURNf, THE SOUTH AND MESO RIGHT VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1, SPRING ERICAN INDIAN ENTER (SAil() 1996 PRICE 0 OCfO@ PEOPLES OF $4.00 �Abya Yala N ews ~~ ( ONTENTS E4;tors: SAIIC 6oar4 of D<r-c<tors Joumal COO«f;nation & laY<XJt: G~les Combrisson Copr Edit<>N: SAIIC Staff SAIIC Staff Editorial . .. ... . . .... ...... . .. .......... . . .3 In .Brief . , . .. ......... ...... . ........... . . .4 7" Indigenous Women Organizing Two Watershed. Encounters in Mexico . . . .. .......6 Interview With Activist Maria de Jesus Hernandez ..8 The Right to Love and Polit ics .. ... ............ 10 Commen(ary on Beijing .... . : ... ............ . 13 Empowering Native Women in Central America ... 14 Spec~al Section on Brazil "U m Je1to d e V-'- Ios" .. ......... ... .... ~ .. 16 . ;, ' o::. ... 1 Decree 177-5 .. ..... ............ . ... .. ~ . . ..•• 18 Interview ~ith Jaci r Jose de Souza .. ...... '· . ... ;20 Self Determination and Territory f;. Interview with Jose Marfa Cabascango .. ........22 The Survival of Nativ~ ~merican Lpnguages . ...' ..25 Environment Di-rector:Amalia Dixon Administrative COOf'dirlatOI": David Rothschild Jouonal Cooroonator: Gilles Combrisson Radio P~ram Coordinator: Laura Soriano Morales ubr"ary COO«finator: Kat;a TO<rel; SAIIC Bo ard of Directors Wara Ak!er-ete (Calchaqu;.t~rgent;na) Alejandro Amaru AtgoimedO (Qui!<hua·PeN) N;lo Ca)'li.<lueo (M~fle.A!gcotina) Mariana Chuqu(n ( ukhua·Ecvadof'} Gum ..-mo D<lfgado Quechua·Solnna) Carlos Maibeth (M,sSQto·Nicaragua) Gina Pacaldo (San Carlos Apache·Olicana) Mar"Cos Yoc (Maya·Kaqch;J(ct.Guatcmala) Subscriptions: A1f,Yala News (ISSN 1 071-3182) ;s P<Jil6she4 quar· te in English and Spaflish. It is available fOf" an annual $2 Q<lrsonal membersllip. $15 low.;ncome subscfip. tion. $25 fot lndigenovslsocial justice non-~fits. $40 institutions. For Canada and Mcxko add $5. for all other intemational memberships. add $10. Yoor dona· tions help us send the joomal free in Spanish to Indigenous organizations in the Sovth. We wekorne subrn~ssions of ar-tides. &etter-s. phc>togral)hs and relevant ;nformation. Letters and at1ides may be edited for length. If )'OU ' - access to a comp<Jter. please send)'<¥ article oo papeo- and oo anApp!e compatible 3 1/2 onch d;sk Send all c~e to: 1 P.o.~9~~ USA Ss103 Oaldand. ~~·H,ol ~~~~3 e-ma1t sau(@lgc.apc.Ofl We "!!U)d 1ke to ~nk the following ;ndMduals and ; Indigenous Conferences Reject Hidrovfa . ... .. ...28 9JXantzatlons for thetr generous aSSJStan<e to Abya Yala News.: Biobfo Upd ate: State Grants Concession . .... . . ..30 Silly R. Trice Jr.. Laura Soriano. Stefano Va.-csc. Glenn Swttkes. Ricai"Cio Huerta. Kat;a Torre!;. Mar"C;a Campos. Human Rights Coca/eras March in La Paz ... ... ....... ...... .31 Argentina: Kolla Lawyer Challenges Prejudice .....32 tilamandu : An Evicted Community in Argentina ...33 Organization and Communication Mexico: EZLN Calls for Indigenous Forum ........34 EZLN-Government Negotiations . ....... . . ... ..34 OAS Declaration ..... .. . ....... . . . ... .... ...35 URACCAN Offers Degree in Indigenous Law ... ...37 Announcements and Ads ... ...... .... ...38 SAIIC News .... ... ...... .... ..... . . .... ..39 Shannon Wright, Christine Hatverston. Alfonso lararn;llo. and Dan Wh)ner. Special thanks to Vockie Ward and Jud;th Su-onach. Thanks to all the people and organ;ut;ons who sent us their greetings for the new yeirl 9.-ganizat;oos; Ametind" ISpam). CEDIS /Sol~ oa · . . DoCip (Switze<land). lndW1sk Med;cscntC< (NO<Vr.!y • Grupo Karumanta (USA). Ra;nfor-est A<t;oo Net (USA).TIPI (Norway·Spo.n). Sin;gutazaa Magaz;ne. PubHcatK>os; NAORP (UC Davis. USA). Presenc;a Literaris (8o1M3). Rcv;sta OjaJ"aSca (Mcxi<:o). NACLA (USA). Hoy (La Paz). Thanks to the following foundations for their~ support: john 0. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Gener-al Service Foundation, Public Welfare F oondat;on. Judith Stronach Fund of the Varguard Publ;c Foundation. FoundatK>o for D<lep Eco!Og)< SAIIC Repn!sentatives abroad: Juan Scbastiin Lata (Spa;n). Rafael ~umedo (Germany). Alejandro Atgumedo (Canada). and Susan o·oooelr (WaJ«). •Acya Yala is the Kt.Jna word for Continent of life which includes all of the Americas. Indexed: Memative PI'C'SS Index. Ethnic News Watch. cover Photos: Dick Bancroft, Glen Switkes, Nilo Cayuqueo SAIIC ;s located at 17 I4 Frankfon Street. 3td Floor. Oakland. CA 94612. Please send all correspondence to the P.O. Box address above. �E D IT ORI A l I n light of the recent fourth \VomenS \Vorld Conference in Beijing, and the international attention that is being rocused on womcnS issues, we dedicate this issue to Indigenous women. In the context or the lkijing conference and the International Decade of Indigenous Peoples cckbr:ued by the United Nations, Indigenous women mtsc their voices from all nations. peoples. organizmions. and comn>unitles and call for the respect of Mother Eanh. life. territory. selfdetermination. and communal intellectual rights. Through thts calling. Indigenous women also seek to g.1thcr fo..:cs for a beuer conservauon of Indigenous philosophy: the ethtcal. cstheuc. and spiritual values contamed m the v>ston of our 311CC$tOrs Women. along with gi\ing binh to the new gtnerauons. arc the guardians and those rcsponstble for tr>~ns· nuumg. developmg. and protecting the values whtch idenufy us as peoples. This is why women have played such an tmponant role m htstoncal struggles for life. although th.1l role •s almOst never acknowledged. In the !kt)tng conference, despite the limned access for our voices. we Indigenous women made a declomuon to the mtcmationol communny in which we <>"Pressed our opposnion to oil forms of social injusucc. and all types of violence and d1scnmm:nion which affect our communi1ics. \Vc denounced the re..colonization and the thrc:u to the ecological cquihbnum m our communities. which under the m1me or g1ob.·lltz:uion, creates conditions for wealthy nations to once again tn\'adc our territories to exploit the resources that. 1hus rar. we have man~ed to preserve. We spoke out against at<:ords and entities such as GAlT and the World Tmdc O t·ganization (WTO), which help create the instruments for the appro1>ri1uion and privatization of our communal intellectual propeny. We denounc-.:d the "'pimting· of ancestml resource-s by tmnsnational companies in this age of '"ncolibcrnlism." Under such models. our values and comrnunal exchange practices will become a thing of the past. substituted with the greed required by the rules of the free Market. \Ve are even witnessing the appropriation of our genetic inherh;mce, under the name or the Human Genome Diversity Project. In the mean time. our rivers. the air we breathe. and the land we live on are continuously fouled. leading to rhe slow death of out Mother E•nh. In the cfTon to sUStam our families. we ha\"e. h.1d to incorporate non-Indigenous \\':I)'S. but we strive to rem~un in ham\Oil)' \V'Uh the environment. \Ve choose con.sctously to stamulate those economic acthitics that st~ngthen our peoples. under.~~onding that out communities depend mainly on tmditional systems of production like ftshmg. hunung. famtl)" agncuhure. and small crafts emerpriscs. The mo,·tmcm of Indigenous women toda)' confronts all sons of serious threars as it places itself in the p.1th of powerful and destruc1h•e forces. It is uigent. cons1dcnng the current suuation, to de,·elop better methods or communlc;ation between lndtgenous women so as to coordinate effective :~ctions m the defense of our peoples. Along with this, our dou· ble. vital role as reproducers and preservers of our people must be srrengthened. Faced with this historical, tmnseendental mis.s1on, we should seck inspiration and wisdom m our ancestors for our journey to the next millennium. \Ve should look for strength, courage, and determination in the future, which is the future of our communities. org.1niza- rions. and our peoples, and their right to exist in dignity. In this issue. in which Indigenous and non-Indigenous women have conrributed anicles. we explore the ways that Indigenous women h~we panicipated in the broader Indian movements in Uuin America. the speciAc org.1ntz:uions and progrnnu 1haa have focused on ,,·omenS needs and aetivnies. ~nd. by means of interviews. the pomt of view or n:uive women rhemselves; how rhey emision their role tn native and nauonal society. and the hardships they must endure when the)• lry and change those roles. SAIIC II<Xlrd of Directors Vol. 10 No.1 3 �IN BR I E F Peru : Ecological Protection Zone Plan Threatens Indigenous Lands NRENA, Peruvian National Institute in concordance 12 of the Ley de I Resources,theLaw), has putwith articleproposaloftoNatural Tierras (Land fonh a create Ecological Protection Zones out of 40.5% of Peru's Amazon lands. \Vithin these zones, concessions could still be.granted. The rest would eventually become private propeny. This would be disastrous for Indigenous communities. most of which do not have legal title to their land. The proposal, published in the Peruvian newspaper El Peruano, defines Protected Zones as natural areas already protected (national parks and reserves), swamps, fragile watersheds. and lands along rivers. More than 31 million hectares of the Peruvian Amazon would fall into this category. The rest. about 46 million hectares, would be classified as Areas Free of Ecological Protection and be administrated by the Ley de Tierras, making it eligible for sale by public auction to private investors. Indigenous groups have already reacted strongly against this project. The Aguaruna and Huambisa council forwarded itS own amendments to the Ley de Tierras to the Ministry of Agriculture. Now, it only remains to see how the Minister of Agriculture, who stated that he was open to receiving the input of all sectors. will react to the national and international pressure. Information rueived from El Comerdo. Lima, a,1d fhe Amazon Coalilion Women March in Chiapas to Commemorate International Women's Day On international woman's day, March 8,1996, between five and se,•en thousand people, mostly Indigenous women, gathered at the Plaza de San Diego and marched to the plaza of the main cathedral in the center of San Crist6bal de las Casas, Chiapas. This march. which coincides ";th the dialogue at San Andr~s Larr~inzar between the Mexic.~n Government and the EZLN (Zapatista Army of Natiomll Liberation), was held to commemorate International Women's Day and was organized· by the Comisi6n de Mujeres Por El 8 de Marzo (The Commission of Women for March 8th) and the Frente Zapatista de Liberaci6n Nacional (Zapatista National Liberation Front, or FZLN). The participants came in caravans from Indigenous communities all over Chiapas, including the Lacand6n jun· gle. It was an emotional and inspirational event as women, 4 some carrying babies on their backs, and many wearing ski masks. marched through the streets. Some banners denounced the unfair treatment of Indigenous women and demanded equal rights for women, and others announced suppon for the FZLN and the EZLN. Compiled from reports from Glolxll Exohangc Volunrccrs Honduras: Violence Flares Against Indigenous Communities he Commission for Human Rights in (CODEHUCA). has expressed grave TCentral Americasafetythe DefenseofofChonfs Indigenous concern over the and life members and leaders. a community residing in the depart· ments of CopAn and Ocotepeque. Representatives of the Confederation of Autochthonous Peoples of Honduras have reponed a series of death threats made against the leaders of the Indigenous Chonfs Council of Honduras (CONICHH) and members of their families. Particular mention was made of the following persons : Antonio Arias, Marla de Jesus lmeriano, JoS<! Ernesto Suchite, JoS<! Domingo Mejia, Victoriano Ptrez. Natividad Lopez, Juan Amador Mtndez, Andrts Ramirez, Estanislao Ramirez and Crist6bal Pinla. Members of the community have been subjected individually and collectively to several attacks including the destruction and burning of their houses. fields and other possessions. These acts have been attributed to cattle breeders and land owners in the region who are opposed to the reclaiming of land which the Indigenous population has occupied for over a century. Within this context, on March 2 and 4, 1996, the houses and other possessions of seven Indigenous families were burnt and destroyed. One of the fires also caused the death of the child lsmael Arias Leon. CODEHUCA remarks that in 1994 the Government of Honduras ratified ILO (International Labor Organization) Convention 169 and in July of the same year also signed a commitment, stipulated with 8 Indigenous and Black communities, in order to resolve conflicts over land possession. In spite of this, so far there has been no definitive distribu· tion of land to the Chonfs communities of CopAn and Ocotepeque. The International Secretariat of OMCTISOS-Tonure believes that the failure to comply with the obligations mentioned have encouraged the commission of acts consti· tuting grave violations of the right to life and safety of peo· pie. as well as their economic and social rights. A'<Y{a Yala News �------------------~-----------..!.~N B R I E F I ~~ lnjormmion from OMCT/505- Torw,. Pl,ase send letters lO the Honduran go\'trnment expn~ssing yottr GOncern: S.E. Carlos Roberto Reina, Presiderllt de Ia RepUblica, Casa Pr.sidcncial, 6a Avenida, Ia Calle, Tegucigalpo, Honduras. Fax : (50<1) 34 35 73 Telex: 1129 MMRR H0/1429 HO Guatemala: Government Approves, but Modifies, Convention 169 n March 5, 1996, the Guatemalan Congress unanimously approved Convention 169 on "Indigenous and Other Tribal and Semi-Tribal Populations in Independent Countries" of the International L1bor Organization (ILO). revised from an earlier version in 1989. Ratification, how· ever. occurred only after the ruling party modified the first article of the Convemion. The night before the congressional session. hundreds of Mayan people had gathered in front of the Legislative Palace in a vigil for the · new dawning.· Convention 169 was first brought to the Guatemalan Congress in 1992. It wasn\ until 1995 that, under the Presidency of General Efrafn Rios Mom. it was once again up for ratification. At that point it was taken to the Cone de Constitucionalidad (Court of Constitutionality) to determine if it comradicted the national constitution of Guatemala. Its conStitutionality assured. Kaqchikei-Maya deputy Aura Marina Otzoy of the Guatemalan Republican Front proposed to re-open the dialogue in February of this O yettr. The debates for and against the Convention were intense. Siglo XXI and Prensa Libre. both major Guatemalan national news publications. came out with headlines such as · convention 169 to the Trash 6in!" and "Ratification of Convention 169 Creates Environment of Uncertainty." The re-action or the private sector was one of cautious apprehen· sion. "11691 might be harmless to the country. nevertheless in no way docs it benefit the interests of Indigenous people." says the president of the Agriculture Department and the Committee of Commercial. Industrial. and Financial Associations . ..... it will only bring chaos to the country.'" Indigenous organizations. on the other hand. did their best to ensure that this favorable piece of legislation get approved by the national government. COPMAGUA (Coordinator of Mayan Organizations of Guatemala) stated that ..with the ratification of Convention 169, the Mayan people seek to build a solid and lasting peace in the country... \11/e are calling out to you so that you may realize the necessity of change in this society. that its no longer possible to go on accepting living conditions implanted during Vol. 10No. 1 500 years of sacrifice. pain. despair, indignation. and alienation." Seventy-five deputies were initia1ly present at the voting session. Sevemy·two remained at the momem of decision. a nd voted unanimously for Convention 169. Nevertheless, the governing party (PAN - Party of National Advancement) managed to modify Article I of the document, ensuring that the ratification is being made with the understanding that the dispositions of the national constitution come before those of the Convention. Information !!YOvidcd by Atencio Lop<< BRAZIL: Marcio Santilli Resigns from the Presidency of FUNAI n March 8, 1996, Marcio Santilli. resigned from the presidency of the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) after 5 months of service. This comes as the agencys fundamemal aim of demarcating Indian lands has been undermined by the recent passing of Decree 1775 which allows outsiders to contest the process in a court of law. After 10 years of documented FUNAI corruption, Santilli was in the midst of attempting a clean up the organization. Many high level decision-making FUNAI authorities have been accused of illegal logging and mining in Indigenous areas as well as having long·standing patronage ties with some local leaders. Where Santilli had identified blatant cases of corruption. he had replaced Staff. combating powe rful job security laws for the public sector. After the passing of Decree 1775. however. FUNAI's effectiveness seems to have completely plummeted. Faced with corruption scandals, an outbreak of invasions of Indigenous areas. and police inaction, Santilli resigned. · we owe Marcio Santilli our thanks for his effort to c lean up FUNAI. and put it in shape to effectively defend Indian rights in Brazil. Bm it is now clear th at the National Indian Foundation needs radical surgery. not band-aids. if the ddcnsc of Indigenous rights in this government is to move from rhetoric to reality." said Carlos Alberto Ricardo, execu- O tive secretary of the lnstiruro Socioambiencal. On March 14 , 1996,julio Gaiger. a lawyer specializing in environmental, agrarian, and Indigenous rights. took office as the third president of FUNAI during Henrique Cardoso's term. L'lst year Geiger worked as an auxiliary to the justice Minister and is responsible for the final text of Decree 1775. Itifonnarion from Environme mal Defense Fund and Amanaka'a, and d1c lnstituto Socioombie11taJ 5 �NDI GEN OU S WOMEN ORGANIZING Two Watershed Encounters for Indigenous Women in Mexico The National ANIPA Women's Conference and National Indigenous Forum recently held in Mexico constitute two examples of how Indigenous women's participation is increasingly crucial for a global Indian identity. By Maya Santamaria he h1gh level of panicipatlon of Indigenous women in the Zapatista Army of National LiberatiOn (EZLN) has inspired and T encouraged other lndagenous women 10 take pan in the CIVIlian struggle in Mexico. Recognizing their lmponancc as the base of their culture and the givers of hfe. a fundamental role which is gaven little value in socaety, Indigenous women from many different regions of Mexico have decided to rai.se their voices after 503 yc.1rs of silence in order lo rescue their dagnity and defend the nghts of Indian peoples. The need to analyze and understand the particular situation of Indigenous women has caused them to make spaces for thernseh·es where they can dascuss their problems. needs. and interests. During the closing of the last year and the opening of the new, two encounters of Indigenous women were held m the highlands of Chiapas: the workmg table on "Situation. Rights and Culture of Indigenous Women" in the dialogues the EZLN and the between Government, the National ANlPt\ \\'omen's Conference. Women and the Peace Dialogues Wnh the will to dialogue with the government about the~r dem.1nds as Maya Stmramaria wrlrcs and researd1es primarily In the region of Chiapas and has followtd the ZapatiSla uprising smet it began an 1994. She also providts ttchmcal assistance for the women's T~tot:<il Weavil1g Cooperative fn San Cristobal de las Casas. She is pntsently working on an exhibit on Llparista wome-n in Minnts()(a 6 lndaan women. 19 invited guests and twchr advisors from Indian communi· e that the autonomy of the pueblos indios is the path towards the initiation or a new tics and women~ organizations relationship amongst ourscl\res, with throughout Mex1co panicipated in the the: Mexican state:, with other Mexicans. Workmg Table "I of the Peace and between men and women... \Vithm Dialogues. "Indigenous Rights and this framework of autonomy. we Culture," between the EZLN and the Indigenous women demand our full 1 Government in S. n Andrts Sacam p.1nicipalion. and that no internal or Ch'en, Chiapas. external condauon am pede 11.• The document also demands a reThe women who panicipattd as rep· rescntn.tives of their commumucs and negotiation of NAFTA and the reform of organizations in the dialogues. among article 27 to its original revolutionary them Tzotzil. Tzetzal. Tojolabal. sparit, which stated that the territories of Chmanteca. Chol. Mixteca. and Nallhu Indian peoples are "i.nahenable. not women, prepared their list of demands negouable, and mdispensable." and despite language and cultural barriers. which was altered against the ' viti of Through the two phases of their work, most Mexicans for the purpose of passfrom October 18th to the 30th of ing NAFTA. Among their demands was November, they drafted an elaborate also the right of women to own and document which s1gnaled the tnple dis- mherit land. the redistribution of land crhmn:uion that they suffer as based on the criteria of sustainabilit)\ Indigenous people, as women, and as access to alternative technology. the poor when it comes to he.1lth, edu- increased and amproved educational, cauon, nutrition, housing. and re<:re· cultural. health. producuon, labor. and at ion. social welfare services, as well as the end The EZLN's female delegation of the PRt-dominated (lnstilutional demanded, among other things. that Revolutionary Pany) State, and the lran· Convention 169 of the lntemalional s1tion towards a true democrnq~ The process of actually punmg Workers Orgamzauon (OtT). and other international pacts signed by Mexico, be together their ancestral demands in a made legally effective. and that they be joint document representing translated to all of the Indian languages Indigenous women in Mexico proved for diSiribulion to the communities. an anvaluable experience. Among other Com·ention 169 of the OIT is one of the thangs, it proVIded a venue for the new princopallegaltools that Indian peoples relationships and organization between have to defend their rights to self-deter- Indian leaders through the leadership of mination, and the basis of the claim to the EZLN. The go,•emmenl commission Autonomy of lndaan peoples. They (COCOPA), an contrast. d1d not raufy demanded that based on these accords. the women's document and dad not prethe necessary refom1s be made to the sent the least intention of negotiating a Federal Constitution. so that It include fundamental change. It stated that il the free exereise of the autonomy of would not consider the discussion of lndaan peoples. "We women manifest concepts such as · autonomy." "religion." AW6 Yala News �--------------~~ 0__,__,,_,'--" 0'-"--"- -'-'-O'--M E....:.:.__, R G A:... H I Z I H G H'--" 1 G E H"--" U S- W " " '--"- H O'--',__,c....:: '"self-detennina.tion."' tion." or "'new constitu- National ANIPA Women's Conference The first womenS encounter of the National Plural Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy (ANIPA) was held in S.1n Crist6bal de las Casas from December 7-8, 1995. Two hundred and sixty rep· resentatives of 65 Indian and womenS organizations from 30 Indian nations and 13 states of the Mexican republic gathered in Chiapas to "speak our word, talk abom our rights, uses and customs, and discuss the propos.1l of autonomy for our communities. within a vision of gender: The national \\'omenS Conference came at the culmination of a series of womenS workshops and regional conferences galvanized by the Zapatista uprising that have sought to provide spaces of renection and discussion about the issue-s confronting Indian women. In addition. many women feel the urgency to funhcr organize and Ct)' out against the military presence in their comrnunities-not just in Chiapas. but across Indigenous regions in Mexico-and what this presence means for their fitmilies and their communities. Invited by the Organizing Commission of the ANIPA and the women\; organizations in Chiapas such as K'inal Ansetik, J)>as joloviletik, and the women~ commission of CONPAZ, the panicipants of the encounter dis- Women of San Andres Sacamch'en de los Pob<es befO<e the first dialogues. analyzed their lives as children, as mothers. and as wives. They gave a new name to their struggle, that of ..amono· my,"' and made the concept theirs.. one following the women$ ANlPA conference. Many of the women delegates Stayed for the general assembly, making this the highest attendance of women at that they could now take back to their an ANIPA meeting. During the ANIPA communities and share with other women. In attempts to do away with the meeting. they asscned that, "Autonorny societal factors that oppress them as Indigenous women. the panicipams discussed their rights, which they trans· lated into Spanish as · customs." They expressed their desire to do away with all the "bad customs" and nourish the "good customs· in their society. "There are customs that can be counterproduc· tive or contrary to the dignity or libf.my of women," said juliana G6mez, tance for the preservation of ot.tr custonts, languages. and traditions, and to reject the resources the government gives us. because many times they divide us ... The women at the conference also reviewed a docurncnt written by the EZLN's advisors and guests in San Andr~s. which \\t;l.S approved by the ANIPA. The initiative for Autonomy and the women's proposal were then to be cussed the legal initiative that is in literature in Oa.xaca. juliana considered progress for the creation of Autonomous Pluri-ethnic Regions (RAP). Many of the it important to recognize that "some. presented at the National Indigenous Forum which had been convoked by the EZLN . The proposals and demands made by women involved in the autonomy initia· times, we women are the ones tronsmit· ting bad customs with the education we the women who worked and panicipat· ed in these encounters will uhimately be tive have e'pressed that the proposal does not include the autonomy of give our children," and that "the change should begin with the education of sent to the Congress and Senate for leg- women within their society, nor their desire to ha\•e specific rights as women. women ." The amendments proposed by the islation on Women's Rights. It is impor· tam to recognize that these spaces where women have, as an option tO war and for and that they have not been taken into women for the initiative to form autonomous regions were drafted into a problems concerning their culture and consideration during the creation of the propos.•I. Mixteca and representative of the Editorial Center of Indigenous is a set of attitudes and fom1s of resis- In the two days of discussion the council o£ the Autonomous Pluri-ethnic rightS signal an imponant change in the political process in Mexico: namely, that women tOok the time to talk about the political and social situation in their vil· regions during the fonh reunion of the ANIPA, which took place on the same grounds for the three days immediately the process of democratization can no longer occur without their true Iibera· tion as women. 1\ !ages. communities. and homes. They Vol. 10 No.1 document and presented to the general the construction of peace, debated their 7 �I N DIG ENO US WOMEN O RG AN I Z I N G Profile of an Indigenous Woman Organizer (~~ if!~ "aria de Jesus Hernandez Yalderas It is important to let Indigenous women speak For themselves. whether in a political context in their respective cultures and communities. or in the pages of the journals and magazines that speak of them. In what follows next, Maria de Jesus Hernandez Valderas, a Nahualt woman in M exico, pro· vides us with a glimpse of the activist world of Indigenous women. Surmounting the difficulties historically placed on her. Maria embodies the enduring spirit of Indigenous women across the continent. Cnn you tell us your name and where you are rrom? y name is Marfa de jesus Hernandez Valdems. I participate in a women's o rg.,nization called Campesina Women's Union of jehca. in San luis Potosi. Mexico. M Are you Nahuatl? Yes. we speak Nahuatl. In how many communitic.s do you work? Vle work in nine communities in the municipality of jeliea. \Vhen and bow was the womenS organization born? The women~ organizalton was born when our compaileros. who have an organization called Ia lgualdad de jeliea (Equality ofjelica), were able to see that they wereni able to progress. that their org;amzation would not work without the suppon of women. llec:luse of this. they named us the •nght arm of the Cooperativa de Ia lgualdad de jelica (Equality of jelica Cooperative).· From that point on, they saw that it was imponant that women participate, and 8 we called for the first meeung. Vanous women rrorn several commumties attended. The important thing was that we were very motivalcd abotn partici· pating In a meeting. Before this. we had never attended a meeting. It was the first tome that we women left the house. all full of emotion. and canying our ch1ldren. Were the husbands bo thered that the women were holdi_ g meetings? n Wetl, at first the women~ meetings were held with compantras who already were participating. That was how the org;tmzation began. later. m\1tauons were made to the other women who also wanted to participate. What are you able to achieve through the wo1ncn's organizalions? \Ne want women to be recognized; that we " also participate and that we be heard. Many times when women speak in a meeung. the men doni pay attention. We want to gain support for us, the women, together, org.1nized. What arc some of the activities usually done by women in your community? The chores of the woman ... The home has always been left to us; that 1 . s to take core of the home, to gather firewood, water, and care for the children also. I am finding out that this happens everywhere. Do you also work in the fields? Yes. some of the women work m the fields, and many of us dedica!C ourselves only to the family. What d o you grow in the fields? In the fields we produce mostly Coffee, ond son1e vegetables. Is there much that you don' produce because the land is not good? The land is good but we have noticed that it Is much better for coffee. Very little of com and beans is culti"ated. Ha\'t you all been in contact with tht women of other communities? Yes. Yes. We are panicipaung m a ipatcoordin.11ing group. We are partiC ing jointly. men and women. There, at the regional le"el, we talk about wo men's situotlon and special needs. �INDI G ENOUS What is the coordinating groups name? h 1s called COCIP (Laguasteca Potosina lndtgcnous Organization Coordinaung Body). a lot on me, as well ns m)' husband. They are all still httle! Arc all of you Nahuatl in the ooordintuing group? No. we are Nahuatl and Mames also. Arc you working women in Chi"pas? And you have time to work in the women's organbation? Well. I don\ hove o lot of time. but I make some. My children still depend What is you positio n in the organization? The women selected me as the Women's Union Treasurer. closel y with Up until now we haven't had much contact. no. But do you think its important to be in touch with them? Yes. wt would likt to be communi· cat mg. We don\ hear much about the work that they're doing. We would like to be informed so our organization here can take on some of the responsiba and show rhat we can lity help them from here. So you handle a lot of money? Well not so m uch but. . ! \Vhat are s ome projects you have been involved with? Fil'$t we managed to get a popular soup kuchen there m the municipality of jilitra that IS called "Flor del Caft." a small goods store that IS in one of the communmes. and a nixramal (com for ton illas) mill. Is coffee produced in the mountains or in the t>lains? WO MEN O RGANIZING Do you also retoin your religious prac:tices? People are sttll very Cathohc m large pan, but we also ha.-e 01her seclS in which people panicipate. but they are much less practiced than the Catholic group. So you don't re1ain Any o f the Nahuatl ceremonies, like offerings to the Earth? As Nahuolts. we always make arches and offerings. The arches ore made from a branch. a stick and they arc decorated with palmilla. and xtmpasutchilt flower$. That IS Nahuatl traditton. There are also dances in wh1ch we participate, during tht patron S3tnlS celebrations. This was btmg left bthmd but at the moment we art: seeang that it is impon ant because 11 promotes the rebinh of the culture. Do you wish to send out a message to women of other countries, of other cultures? \\lhy contac t wome n of other cotma In the mountains. tries? We arc also p:micipnting in alter1t is important because that way we native medicine and In various bakfind out how women live at the eries. Well, I would simply like to s.• y. to all the women that hove not yet joined national and international level as well. Potosina, to panicipate and for us to begin leaving fear as1d<. Th.11 is what Do you have children yourself at home? Y<s. I have four children. Vol. 10 No.1 Do you still use your traditional medicine? Well. m large pon that was being left as1de. but we wnnt to pick up traditional mcd1cane ag:un. a women's organiz..ltion, I invite you ' from this corner or L. guasteca1 inhibits us most. But. yes. I invite you to panicipate m an org.1mzation. h is difficult but we ha\'C tO do whatevtr is possible to pan1c1patt. Thank you. ..., 9 �IHDI GEHOUS WOMEH 0R GAHIZIH -'' -- - - - G The Right to Love and Politics: An Indigenous Activist's Perspective Eulalia Yagarf Gonzalez. a Chami woman activist in Colombia. was elected as a member of the regional parliament of Antioquia on March 8. 1992 (/ntemational Women 's Day). In this interview. she speaks to us of her life and hardships as an Indian woman activist. Eulalia is convinced that the struggle of Indians in Colombia For land. culture. and autonomy must be conducted on many different fronts simultaneously. Her struggle is not only relevant to Indigenous communities but to all oppressed people in Colombia. particularly women. (~~ w~ Eulalia Yagari Gonzalez Why did you agree to be an lndian woman I don\ just want to fight for the candidate for the senate elections? interests of Indian women. l also wam efore I attSwer your question, let me just s.1y that the political participation of Indian women is nothing new. We have always been in,·olved in politics in the sense that we've always ddendcd our interests. to fight for the rights of all women in this society. the workers. the campesinas, the Black women who have always been dtscriminmed againSI until now, the women of other ethnic groups like the Gypst~ically all women who are poliucally and socially active in this country. But when I demand their rights I don' JUSI want to make superficial political speeches. No. if I get elected to the S.,nate, I'll fight for quite specific proposals and proJects promoting th e social development of women: the right to prenatal care, for recognition of B our tradmon. our culture, our fe.Uow men as well as our whole people and our land. We fought for 500 years until our votces were finally heard. Now Colombta has a new conSiitution. A certain sector of the Indian population, Blacks. and other ethnic groups have united in n political alliance, which will not only defend Indian interests and rights. but also those of Blac k people, the lower clnsses-in fact all marginal· ized groups. When they were looking for candidates and they noticed that I'd been politically active for tweh•e years and was commined to the rights of women. children and our entire people. they chose me. Actually I only agreed to the candt<bture ofter they approached me for tht thtrd urne. But as an Indian cific groups on the left. but also on the right. We'll see what the politicians will actually do. Of course. in the election campaign, they promised all sorts of things. Personally I don' have any illusions about what I can do for the Colombian people. firstly because I'm aware of my hmttations and secondly because we don' have the financial means. \Ve htwt far too lut1e power in the Slate to really change soctety. All I can do is simply devote all my Slrength and intelligence to the task tn hand. I'll also use my feminine cunning. because in all honesty, we women art very cun· ning. Women are capable of a great deal. hs just that we' ve always been women to achieve their right to work undennined. Our rights were taken and decent jobs. not just jobs that are away from us and we were undernlued. Wo men were there for sex. c hildalmost beyond physical endurance. rearing and maybe the odd b it of poliWhat could Indigenous women tics. We never had any more space than achieve: in 1he senalc if 1hcy were that. So we're well-placed to flirt with our bodies, but also wuh our intellielected? We could Slart by tmplementing gence, our diseemtng nature and with everything the new constitution has our cunning. \Ve htt\'t man)' ab1lities assured us of. We mUSI form alliances we can use to change thiS soctety. As an with other progress"-e forces. with spe- Indian woman, I can' speak such htgh women's pnnicipmion. and power for �INDIGENOUS WOMEN ORGANIZING along the street together. And there's no time to keep the family together or bring up the children properly. class Spanish as a big politician. but that doesn\ mean l have no right to be heard. Despite all my limitations. l intend to fight in the senate-albeit cautious1y. because the senate is a completely new ball game for us. Y j ust said you o nly let yourself be on nomi nated as a cand idate after the third inv itation. Why were you so hesitant initially and why did you accept in the end? &1.sically I never '''"mcd to get imo big politics. I've been pushed into it. The work in the senate seemed to me like the Stntggle of a little fish faced with a shark. And besides. this work means giving both Ill)' daughters to someone else to look after. I've also got a partner who's politically active as well. Vol. 10 No.1 I have a difficult relationship with him. We love each other but our political Stntggle in this quagn>ire of violence and war makes it impossible for couples to live in pe..1.cc with one another. We're not the only ones in this position in Colombia. Hundreds of us women, Indian women, campesinas, women from the popular movements, workers and trade unionists aren't able tO have happy relationships with their par1ners. Conunitmem to the cause takes away the ability and time for love. Relationships often break up. because there's a lack or opportunity for the joys and pleasures or love. affection and togetherness. Sometimes we're only at home ror one or two days and often only for one night. There~ no time to sleep with each other or even just stroll \.Vho are your children growing up wilh? With relatives. Bm or course an aunt or granny can't replace a n1other. You can't just switch emotional tics. Traditionally, we Indian woman always have our children with us. Indian children grow up differently from other children. From birth we carry children around with us. In many communities they-re only weaned when the)'re five or six. I suckled Marcela for four years. Because of my work I had tO wean Patricia arter two years. 1 think this long and close relationship early on helps Indian communities to develop a strong sense or solidarity. We may well have political differences, but we still feel ourselves to be Indigenous people. Toda)' our children. the children of the popular leaders. are growing up with traumas and pS)'Chological problems as a result or the permanent state or war. They have no home. no parents who love each other, they don·t reel protected and they don·t have a good education. Lots or children are constantly in day-nurseries. We leaders and women at the head or the popular movements sometimes find ourselves on our own in the end, not because or the political work in itself. but because itS being conducted in a war situation. Y ou're a member of the Antioquia Organization of Indigenous Peoples (OIA) . What type of women 's t>rogram do you have in the OlA? We don\ have a specific women$ program which renects the fact that very few women are in leadership positions. Cristiania is an Indian community where many politicians like to have a finger in the pic. Women have achieved a lot or political space but many are not in a position to take on political functions. In my ophtion we need a new policy for liberating women, but I don\ mean a policy like the ones introduced here from Europe and North America. 11 �IND I GENO U S WO ME N The cultures and societies are totally differem there. My positive image of women is not just limited to Indian women. I feelthm women in general are amazing, lovely creatures. Women-Indian and black women. French, Cubans, Soviet citi· zens. Chinese women-all women ali the most beautiful people in the world. On the other hand, some women who used to suffer and were repressed and put up with being beaten. have managed to liberate themselves. But what happened? They now act like they"re on another planet and behave just like men. I know its great to feel free at last. But do we really want this type of freedom? I don\ think so. I want liberated women to strive for something different. Women must change the course of this universe. But to do this we're going to need all our willpower. How do you defend yourself against machismo? Well. I've had to put up with all kinds of stuff. There are foolish , uncouth t)<peS who shout at you and don't let you finish speaking. So you have to grit your teeth and say to them: 12 O R G ANIZ I N G "listen, )'OU may be physically Stronger, husbands all their lives without even but I've got more inside my head. And realizing it. if we're seriously fighting for the s.~me cause. then no one just gives orders and Don't you think that's g radually no one just obeys." On the political cir- chang ing? cuit I've put up with some difficult sitCenainly there are women who uations. Jf they're traveling with a think the same way I do and are workwoman as a member of a delegation, ing tOwards a different educational polthe men are right in there trying to go icy. But its not just a question of disto bed with her. And afterwards they"ve cussing things with men because men got nothing better to do than talk about as individuals and the system which it and then it becomes the latest gossip. represses are not one and the same "Oh, so you went to bed with her. as thing. Men are also our lovers, our well? And what was she like?" After that friends and our brothers. The problem the woman is finished politically. A is that in Colombia and in the whole of friend of mine was done for because IS Latin AmeriC3 there are still far too few men claimed to have slept with her. men who acknowledge our true wonh. And they laughed themselves Stupid over it. ThatS machismo in its purest What will you do if yo u don't get into form. As a woman involved in politics, the senate? you Still have to deal with stuff like that. I'll work in the communities again. I But we can! wage this struggle the have a piece ofland I'll cultivate. I enjoy same wax everywhere. You have to go tilling the soil, sowing, harvesting. I'm about it differently when you're dealing actually a campesina. I used to grow with women who think of thcmsehr es coffee. I worked hard at it and carried as the slave at home and nothing else. heavy loads. But with the money I In this country there are still a lot of earned. I used to buy myself nice women who believe they can't experi- clothes. I'd happily do that again. "' ence any sexual pleasure because that's simply a mans prerogative. Many allow Milp<oo from Cnmpatlem< Goby KUpp<rs (edJ, themselves to be repressed by their l..ct<lcn: lAB mul Moollldy Rt>iew Press, 1992. Abya Yala News �INDIGENOUS WOMEN ORGANIZING Absent Visions: A Commentary on the Women's Conference in Beijing ast year more than 28.000 women from 185 countries met to aucnd he Founh World Conference of Women, from the 4th to the 15th of September, in the city of Beijing. China. This conference was org.1nized by the United Nations in order to receive the input of women from all pans of the world tO influence the Platform of Action, a document on womenS rights. which was on the United Nations' agenda. The limited prepamtion and panicipation of Indigenous women in the conference is due to many factors be)•ond the control of the Delegation of Latin American Indigenous Women. Unfonunately. as U Other sources have said. the organization~ al strucu,tre a.nd the agenda of the conference did not olfer equal conditions of panicipation to Indigenous women. From the begirming. there was a limited now of infonnation between Indigenous and non-indigenous women. The fom1er had little access to contacts. information, and financial resources. From the level of the United Nations to the non-governmental organiunions, space was not gmnted them as organized people. This """one of the biggest complaints that came out of the Meeting of Indigenous \\'omen of the First Nations of Abya Yala, held from july 31 to August 4. 1995, in Ecuador. The location of the conference made it hard for indigenous women to attend. Only 30 Indigenous women arrived, an abysmal number (consider the number of Indigenous nations in the Americas). Getting funds to cover the t'OSts of the flight was a great difficult)<Thus, in spite of the huge interest they expressed to auend this event. they were once ag.'lin not able. to partake in decision making processes that will alfect their lives. As stated above, the same financial factors and lack of suppon and commuVol. 10 No. 1 ni~tion hampered the prepanuory conti~ nemal meeting in Ecuador where some 150 women from 24 nationalities and communities met to elabomte their pro~ JX>sals to be sent to Beijing. The meeting took place later than planned, and as a result the Indigenous women$' proposals were not received in time to be submitted in the final document of the Platform of Action. ln spile of these limitations. their pro~ pos.1ls were presented in writing to the conference. Their document presented the vision of Indigenous women of Abya Yala. emph.1Sizing the challenges of selfdetcnnination and the survival as a dis· tinct peoples. Among others, Lhe Declamtion of Indigenous Women in Beijing put forward the follo,ving proposals and demands: (!) Recognize and respect our right to self~detemlination; (2) Recognize and respect our right to our territories and development, e:du~ cation. and health: (3) Stop human rights violations and all forms of violence against Indigenous women: (4) Recognize and respect our cultural and intellectual inheritance and our right to control the biological diversit)' in our territories: (5) Assure the political panicipation of Indigenous women and amplify their capabilities and their access to resources. . Essentially, the document stressed Indigenous territory as a key for the e.''is· tenoe of Indigenous peoples. It also touched on intellectual propeny rights, which the women felt should be respect· ed. It also called for the mtification of International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169 along 'vith other declam<ions on the rights of Indigenous peo· pies. The Plan of Action of the World Conference of Women in Beijing. howev· er, emphasized the economic problems that alfect women, the globalization of the economy, and international women's rights-terms and concepts that few Indigenous women have experienced directly. Another issue was the Indigenous Women~ Delegations concern over the agreement in Beijing that an investigation occur on Indigenous knowledge of health and management of natuml resources. Indigenous women want to take pan in the study and not only be its objects. They recognize the necessity of their panicipation so that the study include the Indigenous vision. If one analyzes the theme of"human rights" in the Beijing proposal, it becomes clear that Indigenous women envision these "rights" differently. Indigenous women do not see them~ selves as competing with men. They have a more integral vision of them~ selves-not as individuals. but more as part of a community. In situations where women work in the formal economy. the resulting mentality is a competition between women and men. For most indigenous women. work is something shared in a community, and not a competition. Thus, the right of equality between Indigenous men and women is inseparable from thi.s system of production where the concept of duality predominates, meaning that man and woman complement each other in what they 1hink, do, and say. Indigenous womenS lack of panici· pation was a significant weakness in Beijing. It illustmtes the necessity for us to devise new strategies so that our vision can become an integral component of the broader womcnS move· ment, a presence to be recognized espe· cially during watershed encounters like the Beijing conference. '1' 13 �' IND IGENOUS W O M EN ORGAN IZING Empowering Native Women: New Initiatives to Reclaim Indigenous Women's Status in Central America Paying attention to women's roles as managers of territories and transmitters of cultural identity, we focus on two regions of Central America where small-scale Indigenous women's initiatives are encountering success at re-inserting women as dynamic members of their societies. By Laura Hobson Herlihy I ndigenous women's involvement with conservation, developm.cnt, and human rights organiz..'ltions hos given them new political and cconom· 1c power in the Honduran Mosquitaa and m Panama. Conserv:mon effons ha\'e almost always focustd on men~ role: 1n economic ac:ti\iues and thc:ar use o£ natural resources. However. focustng attention on the imponant role of women as managers of community territories and transmitters of Jan· gunge and cultural identity provtdcs glim~ of the emerging empowerment process that many Indigenous women are presently experiendng in Central America. In this antcle I present the case of the Mtskuo and Taw3hk.1 of Mosquitia and the Kuna, Ember.\. and Ngobe-Buglc Guaymt m Panama. Majao: A Women's Market in Moskitia The Tawahka Sumu (populntion 700) live along the upper reaches of the Rio Patuca in the Honduran Mosqutua. High atop cleared n,·er lxmks. houses cluster to fonn the ,.;1. lages of Krausirpe. Krnutara. Yapuw:is. Laura Hobson Herlihy is a Ph.D. student in socio-cultural anthropology at the Univmlty of Ktmsas. She has worked with various Indigenous groui'S in Nondums, in the Rio Platano Blosphcr~ Reserve of the Nonduran Mosquilla, arul in Panama. A re:sugence Mel Mel re-valonZdtion of lndogenous women's SlllluS is possible llvOUSh their own ~Zdtion ond i~ wtth c<lOSel\'&l()ll, ~ conservation, development, Mel lunM rights orgMtZ&tOOS Kamakasna. and Wasparasnf. Krausirpe. the biggest vtllage. has a population of about 400. Because few lndigenous women In Mosquitia Still weave bags made from rainforest plams. I was surprised to find Tawahka women weaving bags made from the majao (Heliocarpus Doneii-Smithii) · tree. The women explamed that FITH (Federa~i6n lndlgena Tawahka de Honduras)-a legally recognized Indigenous federation that represents the Tawahka pcople-mittmed a local market in the late 1980s to purchase their woven majao bags. In order 10 be marketed in Tegucigalpa as "book bags" or "purses: FITH representatives requested that women weave smaller. mulu<e>lored. b.•gs Wlth a long shoul· der strap. A few years later. MOPAWI (Mosquitia Pawis.1), a non-profit development agency in Honduras. 10ok over FITHs b.1g-making project and incorporatcd it into their ·fonnaci6n de Ia Mujer" program, which has helped improve women~ SOCioeconomic status in Mosqutlla by providing them wnh local cash-eammg opponuniues. Marketmg woven maJaO bags is a post· tive element m Tawahka Sumu society. Bag manufactunng is not hannful to the rainforest envtronmem and it provides a mechanism through which women pass down 1raditional knowl~ edge to their daughters while. at the same time, providing income for their households. In the process. the A':7{a Yala News �-----------..!~ D I G E N 0 U S I N~ W 0 MEN ORGANIZ I N G womenS majao bags have become one of the recognizable symbols of their broader struggle for their own identity and cultural survival. Estudios y Acci6n Social Panamet'o (CEASPA). I a11ended the first Indigenous women's' congress in 1993. Nearly I 00 Kuna, Ember:\, and NgobeBugle Guaymi women met over a weekend to discuss their common Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve problems and goals in this Central just nonh and contiguous to the American country. First, the particiTawahka zone is the Rfo Platano pants analyzed the political, legal, Biosphere Reserve. It was established social. economic, and cultural involveunder the United Nations' Man and the ment of Indigenous women in Panama. Biosphere Program in 1980 to protect Next, they analyzed the history and the natural and cultural heritage of this status of women in each culture group. special pan of Honduras. The Miskito, The objectives of the meeting were to the largest Indigenous group in the promote the panicipation of weram reserve, lived in 19 villages with a pop- (Ember:\ woman), merv (Guaymi woman), and ome (Kuna woman) as ulation of 4 ,500. In Kuri, a small Miskito village one force, tlnd to formulate proposi(population 122) on the Caribbean tions to be included in the "Plan coast, lndigenous·held territories with- Nacional de Ia Mttier." At the end of the in the biosphere are passed down three day meeting, the Kuna, Guaymi, through the female line. Sisters built and Ember:\ leaders proposed that the their homes around their motherS "Plan" should include, among other patio and reared their children togeth- programs, education , health care, land er as one greater family. V..'omen inher- titling. and work opportumues ited both coastal village and rainforest (including the marketing of ans and territories from their mother. known as crafts) for all Indigenous people in Mama Almuh or Kukll, the powerful Panam:i. grandmother figure, village elder, and Beyond this, some Indigenous head of the matrilocal group. women in PanamA also hold local and Miskito men lived awtt.y from the regional political offices. Celia Mezua, Coastal villages for long periodS of time, President of the Ember:\ "Congrcso earning cash off-shore while dhong for General," holds one of the most powerlobsters and doing subsistence agricul- ful Indigenous political positions in the tural work up-river while Jiving on country. As President of the Congreso, their wives· rainforest territories. \ 'Vith Mezua presides over a council of leadthe men gone. women passed down ers who make important cultural, Miskilo language and culture to their political, and economic decisions conchildren in matrilocal residential cerning the Ember:\. The daughter of a groups, teaching them traditional kin- former caciq1<e (chief), Mezua graduatship terms and womenS activities. ed from the national university, became a local leader, and was then elected to regional leadership positions. Indigenous Women's Congress During the first Indigenous in Panama womenS meeting in Panama, Mezua Farther down the isthmus, in a called out for justice and decried the broader and unprecedented way, government's taking of a Ngobe Indigenous women in Panama recently Guayrni rnanS lire. and for their use of organized an annual. national-level tear gas against pregnant Indigenous congress called "Mujer lndlgena de women who had recently demonstn'ltPanam~" with the help of non-governed in Panama City. She also called for mental development organizations the national legislature to approve the (NGOs), including UN ICEF-Panama, law recognizing the Guaymi Comarca the United Nations, and the Centro de homeland. Likewise, she demanded A Mll1718 Of Kuk8, the grandmother figure and village that legislators enforce the demarcation of the already existing Kuna and Ember:\ Comarca boundaries and for the removal of newl>' seuled colonists within their limits. Newspaper reponers recorded the event and these demands in the national press. That the government did not respond to all of them did not diminish the significance of this event. For the first time in PanamaS history, Indigenous women. coming from different cultural identities. acted together in unified opposition to the national government. Mezua and the other Indigenous women leaders continue to pressure the govern· mem concerning their tenitorial and human rights. The Indigenous womenS congress meets annually to discuss these and related issues. Indigenous women in Panama and Honduras are aware of the impacts colonialism, including · Modcmization" and " V..'esternization.. which have his· torically subordinated them. Their organized resurgence and self-valorization, as well as their involvement with territorial conservation. their own definition or "development," and collective human rights, are hopeful signs that they will ensure a future for their larger societies for years to come. ,.. Vol. 10 No. 1 15 • �BRA ZIL "Um jeito de Ve-IQs:"• Old and New Representations of Indian Peoples in Brazil by Gllton Mendes New Strategies of Organization? With comple1ely different cultural realities from national society and with Brazil. nor even to undenake an low population numbtrs. Indigenous exhaustive analysis or unknown aspects J'C'Oples in Bmzil are faced wllh huge of the social lives of Indigenous people. adversities in the realm or national poliNor do I represent the votce and politics. For this reason. th.1t they have con· tics of lndtan J'C'Oplc. I wish to probstantly reformulaled the ronns or resislemattu two aspectS that I consider tance and smneg1es to \'l.llonze thetr imponont: one, the pohuC~I strategies rights, their tnl<rtSIS. thear demands. odopted by lndtgenous org.amuuions to "'\>\'estern socaety•: on one side Here it lS now ntteSSary to menuon confront the new challenges in comem- humankmd and tlS mttrt9.S. on the the fight against lht I'CVISIOn or Decree porory Br.ml, the other, a brief frame of Olher, nature, scauc, revealing itself 22191, which regulaltd the process or the actual economic realities by which through phenomena ... demarc~tion or lndtgcnous and other they are affected. Indigenous peoples are seen and rep- special lands. Presently. the s•gnmg of resented in a form that is almost always Decree 1.775 by president Fernando negative. both in the elaboration or dis- Henrique Cardoso has unleashed a new Background courses-which are also practices-<tS in national mobilization , perhaps the There exiSts in Bmzil, approximately people's consciousness. as a consc· largest ever, or entities devoted to the Indigenous cause. This mobilization is 200 Indigenous peoples and each pre- quence or the fomter. calling for the revocation or this Decree. sents a set or panlcularities with respect S~ate policies nearly ahvays fall with· to its customs, language. and socio-polit- in the realm or •,velfare: envisioning itself a fundamentally altered \'Crsion or ical stroctures. They vary in population: nath-e communities as dependent on its predecessor as far 3S the security or The majority are numerically small soci- their protection and Initiatives. From Indian lands are concerned. ThiS situaeties (almos~ alwa)'S considered. indi,id- this point of vitw, Indian people are seen tion sho"'S a C!pacuy for poltucal Cltalually. to have been more populous in the as in a process of progress"·e tntegrotion ysis. indudmg one ""h "mtemauonal past). reduced to a few hundred or at intO nauonal SOCiety, oomponents of a eiTeas: times hardly a few dozen persons. The claimed '"unnary nauon: The church It is necessary to drow ouenuon to areas they inhabot vary in size and. in \<\siOn, like thai of many nOn·go,·em- one or the nt()S( relevant 3SpeclS of the some cases. have already been officially menlal org.anizo1ions (NGOs). Is not 100 Brazilian reality which IS the conduct of demarc~ted. The vast majority, however, dislant from this comlnuous provision or many organizations working in suppon remain b,,rely delineated and many more ,velfare and protection. always in a 'val' of Indigenous peoples. These, In generhave not even been identified or recog- that fulfills iiS own interests. al, have taken on the role or mobilizaAll1his would 1end towards ano1her tion and dissemination of Information nized by the federJI government. This means thm Indigenous peoples in Bmzil level or representation: the internaliza- on communities thnt arc •disadvanlive in consumt in.se<."llrity in relation to tion or the national society~ cultural \'l\1- taged" in relation to the state and distant one or the mOst essential resources that ues by n:itlve peoples themselves. often from the urb.1n centers and the political laking on the role or lhc "protected," decisions, and those ' vith limited conthey have ahvays possessed: the land! subject to state politics and programs tact with national society. ln many cases. Gillon Mendes is an ag,.,nomisl in Mato and actions originating from civil and these org.,nizations integrate theniSCives Grosso, Bratol. He has worked extensivdy religious enliues. Yet this in no way thus creating a third coalnion phase in ""ith the Enawtnc·Nawc and rcundy implies that lndtan peoples do not con- which Indigenous and non-lndtgenous rompletcd a two-month lnttrnship "'ith sider themseh'CS mdi-.duals btlonging combine for a smgle Cluse and repreto a different soci<t)' sentation. SAl/C. T 16 his brief Mticlc does not seek to trent a new set of infonnatlve facts on Indigenous peoples in Indian peoples inh:tbit environments where they have always existed in singular ' vays. seeing and interpreting 1he world in ways 1hat arc specific 10 each. They ha'" e51.1blished a very intimale and cominuous relauon with their sur· roundin&$. which leads us (or should lead us) 10 questton the rational. dic-ho1omous. and generic vtsion of mankmd and ruture. charactcnstic of �BRAZ IL The ethmc dwersity of Indian peo- leading anto the anterior. supponed by ples m Brazal Ius perh:lps been one of federal mcent~Ves (along with scanthe mam factors for the generation of dalous corrupuon). These cut through restStancc 1mtl~taves because it has pro· tens of thousands of males of forcs~ and duced a darect relollon of multiple local savanna. wnhout the shghtest preoccuforces capable of mobilizing, internally pation for the destruction they email. and mtcnSI\1C as well, each particular both for native peoples and,their enviI)' society. On the other hand, its also ronment. In the end. natural resources important to note that the new strate· have been wasted. particularly timber. gics adopted have been similar to those and massive deforestation has followed used by the different social groups of the installation of rural industries. Many Indigenous groups. in the face national society. Strategies thttt, often, result in intcrnnl connicts and difficul· of this stampede. were removed from tics. and arc capable of clashing with traditional nrcns where natural the more tmdiuon.d expressions of the resources abounded and relocated in · different natl\'C societies (see Interview regions completely unknown to them or already dramed of the same jacar jost de Souza). ""h A Brief layout of the Economic Relations If cultural diversity is renected in the search for new possibilities for political organizotion of Indigenous people. m the confrontation against the interests of groups or persons belonging to nation:-~1 society, the same is true t in the economic arena. Each particular society presents a different history of economic relations with surrounding societies. At the same time that some Indigenous peoples arc engaged m mtcnse commercial trade, there arc others that have had minimal contact wnh any market. Between these two extremes, there arc those who are resources. Thas h.u resulted in untold hardship. as evidenced by the high rate of suicade exastent m groups like the engaged m seasonal commercial trade. The decade of the 1970s deeply marked the h\·es of Indigenous people Guaranf·Karowa. Many other peoples continue to sufm Brazal m that, through the elaborauon of gig.1nuc "developmem" projects fer the consequences of these largeand in the "interest or national security," scale projects (dams, timber extraction. the authorh"rin.n state staked out a pol· mines. roads. factories, fisheries. agroicy of occup)1ng the Amazon. This industries. etc.) established around or opened two bloody wounds: the violent even inside their territories. For many, contact with )>COpies previously isolat- the only option left open is seasonal ed. leading to p.utial or total extem1i· labor outside of their indigenous area, nation. and the Irresistible incentive for selling their labor for ranches or in millions or persons to migrate with aim regional markets at derisory rates. or to senlc the "terras inabitadas" of the migration to ciue.s. where they live in conditions or txtrcmc povcny. Amazon. Diverse evaluauons made of the Hundreds of p.1rticular undenakangs m the Amazon h3\'t followed and Indigenous Sllu>llon in Brazil are pracconunue to follow the major roads tically unammous in that these trends Vol. 10No. 1 hove made thmgs much worse: destroying tradnional forms of producllon, sh:lrpening "dependence" on outsade aid. and leadang 10 envaronmental collapse. In this context, today, perhaps more then ever. the question of Indigenous peoples' relation to the market (the generation of income, the 1nanagcmem of natural resources, nnd the mninte· nance of an imcgml, rational, balanced life in rclmion to the environmcm) is more complex than ever. Contemporary initiatives in the field of the Indigenous economy have followed the trend of Increased small-scale projects. Go''tmmental programs (as imposed by anternauon•l finance banks) h:l,·e encourage<! undertakmgs belonging to the category of "sustamable de,'tlopment" proJects. lndagenous organizanons themselves and support organizations are mchned to favor economic activities that increment production within Indigenous areas: acth,itics that seek to add value to products destined for specific markets; activities centered around the rntion:.tlization and exploration of determined natural resources for a greater p.uticipation of native communities In the production and organization of work for commerce. The posluve sade of these decisions cannot be dented, JUSt as the nesuhs •re not grandiose and ammedaate. Time is being bought to be able, more clearly and decidedly. to fond exiSts th:lt are proper and "andependent." On the other hand. one must also inquire if this doesn' constitute a new political Strategy utilized by national society. geared towards its own economic interests, aiming at the lncorpomtion of new markets, especially those held as "alternative." In the end, one must finally ask, to what extent these inhimives constitute de faao something new. or arc they leading Indigenous people. once again. into "modern· and sophisticated schemes of economic exploatation. • ntlr: "A ll'ay o{Scnng Them· �BRAZI L Decree 177S:An Attack on Indian Lands in Brazil "Decree 1775 is more than a setback; it 's a death sentence for many Indigenous groups ..._ COIAB (Council of Indigenous Peoples and Organizations of Brazil) ndigenous orgonizations and their allies iniuated a major campaign of resistance arter Brazilian President Fernando Hennque C.1rdoso signed Dttrtt 1775, responsible for the demarcation of lnd~an lands, on January 8th. 1996. As the cherished baby of Minister of justice Nelson jobim, Decree 1775 offers a 90-d.ay period for •states and municipahl1ts containing the area to be demarcat<d. and Othtr interested pclnies· to exercise the contrtulitono, or legally contest the process. Additionally. it sub· jectS 344 of the 554 Indian Areas in I from gold miners and mnchers (see ani· cle 1>0ge 20). Now. with Decree 1775. those effons appear to have been in vain. equapped to deal wuh the emanent onslaught of legal claims against Indigenous areas. In addition, CAPOIB claims that Indigenous orgamzalions point out that one of the maJor problems \\1lh I>ecrtt 1775 will create an · andustl)' of Decree 1775 as that u was de\1Sed m indemmues: si""' it calls for the oom· absence of open debate. Many pensation of pclnies claunmg a loss of Indigenous and indlgenist entities had land due to demarcalion. with titles to requested meetings to discuss the show for it. All claims of Indemnity made impacts of the decree. CAPOIB. an on Indigenous areas not )~t registered are lndagenous umbrella organization based valid. The agnbusaness compan)' in Brasilia active m the fight ag.11nst Colomzadora Temanonc Ltda. alread)' Decree 1775, points out that on August solicited compensation for lands belong· 15th, 1995. President Cardoso assured ing 10 the Enawene·Nawe Indigenous area in M:uo Grosso state; a sum to lhe tune of 7.6 milhon Brazilian reals (US$7.9 million). In Pam stotc alone, the summed indemnuies for all contested Indigenous areas would reach approxamately US$1.4 billion. Indigenous voices say Dtcree 1775 ·risks the lives of Indigenous people. • and add that im-asions and the prolifem· tion of daseases in indagcnous areas \\111 increa.st. R«em news from Brazil pro,·t this analysis to be correct. According to Brazil to re\1saon b«ause they ha'~ >~••o them that he would n01 make any d«•· be entered into the country$ ofliciolland sion without dlSCussmg the mauer an registry. Armed with such legal backing. detail with Indigenous organizations. contenders of Indian lands have olready Even nfter the signing of Dtcrce 1775, staned im•ading and staking their claims Minister Jobim was quoted as saying. anside lndig<nous territories. lndagenous referring to Brazahan NGOs leadang the organizations ond NGOs m Brazal. an sol- mternauonal c3mpaign against the Idarity with International (orces. are d«:ree. "These groups are not interested working to pressure the Bmzilian state to in solving 1he indigenous problem. They revoke the new decree. ore Interested in creating problems and confirmed and unconfirmed reports, we will ha,·e no dialogue \\ith those who im·asions are presenlly occurring in a couse problems· (Folha dt Sc!o Paulo. Feb. host of Indigenous areas, ancluding &r.lo What's Wrong with Decree 1775? 6). de Antonana (Kaingang). the Munduruetl Indigenous forces ond andigenist In a clever foshion, Decree 1775 area in Amazonas, Rio Guam~ (Tembe) an NGOs have been unanimous in their effectively paralyzes land demarcation by Pam. Panambizinhno and Sete Cerms protest of the new decree. After the pass- subjecti~g the process to the inter- (Guarani·Kaiowa), both in Mato Grosso, ang of Dtcree 22191. which an fact manable bureaucracy of legal coun bat· Coroa Vennelha (Patax6) m &hia, Surua allow«! for the demarcation of se,·eral des 0\'Cr land. FUNAI (National lnd.an and the area of the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau an Indigenous Areas, many Indigenous Foundation). whach has histoncally Rondonhia. Other threatened areas connations fought especially hard to demar· lacked anthropologists and lawyers. \viii tested by the government and the mih· cate their land. The Macuxl in Raposa be responsible for carrying out required tary for their •stmtegic value· are Kricati Serra do Sol. for example. h3\·e been legal. geographical. and ethnographic (Mamnhao), &u (P:Ir.l). Mar.liuapsede leading an antemational campclagn for work prior to any demarcation or :IS part (Mato Grosso). and Raposa Serra do Sol demarcauon, to secure thtar ttrritory of any revision. FUNAI. howC\·er. as Ill· near the border with Guyana. 18 Aby& Yala News �B RAZ I L Indigenous Peop les and NGOs According to jobim. the new decree obidcs by the constitution (section 55 of React aniclc 5) because it guarnntces a third A well articulated number of forces, pany the right to contest a judicial £rom lnd1genous organizaltons and process through the contraditorio, a NGOs m Bmzil to human nghts. environ"baste element of democracy·. says ment. church groups. and even some jobtm. He also argues that the coun go\'emmcnts around the world fonned in cases ag;unSt Decree 22191 stalled in the response to the reversal of pohcy on Federal Supreme Coun wtll no longer Indigenous londs in Brazil. Stmtegtes for have a base now that the new decree revoking the decree have varied, but the contAins this clause: otherwise, all the majorily center on directly pressuring the areas demarcated under decree 22191 Brazilian state through letters. the press, could ha\'e been declared unconstitu- faxes. and other similar means. tional. For jobim, the Br.mhan go,·ernlnterestmg. too. has been the route m<nts •mage will impro'-e because they taken by CAPOII~reprc.<ennng more h3\·e fixed a legal ·error· thot ""II final- than l 00 Indigenous groups in ly put a Stop to the endless demarcation Braztl-wlnch sent a letter to the World procedures. B.1nk and the ambassadors of the G-7 However. one of the strongest argu- countries and the EurOl)Can Union rnems agninst the new decree. and one requesting the "temporary suspension of adopted by a number of leftist political resources deStined lor projects which leaders m Brazil. is that It goes against ha"e among other priorities the demarcathe sptnt of the Brazthan constuution. tion of lndtgcnous lands. such as Projeito The Br.uilian consutuuon states that. Terms lndlgenas, Planaforo, and \\1th regards to traditional Indian lands, Prodeagro." since those funds would hkett ts the duty of the "Umon to demarcate ly fall prey to the legal quagmtre which them. protect them. «.,..,.rc.coc. Att 9 .. N.u e-m cun.o. cuJo decftto bom.olopaOtio o.10 tCTiba ricSo Gtljfto c1a rqp.uo etu anOrlo Jmobill.. rio ou M Socraarla do P .. rimOnlo ct. Un.lSo do ,._,f,nL;ntelo d.ai f'u.Aoda. ot IOCC'I'C'Mol llaa 1 ' ... r 40 •" 1•. ao praro • ~ cti.aa. • •'-- 4a ~c:.QIO ~. ~o. ancI assure o\Qn, rc:~U~.....,, 0011 ·~do f the respect of all of their resources." Many argue that the new Decree pr<\·ents thts basic duty from being fulfilled. "It fnghtens us to sec that the gO\'crnment intends to revitalize, with the new decree. titles to land that the conSIItutlon regards as ·null and void.' since they were created centuries ago when the land was clearly lndtgenous," says Congressman ~ilma.no Miranda (Prtstdent of the Commttt<< lor Human Rtghts of the Chamber of Deputies). job1m is wasting no ume In imple· menting Decree 1775. Soon after the J>aSsing of the decree. he sent letters to several governors primanly in the Amazon region listing for them the 3reas to bt rev1sed in their respectwe st:nes. For elOimple, In a letter to the go,·emor of Por.l state dated the 11th of january. he hSted 14 Indigenous areas up for revision, including two whose combined area is only 58 hectares. vot 10No. 1 Pany and a strongly worded protest leucr signed by 80 environmental and human rights groups sent to President Cardoso from the Coalition in Support of Amazonian Peoples and Thetr Emironmcnt, • coordinating body based in Washmgton DC. The leuer exhons him to revoke the Decree. The Coahuon counts among.st its members most of the well known US environmental and pro· Indigenous organizations such as National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund. S1<rra Club, lnternauonal Rh-ers Network, R.1m Forest Acnon Network, Amanaka••· and SAil C. The Coahtton plans to suppon the cffons of Bmzilian indigenous and human rights organizations and 'viii dis· cuss funding development projects linked to indigenous areas in Brazil \vilh multinational agencies. Decree 1775 mUSt be ,;ewed wuhm the larger context of the long tenn pl•ns held by • consontum of govemmrntal and pm•atc tnt<rests to develop large areas of the Amozon basin and other nat· promlSeS to ensue £rom the rcv1s1on of dozens of existmg Indigenous areas. The CAPOIB document claims that ·smce it took office over a rear ago. the go"cmmcnt of Fcmando Henrique Cnrdoso has been putting in ploce a deliberate policy of reduction of indigenous territories.· Indigenous organizations are also calling for the cancelation of ~rman funds (S22 million) donated to Bmzil after the 1992 Eanh Summit for the protection of tropical rainforests (Pilot Program lor the PrOie<:tion of Tropical Rainforests). Pan of that effort included funds specifically destined for the demarcation· o£ lndi3n Areas. Indigenous groups pomt out that Decree 1775 does n01 comply \\ith the obJcet"-es of the gront and they fear that SO!n<' of the funding from ~nnany could be dl\-ened to the r¢:\I'I.Sion or existing areas. Other major ellons against the decree include a motion of unconstiuuionttlity put forward by the Bmzilian Workers ural areas. as \\tith the mammoth Hidf0\13 proJCCt (see page 28). and progrtSSI\-ely mtcgrate the entire regton mto the national and mterrunional economic system. In defiance of the International Decade of Indigenous Peoples declared by 1he United Nations in 1993, the new de<:ree sets down the foundations lor a future of large scale d<\·elopmem ummpeded by lndtgenous groups stakmg claims to thetr traditional lands and resources. .., You can suppo11 lltt rf/orts of Indigenous p<opks in Bra<tl by sending. }tt-ring. or emallfng your lcners of prolt11lO lht jolluMng addr=s: Fcnuuulo Hcnrlquc Cardoso. l'r<$tdrn1 of ''-' R<pubiiC. PaLiclo do Planol!D, BrOS.lio - DF 70.160-900, Fax· SS-61-226-7566, cmatl: pr@cr-dj.rnp.br; Nrl$011 ]obim, MtniSicr of ]u.sliu, Esplanada dt>s Ministerios-Bioco T. Bra.<ilia - DF - 70.06'1·900, Fax: S5·61·22;J. 2'1'18. email: r\)obim@ax.apc.org 19 �B RAZIL Fighting for a Macuxi Homeland Macuxi leader Jacir Jose de Souza is a well known Indigenous activist from the Raposa Serra do Sol Indian area. Brazil. After 25 grueling years of work. this area has yet to be demarcated and has been the site of numerous killings and human rights violations (see Noticias de Abya Yala. Vol. 9 No. 1). Now. the revocation of Decree 22191 puts a cloud over the prospects of official demarcation. In this interview. not yet knowing the outcome of the revision of Decree 22/91 . Jacir confides in SAIIC the hardships faced by the Macuxi people and the often conflicting process of organization and representation that occurs in a common struggle. ~~~ -w~ Jacir Jose De Souza Why and bow d. d you start fighting for i the Macu.'<i p<:oplc? 'm from the maloat ('~llage) of Maturuca, in the state of Roraima, Brazi.l. Our land had been invaded, but the tuxaua (chieO of our Maloro 'vas.n\ responding. On April 27, 1987, we had a meeting and I ' vas chosen to lead the effort to defend our community, to replace the Tuxaua of the n~aloro. Our first Step was ending alcoholism, which the garim!"'iros (gold prospectors) were bringing into our community. Then, we staned to organize other communities and work with the other Twcauas. Still, they thought I was new, and lacked experience. I argued that, for the future. we had to take action on our own behalf. The government 'vas never going to do any· thing. FUNAI wouldn\ help us. Our effons continued; communities Started helping each other, clearing fields, buildinghouses. I took this experience of working with the Tuxauas to the annual general assembly. I chose four !"'Ople in my maloca (viJ. !age). went to the assembly, and told all the 1ivcauas about the village council we had formed. The reaction 'vas pretty neg· alive: They said, "What, you won\ respect the Twcaua any more, and there won\ be a legitimate authority?" But, when they saw the results of our work, they agreed to unite and work together. I 20 In 1987, we decided to extend our organization to the city to work for the demarcation of our land. I suggested 12 people, from all the communities, to start. In April, 1987, we went to all the malocas, explaining what we wam· ed to do, that in Maturuca we already had a council, and that this was for the future of our children. The people agreed. After one momh we went to the city. We had no house or anything. FUNAI didn't want to help us. So, we went to talk \vith a bishop. Don Aldo Mongiano, and he said he could provide a house we could use. We divided up the work. Three people stayed in the city, and the others returned to the malocas. After a while, the process was reversed. We set up a place where people could go for help. After lwo years, everyone was with us. I was in the middle of everything. We bought another house for an office in Boa Vista. People brought food from the villages. We put together a small project that received support. In 1988, we had a meeting in Manaus with COIAB (Brazilian Indigenous Peoples and Organizations Articulating Council). There was an election, and six people were chosen including me. I told them I didn't have enough experience, and that this is a very big city. But, they conVinced me and told me it would be fine. By 1990, we were doing well. Then, there 'vas an outbreak of malaria in my maloca. Many people fell sick. My ,vife w:ls one of them, and she died. When I got back to Boa Vista, they wanted me to work for the Council, but I said I had to take care of my children. When I got back to the maloca, they said you can\ leave. A Tuxaua is a Tuxaua. After four months, they chose me to coordinate the region. where there are 5,000 people in 48 villages. I agreed to coordinate things from my home. Our organization, the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), now has diverse personnel, including a lawyer and an agronomist. Since we divided up into eight regions, some SLay in their areas while others work in the city. Now, we are even travelling to other countries. In September, the vice-coordinator went to Italy where he met \vith other organizations. Today, I am here. Our work to defend our rights continues. What are the principal problems faced by Macuxi communities? At the beginning of 1995. the state government ' vanted to build a dam on the Cotingo River, 'vithin the Indian area Raposa Serra do Sol. They sent the miliA~Ya laNews �BRAZ IL tary police who destroyed a house, beat up the 1i<Xaua, and kicked people out and burned a house. We resiSted. We held thai it was illegal 10 do this in an Indigenous area. We contacted the auorney general and FUNAI. We explained how the)• had beaten many people. uuer. the federal government decided 10 bring in energy from Venezuela. so things calmed down. The state government was doing this 10 hold up the demarcation lof ~~nd) . The amly came iluo the area. our also destroying houses. We had a meeting and called the mili1ary and liule by liule they lef1. Then in Oc10ber. they proposed creating a town, a municip..'llity within Raposa Serra do Sol. How could they get away with this? They called for a plebiscite and scheduled a day 10 hold il. They brought electronic voting machines. The ranchers and miners voted, as well as the Indians. In another plebiscite a year ago the resuhs were annulled because the Indians knew about it, and being wellorganized, boycoued il. Now they pulled a new maneuver, announcing the plebiscite with only 1wo days of advance notice. The Indians didn\ have a chance 10 organize. They brought computers, which people had not seen before. Needing assiStance, they could not vote in privacy. Now, they say they will build a city near Maturuca. V\'e believe this is to destabilize the Indian movemem. and to prevem the demarcation of the area. So. rm very concerned. ItS a very serious problem. How many years have garimpeiros been ins ide the area? Its been about 25 years. They staned working manually. Then. machinery was brought in. In the last seven years. they brought in dredging equipment, destroying the rivers, polluting them with mercury, leaving them filthy. When the federal governmem took the miners out of the Yanomami area in 1989-90, many came to the Macuxi area. This ' vas when falcii><Jrum malaria-the most serious kind-became rampan1. Vol. 10 No.1 Jacir Jose de Souza (right) during Amazon Week VI, 1995, during a panel on Indigenous Rights. We built a blockade and Stayed there months, not !cuing anyone or any vehicles pass. Then, FUNAI sent the federal police in 1992 to expel everyone. We managed to kick out 600 garimpeiros. The ranchers inside the area also began 10 leave. One of the meanest, named jai, left after destroying many of our houses. Now, this area is clean. and the foreSt is beginning 10 grow. So. today, there are very few canle inside. But, with the support of the state governmem. some remained. Now. there is a lot of pressure 10 establish a municipality. The fight is geuing serious, and we can\ give in. Did you s peak with Minister jobim? It's difficul1. We\>e tried three times to schedule a meeting. We tried 10 speak 10 the president in New York, but we couldn\. Some of our members have spoken with the miniSter, but hear that he is going to sign the decree )decree 1.775). ...and the s tate government? The state government. through buying ofT some of our people and giving them small presents like clothes, got the Indians to S<'\)' that "the government is helping us." But this is in the city of Boa Vista, where many Indians are suffering. and can\ go back 10 their village. Have you received the support from non-indigenous Roraima? populations in In any city in Brazil, there are people defending our rights. There are journaliSIS who help us. The church also suppons us. FUNAI also sent a decree to the minister recognizing our tenitorial limits. And, there are many organizations-CIMI (lndigenisl Missionary Council). that organization in SAo Paulo, the CPI (Pro-Indian Commission), in Rio de janeiro. So. we're working together. Any place we go. we find allies. But, powerful people with more money stay on top. What can people here d o 10 help the Macuxi people? On this trip, I've met other organizations like RAN (Rainforest Action Network), and asked for their help to speak \vilh the government here. People can send leuers asking our government to respect Indian people. E'>eryone can pressure the US government here also. Continued on page 36 21 �SE LF DE TERM I NATION A ND T ERRITORY Reflections on a CONAIE, Grassroots, and a Vision for the Future ~~~ i(l~ Jose Maria Cabascanao Jose Marfa Cabascango is a Quichua activist of the Pijal Community. Gonzalez Suarez Parish. province of lmbabura. Pijal has some seven thousand inhabitants and only 600 hectares of land. With intimate knowledge of that community. Jose M arfa Cabascango. an activist since the 70s. reached a position of prominence in CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador). As Secretary of International Relations. he has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Americas. In this interview. he reflects upon the accomplishments and the future of the continental Indigenous movement from the perspective of Ecuador. \Vhat arc the principal accomplish· mcnb of CONA l E and other commu- nal organizations that you have seen in your years or work? once the 1940s and 1950s, orgam· S zations were born all over Ecuador: pe~sam organizations. even Indigenous organizauons such os the Federncion Ecuatorinna de Indios (Ecuadorian Federation of Indians). headed by Dolores Cacuango. n woman of struj;gle in th~ days. Unfortunately. those org.•nizauons were controlled by polouc:.l ponies (hke the Commumst and Socialist party). the Catholic and Evangcloc:.l churches, and by the labor movement. Therefore. they deOmtcly ntones. one of the most unponant pouus: and the struggle for an indigc· nous education Here. two prim.•ry were not autonomous and independent orgamzauorb. demands were an1culate:d · on the one In the years of 1972. 19H, ECUARUNARI began o rganizing nselr hand. that [tndtgenous) languages be recognized offictnlly by the Ecuadorian wilh force and with many problems state, and that education be adminis· and conO'•cts wilh the Church. Then n tered tn our own l•nguall"' These became mdependent, mitiaung the ver')' 1mponant experiences that wert inninted in those times. reconstrucuon or lndtgcnous peoples' collective Identity. In those years there were three main pomts of focus the struggle agamst mctsm, because ractsm wos very strong; the struggle for the recuperatiOn and legalization of the ter· 3n: Today, ractsm has not ended. Rac1sm appears m economiC explon.a· uon and the \10ia!ton or human rights. Rac1sm exiSts m the bchav1or of civ1l society. But it Is no1 as visible :tS before. �S lntle by louie we have managed to make the non-lndtgenous society understand that u too h.'\S Indigenous blood and that we definitely are d)'l\3mtc peoples. wuh • millennia! history. and our own territories. I indeed would lake to enlphnstze this aspect or the Struggle agmnSI mcism that is one o£ the princopal accomplishments; the President o£ the Republic himself is spe.~klng o£ a "multi-ethnic Ecuador.• With regard to the Indigenous territories. I believe there nre ;.1.dvancemems. We were able to recupemte some lands although often under a ventable Slate or siege. There are compafteros th.1l were assassmated and persecuted. But we managed to consohdate. ot least in pon, our temtonal sp.1ce. In the same way, lndtgenous peoples m the Amazon and Coast were able to legahze their own temtories. whtch as an imponant aspect. Therc£ore, despite powerful interests such ns those or the multinational. oil. mineml, and other industries, and those of the Ecuadorian Slate, we managed to legalize. at least in pan, those territories. In 1988 we managed to get bilin- gual intcr·culluml educ.ation institutionalized . Yes, there are many problems. many administmtive, technicd. and pedagogJC:'II dtfficulues, but ne,·ertheless 11 IS a move £orwand. Today for exampk, there arc plans to create, in htgher cduC:'IUOn. an Indigenous universny. 1 behe\'C thts IS an advancement. E l F DE TERM IN AT ION CONAIE surprised the world \vith itS project to form a multinational country and take up Indigeno us ..l egal'' traditions to create Indigenous legal s tructures in Ecuador. Do you see a contradiction between this ambitious project and wanting to return to w orking directly with the communities? We have always said that it is imponant to work on all £roms. The political, juridical, economic, social, and cultural projects that we have initiated have to continue forward, because these have an effect at the communit)' le,-el. I believe that lndogenous peoples in Ecuador have been the origmators of many initi.1tives. and there exists a popular backing across Ecuadonan society for our work: these arc not proposu1ons that are only Ill the mterest or Indigenous peoplu, but rather propositions to maugurntc a new society and attempt to rcsoh·e the huge problems or social crisis. hunger. and poveny. From the moment we initiated the struggle until 1993. there w.s genemlized state repression. Then, thanks to the struggle that rose in notional and imemational solidarity, little by liule the military presence in the communi· ties diminished. I believe this is an extremely imponant achoevemem. In the case or my communoty. all are working dthgently to acqutre new in£raSirueture, to develop water works, and the like. We, loke CONAl E. arc worried about how to provtde tmtmng in administrata,·c matters. What has been the experience of the communities living in this time of Two events in Ecuador where the change? and All o£ these accomplishments, evi- Indigenous · org:mi zalions CON Al E have had an important role: dent in today$ daily life. hO\•e repercussions and nrc felt in lhe communities. the Indigenous mobilizalion against For example. In the case or my commu- the Agrarian Reform law (Ley de nity, nascent connicts ~rc no longer Reforma Agrm·ia) in June of 1994, referred to the authorities comprised or and the border wur wi1h Pe ru. Did political entities, couns, judges. and the effecLivencss of CONAIE concounty and provincial authorities. They traSt strongly in these two events? are resoh•ed whhin the s.-ame commuTo summanze. around 1993 the nity. This ts a real control 'vielded by indUStrial sectors like the big agroour own authoriues which ha"e the indUStrial componoes worked out a procapocuy to create a "legislation" proper ject for an agmnan reform law (L.ty de !ksarrallo Agrano). We as Indigenous to the communny. Vol. 10No. 1 A N 0 T ERR I TORY peoples and peasant Otg,1ntz;>UOns o£ Lhe count I)' also worked out a proposal for agmnan reform. In june o£ '93. we all presented these before the Ecuadorian parhament There were three proposals: one from the go,·emmem, one from the landowner and agro·industrialist sector, and another from the Indigenous and pcas.~m organizations united an the National Agrarian Coordination (Coordinadora Agraria Nacio"'d). In the end CONAIE~ proposal was Slallcd or even thrown out, I don' remember exactly what happened. In 1994. the 108 (lnter-amenC:'In Development Bank) demanded that $80 million be tmns£errcd to the agrarian sector. wh1ch u saw as archaic. Then it demanded a change m the agrarian law. Womed, the government urgently sent a proJect to the Nauonal Congress so th.1t on fifteen days they could approve that law. When we reviewed it. we S..'\w that 11 \"35 the shortened version of what the landowners had presented in 1993. Nevcnheless. it was pushed £oo wand and approved. The Indigenous movement reacted very quickly. The enure country mobilized-organizations allied with CONAIE. popular organizations invol\'·ed and nOt invoh• m the agrar· ed ian issue. Now, wh)' ? On the one hand. the law proposed the pn>'aUZallon o£ communny lands and natural resources. espccoally or water. It thrc•tened to do away With peasont orgamz.~­ tion. It was a retrograde law: what they wanted was to rtturn to the hacienda system. gain ownership or all our resources, and deOnitcly implant an ideology or individualism. or market competition. Historically. il was :t very important moment. For the firs1 lime, Indigenous organizations demanded from the government the revocation or a law thai went against the mnJority of the Ecuadorian people-not just lndtgenous people. Also. for the Orst ume m Latin American hiStory. a prestdent s.1t at the negotiation table wuh an lndtg<'nous 23 �S E L F D ETERMINATI ON AND T ERRIT O ~~-~R Y trying to negouate With the o1l companies. The national go,·crnment would say, ·Not one step b.1ckward! \\"e're going to defend the temtory. our so,-. ereignty!" But at the s.1me tome they were handing over thts ·so\'eretgnty• to the oil compames! \Vhm are we sup· posed to make of that? In the Ecuadorian parlkunent they were approving measures to privatize petro· leum resources. electrical energy. telephone industries, and the social securi· ty system of the country. the Ecuadorian lnsutute of Social Security (JESS)! So. what ·sovereignty" do they speak of? org.1n1Z3l101\ for fifteen days of work, zations such as CONFENIAE and day and mght. We managed to paralyze the enure country. block roads. and prevent the dchvcry of agricultural products to the cuy. CONAl E. th:tt s:tid that the war Wa5* Now, in regards to the war, CONAlf: held some reunions with the Shuar-Achuar federation and the /\chuar compantros. But we have to cons1der th:u, on the one hand. there was a total suppon from the Ecuadorian people. 1ncludong suppon from Indigenous peoples and camp<Suw sector For example. in my communtt)· there were 14 compan<ros In the hne or lire. So. the panicipation or almost all the people was a very 1mponant aspect But 1 reiterate that CONAIE. the Shuar·Achuar Federation. and other n't of Indigenous people but of governme nts and th:lt those border areas de finitively belong to the Indigenous people li"ing there. How would you clarify this? It's that. yes, there was support from the lleO!>Ie. but unfonunately societies in general are too unpass•oned by e,·cms like this. be H war. or soccer. to menuon just a few. So the people rise and wnh thctr 1mpass1oned attitude begm to b.•ck a pos1uon 1mposcd by the government. '"th Mtoonalism and • false sense or p.1niS31bh1p. \\'e must t:.kc mto consideration that CONAIE produced many press releases clanfymg that. truly. 11 was not in our interest to support lthe warl. or org:mizauons met and came up with even the government (and much less very unport:mt rcsoluttons. demanding the armed forces). because m the end. of 1hc government l'Ctribution for all of the war was not one of Indigenous peo· the imp:tcts. both environmental and pies. On top of this, in the borderlands cultural, resulting from the war. There there '"ere closely relnted Indigenous were very large communities that were groups that were clashing: people with displaced. Ncvenhclcss. as of yet there the S.'lme historical roots. the same is no response from the government. blood. and the smnc economic problems. The 1mponant thing to remember is You said that the Shuar and Indigenous people in other regions that '" the development or the war. supported the armed forces. That when the people were up m arms. supconu-adicts the suuements of organi- poning the government, u tn tum , ...-as '24 The U.N. declared 1993 as the "Year of the Indigenous Peoples" and in 1994 they declared a Decade of Indigenous Peoples. !·las this been beneficial for Indigeno us peoples? Well 1 behcvc thot at the mterna· tiona! level, we have progressed a bit with regard to our rights. In 1992. Rigobena Menchti rece1vcd the Nobel Peace Prize. But, we have said that if we. as Indigenous pCOJ>Ies. don't truly take advantage or lhCSC COnJUilCIUres. nothing will happen during the ten years. or tWCnt)' )'C:li'S even. 1 believe that the idea IS that. for example. in regard to the Decade. we as organizations appropnate and seek change through the resolunons drafted by the UN. We should fight m the framework of the Unued :-lanons and parnc1pate in forums with clear propos.•ls. Many Indigenous people have tmveled and panicip.11ed. but often to provide a folkloric or cultural presence and not a politically acnve one. In the Ecuadorian case. we have a process or unincation between Indigenous. peas· ant. and Afro·Ecuadorian organiza· tions. There exists a nauonnl commit· tee ror the Decade wherein we are working with many proposals-concrete plans or action. We need to act. because many NGOs. and the church. are quite prepared to recel\·e all of the resources fllttrtng 1n lor the lntemanonal Decade . .,. �- - - - - - - - - -- " E _, F D E_, E R M I N A T I 0 N 5'-'- L_,c__,'--" T A N D T E RR IT 0 RY The Survival and Revival of Native American Languages The disappearance of Indigenous languages. although a deeply disturbing and ever accelerating trend. has received little national or international attention. Under enormous stress from a variety of sources. the Native people of this continent appear unable to halt the rapid erosion that is washing away a central strand of human identity. Not only are languages disappearing. but with them unique world-views and philosophies. The negative consequences of this loss of cultural. spiritual. and intellectual diver· sity will become more apparent as the spiritual and intellectual barrenness of the modem world more fully reveals itself. By Alexander Ewen and Jeffrey Wol/ock The Problem T he Study of Native languages, anthropological linguistics. was developed under the assumption that Indigenous languages were doomed. Its main task has been to record languages for posterity. This is important, but it is not enough. Today there is glowing resolve to put a brake on this process: the Indigenous cultures and their traditions are too imponam. For their survival, the languages must also continue. As a stuffed and mount· ed specimen can give liule sense or the live animal it once was, so dry texts and even tapes are no substitute for living languages. These are not museum pieces. they arc themselves living libraries, windows on worlds that can· not be replaced. The loss of language diversity is a global trend. It has been estimated that, at current rates, the 5,500 currently Hving languages will be reduced in a century or two to just a few hundred.l American Indian languages have been especially hard hit. Indeed, of the worlds languages that are considered nearly extinct. over o ne quarter are Indigenous languages in the United States. At the time of Columbus, at least 300 Indigenous languages were being spoken in what is now the United Vol. 10 N<>. 1 States.' Today there are on I)' 148 and, of those, one third have fewer than 100 fluent speakers and are considered near It is estimated that 80% of all C.•nadian and United States Indian lang<,ages are in a similar process of d)'ing extinction. More ominous, 32 native out." Few national governments are languages have 10 or fewer speakers and are in critical danger of becoming doing an)'thing effective to reverse these patterns. For example, the United States extinct within the next few years.J has a strong commitment to bilingual education. yet the manner in which it is taught is almost useless in preventing The percentage of Native-language speakers in the various communities varies enom10usly. While over 350.000 Native people, or one in six. speak their language, almost three-fourths of these come from fewer than a dozen Native nations or groups of nations. and more than a third of the Indigenous-language speakers in this country are Navajo. While Indigenous languages are threatened in other countries in the Americas. nowhere is the problem as critical as in the United States. More languages are on the verge of extinction in this country than in the rest of the Americas combined, and California alone has more threatened languages than any other country. Moreover, even those languages that are not immediate· ly threatened with extinction are in danger. For example. although Yakima has 3.000 spe.•kers. moSt or all of these are middle-aged or older. Without a comprehensive program to educate young Y akimas, the language will soon suffer a massive loss or speakers as they begin to pass away. languages from disappearing. There are many 1ndian communities that have successfull)' resisted the global trend. Some. such as the Hualapai and the Utes, have long had vigorous and effective language progmms. Recent More languages are on the verge of extinction in this country than in the rest of the Americas combined. and California alone has more threatened languages than any other country. income from gaming and other new enterprises has made possible strong language revival programs among the Oneidas and Menominee of \>Visconsin. 1n Canada. there is growing awareness of the seriousness of the issue and there have been strong commitments to Ian~ guage revitalization from national Native org~ niz.ations such as the Assembl)' of First Nations. 25 �,.. S E l F DETERMIHATIOH A H D T E R R I T 0 _,_ Y R...cc__ A Navajo WOI'IWI elder. The Navajo ate one of the few Indigenous cultures in the United States that have retained their language to th1s day. ~ethan one third of the Notive language SPeakers in the US are Navajo. All of this indicates two thm~: that I here IS a cntical need to began workmg wlth Native communities in the Umtcd States on tmensi\'e language trachmg or revtval: and that there are successful models of how to proceed. Many Indian communities require immediate action, in the form of specially designed programs, if their languages are to sur· VI\'C. The inability of the modem mind to understand the wealth thm surrounds 11 is every day making the world a poorer place . A repon issued b)' the Worldwatch Institute in 1992 warned thot the consequences of culture loss among tribal peoples would mclude the dis.1ppearance of millions of plant and :mim.-1 species which currently live under their protection.:J One c:m only ponder the question: when 1he world is reduced to a single language, will there be anything of ,·alue left to say' 26 The Needs All preliminary findmg; md1cate that Nati\'e commumues m the United States. Canado. and other pans of this hemisphere find the language retention 1ssue to be one of thc1r b•ggcst con~ cerns. The inabiluy to !XIS> on the language to the youth is makmg it more and more difficult to pass on traditions and culture, or even to foster the traditional leadersh1p necessary to guide Indian commumues mto the future. The general consensus among those who work wtth r-lauve people on their ISSues is that the'= maJOrtt)' ofNotive communities would gladly organize or participate in language recovery projects if they had the opuon. When economic opponunil ics present them~ selves. Indian reservations usually begin a language revualization pro· gram. Many communmcs. such as the Scneco and Onondnga. have fought hard for b1hngual education in pubhc schools, only to find that it is tnadequate to stent the loss of speokers. Due to the lack of resources .,.,,,_ able to most Nauve communities. many of whom ore >truggling with a host of other problems. language programs arc usually not an option. Most Indigenous people in this hemisphere have much lower standards or living than the sur~ roundmg populations and are often extremel)' poor. Many Nali\·e commu· mues suiTer pohucal oppression. continual eros1on of thelf land base, and the denul of thelf legal and cultural rights.6 EITorts to develop and pro"de an econom1 b:asc to these Indian commu~ c nities eon have detrimental effects on languages and cu1lurcs.7 New econom~ ic development acthoties such as the North Amencan Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) can be expected to have a I>J::t(a Yala News �S E L F negab,·e effect on lnd10n languages in Me.'<lco. where almost 30% of the populauon IS lnd1genous.* L'tnguage revitahuuon is a comparauvely new erron. wuh few successes and many failures. Programs are required that can take 1 nt0 account the specinc poliucal. cuhuml, and eco- nomic circumstances of Native com· munities.9 Even those Native people with economic resources often lack the many different skills needed 10 put forward a comprehensive program. Moreover. cultural change is now so rapid and pervasiVe. that new ways to hold the mterest of young people and educate them need 10 be developed. The lack of commumcauon among Nauve communaues has hindered the few successful models from being apphed m other oreas. In areas where language loss has reached a critical level. governments and institutions put the emphasis on recording languages rather than on rescuing them. Much more rescorch needs to be done on this Issue 1 bener survey and eval 0 uate the curre111 state of language retention among North American Indians as well as to seck om success· ful solutions. '1' Adaprtd from D:lybreak, Winter 1994 For mort informat•on, conta<l Alex El\·tn at Solidarl!y Foundarion, JIO IVcJI ~2nd Sr.. New York, NY, 10019; Phone: 212-76~9~10; Fax· 212-9S6-i2H rhc Re f erences Associated Pross. 1991. National Report Faults Schools for Loss of Language. Culture ond Fo1fure to Educate Natfve Students. Nows From Indian Counrry 5.22: 1. Amnesty lntomotionel. 1992. Human Rights Vlofotlons Agolnst the Indigenous Peoples of the Amerlcos. New York: Amnesly lntomatlonol USA. Briscoe. David. 1992. Report CritiCal of lndiqenous CultufO Lo.ss. News From Indian Country 6.24: 1 Chafe. Wolloco L. 1962. Estimates Regard•ng tho Pfcsont Speakers of North American lnd.an Languogcs. International Jourrwl of Amcrlc<ln Linguistics 28: 162· 171. DePalma. Anthony. 1993 <July 12>. Mexic<>ns Fear for Coin. Imperiled by Free Trade. New York llmes. Vol. 10 No.1 D ETE RMINA TI ON Diamond. Jared. 1993 Soealun9 with a Single Tongue. O.scover 14.2:78·85. Ewen. Alexander. Jeffrey Wollock al.l993. Stat•slie&l Absrract of lnd"'n PopulatiOns. lt>d<l>n Ccunrry Uni)Ubl•shed computer datab&so. New Yo•lc• Solodarity Foundalion. Feues. Maoi<. 1993. Is the language Ttde Tum1og in ConodD? Cultural Survival Qusrtorly 17.2:15·17. FO<bcs. Jaclc D. 1981 . The Survival of Native Amorlcrm M imeographed: UnlvCfSity o f Grimes. Borboro F. Languoges of t/10 World: Languages. Arizona. ed. 1984. Ethnologue. A N D T E RR I TORY sess unique knowledae or plants. tned•· cines. etc. that could be valuable to manlund. II noted thai "small language groups are d•sappearing at an unpreee· dented rate.6. The qual•ty of lofc omong lndogenous people In this hem.sphore varies widely. though on lhc whole 11 Is not ve')' good. lnchan reservatiOnS In the Un1ted States. w.lh the exceptoon of those that have svc· cessful gaming opera lions. are s~<ll among the J)OOfCSt r'CQions In tho country. Indians in the US suffer dlsproportiO<Ia<ely from teen·&ge suicldo <moro thon fouf times Dallas: Wycliff Bible Translators. Hale. Kenneth. 1969. American Indians in Linguistics. l ndlon Historian 2.2:15- 18. 28. the national ovorogo>. subs tance abuse. and other soclolllls. C.onodlan Flrst N ation feserves hove mony of tho some prob· lems. as well os often bolng enmeshed In Reyhnef. Jon. 1993. American Indian Languoge Policy ond School Success. Joumarof Educa!foool Issues of LBnguagB M mority Sruden<s 12 Special Issues: 35- Canadian government OVOf land title and development policy. Amnestx InternatiOnal <1992> prov•des a gl•mpse of the d•ff•cull•es faced t>y lnd•genous people in this hemisP!_lero. and perticutarty in 59. Tal'"""'· Volc~e. 1993. NAFTA· What Can the Native Community E.x.oect if Passed? Nt~ws From lndum Coclntry 7.22:3. Teeter. Karl V. 1976 Algonqu•n. In Nawe LBngu~~ges of<~ Ametic.os. ed•ted by Tho.mas A. Sebeok. Now Yooi<: Plenum Not o s: 1. Diamond <1973) mt~kes the estimate of global language loss. though he calcu· lates the n,,mbor of IMng languages at 6.000. 2. Teeter< 1976) gives an osllmate of 300 Native American languages at contact. 3. Grimes ( 1984) clossilics 176 lan· guages os nea~ oxtinct. of which 49 are in the United Stotcs. In her survey. only Austral1a 'V'Ath 43 comes close to this number: there Is no othef country with more thon 10 critlc&lly endangered lan· guages. Because d·fferent feseafchers use d•Herent cnter•e for determin•ng whether a langu~~ge Is endangered or neatly ex1onc1. thoro Is some dlserepancy 1n the flgur'es. The rulo of thumb used in the J)(esent fGVIOW •• that a language wilh fewef than ono hundrod speakers. all e$derty. can be considered near extinction. 4 . Teeter 0976> eallmates th&l half of all Amer1can Indian lonouagos witl become extinct along wllh this tast generation of speakers. Diamond 0993> cites Michael Krauss of tho University of Alaska at Fairbanks. · For tho 187 Indian languages surviving h'l North Amor1co outside of AJa~ka... Krouss ostlmotos that 149 of these are already moribund.· Fettes C 1993> stoles lhol SO of the 53 Native ian· guages spoken In Cenede afe • consid· ered declining or endongefed. • S . Accord•ng 1 B~scoo <1992). · up to 0 5.000 groops guard 12 percent of the earth's land orca. They d,ffer from the rest of humanity becouse they ltve closer to the SOil and remain d•at•nct from their countries' dom•nant eultufe. • The report also found thai lndogonous people pos· J>Oiilical and legal disputes with the Ull•n America. The Iauer generally live on extreme poverty. havo few of the "9h1s and sei'Viees aceordod lnd.ans •n the U .S . and Canada and ore often tho vtehms of political violence and opprossk>n. 7. There ore few studiel that correlate devek>ornent. resef"V&Uon economies. Of' othef (actOtS With Inchon language reten· lion. A simple companson of median incomes and poverty levels among Indian communities that hovo suffered sevefe language loss with those that have not gives a small fndlcotlon thot those reser· vations that am poorest moy fetaln theif languages bottof. More work Is needed on this question. 8 . With ovef 230 Indian languages. Mexico is tho richest source or Native fan· guoges in tho homlsphoro. Accotd1ng to Tallman <1993> and DePalma <1993>. NAFTA can bo expected 10 rapidly accel· erate the displocement of lnd•ans from their lands and Into che ove~rowded MeJOcan cit1es. Un.ltke the Un.ted States. where only 2.4% of ill popularton Is now engaged on agnculture. on MeJOCO. 26% of the labor fOf'Ce 1S compo:sod of farm WOf'k. ers. and the vast majotuy of these farm· ers are fnd..ans. Sanco com is the leading Mexican crop. the •ntroductK>n of cheaper American com Is l1kety to lead to a loss of jobs. lands. and cultures for millions of Indians. 9. Reyhner <1993> oMminos tho hislol)' of Indian language cducollon In the U.S. and its notable lack of succoss -in light of the new Native Amcricon Languages Act of 1990. Up until mccntly. lndion longuages were either banned or discouraged in schools. The lost few docodes have seen a change of ouitude. but lillie has been accomplished. In 1991. & report prepared bv a United States Department of Edueatiet'l Task FOf'co notod the continuing faolure 10 sl op lndoan language and crlliea loss <Assoc•ated Pross. 1991). The schools managed by lha Bureau ol ln<f""' A/fairs are no<orlous for lhe poor quality ol leache<s and equopmenl . end the derelict condition of the schools themselves. 27 �ENVIRONMENT Indigenous Conferences Reject the Hidrovia Mega-project • This project doesn 't value the rivers. the streams. the forests. the fish. the birds. the Indigenous peo· pies. nor life. It only values the winnings of a few businessmen.· - First Indigenous Encounter of the Paraguay River Basin I ndtgenous peoples who stand to lose thetr homes ~nd ltvclthood as the result or the ~lidrovfa industrial waterway project on the Parnguay· J>aran~ n•·er system met 1R October of 1995 to dtscuss the prOJ~t's tmpact on their tradUJonal econonucs. and to agree on ~ plan Of actton against Hidrovfa . Nivaclt, Ayorco. Angaitt. Guan~. Guarani Nandcva. and Guarani Occidentol r<presentau•·es from the Paragua)' and Ptlcoma)·o m·er basins met scp;u:.uely and came up with a detailed plan of action ag.1inst a project which they s.1y will spell disaster for rhe em'lronment and the communities. The ~hdrovfa proJect would r<qutre widenmg and deepemng the channels of the l'araguay and Paran~. South America~ second largest water system, to allow ocean-going sh•ps ~cccss to the port of Oiceres. Brrual, 2,100 miles upstream rrom the n,·crS mouth near Buenos Atres. Under the t>l~n being studied. the rivers would oc ch~n neled. straightened. ~nd dredged. with tribu· t~ries or the river blocked ofT and rock outcroppmgs in the channel detonated lndtgcnous peoples and environmemahsts msist that H1drovta. nicknamed "llell~ Highway," would devas· tate the river ecosystems, including the Pantanal wetland (the largest in the world). and by e.«enston. the tradttional economtes of the Indigenous peoples which are based on fishing. In the meetings. Indigenous leaders protested that Hidrovfa threatens to worsen the already preconous living standards or the people dependent on 28 the river basms and lead to the colonization of nearby l~nds. "Only 20 percent of Indigenous communhtcs in Paraguay have leg.1ltitlcs to thctr land, and only a fracuon or these are adequate £or sul!otammg a trJdHIOnal lifestyle." strcSSC> the declaration of the Paraguay ba;in. "The llndianl terruortcs of the enun: region will expcncnce pressures e\'cn greater than those that extSt present!)' due to spcculauon on the \'3lue of land and the establishment of r:mching and agricultural mdustries. The result will be more forced evictions. staning with the riverine popula· uons.· The Indigenous coahuons also stated that they were "extreme!)' won1ed" at the lack or informauon and evasive nature of the governmental institutes carrymg out the proJect. This concern was the tmpetus for the formation or the Rros Vtvos coalition, re-groupmg 300 NGOs and Indigenous organizations worldwide. In D<:cember 1995. follow1ng 3 years of pr<ssurc tO achle\'C pubhc panlcipauon 1n the Htdro•1a process. the lntcr·Governmental Comnnnee on I hdrovia (CIH). made up of the states of Argentina. 6olivta. Br.l%11. Paraguay. and Uruguay accepted a proi'O"'I from RIO> VI\'OS to prov1de The Nivac:lt people Wlil be impacted by the Htdrovla project. A'<Yta Ya"' News �E NVIR ON ME NT access to all documents from the feasibility studies of Hidrovfa. Nevenheless, CIH continues to state that construction will begin in the next few months. This has fueled doubts by Indigenous organizations and environmemal groups that the)' will have a meaningful role in the decision-making process. The resolutions of the Paragua)' and Pilcomayo Indigenous encounters call for the unification of Indigenous peoples affected by Hidrovfa and the joint preparation and publication of a diagnostic of the social and environmental conditions they face. As a counterexample to the ofRcial feasibility stud· ies carried out b)' the governments. the diagnostic would directly involve the leaders of Indigenous communities. Important too is the translation and distribution of information on the Hidrovfa project in all the Indian languages spoken in area of impact. Lastl y, they call for an intense and constant Indigenous presence in all of the local, regional. national. and international instances where decisions on Hidrovfa are being made. "\l) lnjonnalion compiled from original documents and from V..1orld Rivers Review (December, 1996), tl1< newsletter of the Jntemalional Ril'ers Networl: ORN). For more information, contact: Coordirwdora de Pueblos lndlgcnas de Ia Cuenca del Rio Pilcomayo, C.C. 1380, Asuncion-Paraguay: Tel: (595-21) 24-427: Fax: (595 21) 55Q-451; or IRN, 1847 Berkeley Way, Berheley, CA 94703: 1<:1: (510) 848-1155; Fax: (510) 848-1008: Email: frn .org: WW\V: hup:/1\V'Ivlv.im.org. "May W e Dream o f a Be tte r Futu re ?" A Le tte r from Indigeno us Peoples of t he Pantanal to t he Interna t ional Deve lo p m e nt Ba nk The following letter was sent by 180 Indigenous people of the world's largest wetlands. the Mato Grosso Pantanal. to the Inter-american Development Bank, regarding the Bank's support for studies for the Paraguay-Parana Hidrovia industrial waterway. and for the Pantanal project, both of which will have environmental and cultural impacts on the region, and both of which are being designed and implemented wi thout consultation with the traditional inhabitants of the region. Aquidauana. Mato Grosso do Sui. Brazil. January 27. 1996 We. the Guatos. Terena. Kaiowa. Bororo. Umotina. Pareci and Kinikinao are the lraditional peoples that the Great C reator chose to live in and protect this region of the world. Throughout time. our ancestors taught us to live in hanmony with the wafers. birds. and planls. as a way of giving thanks and nurturing this gift for our wellbeing. · With the arrival of !he white man came !he roads and the railroad. and then came diseases and new customs which were unknown to us. This was the new civilization. !DB is now financing a large-seale project under the pretext of developing the southern cone. We know that !his project is part of a new re-organization of the world economy. which will truly attend only the ambitions of Vol. 10 No . 1 unscrupulous businessmen. where egotism. nepotism. and polilical rivalries reign and only the fittesl suovive. In this context of the decadence of ·modernity.·· we Indigenous peoples were never considered. and were instead only victimized. We were never consulted. but we recommended !hat this type of ambition must be halted for the good of humanity. Their money musl not disrespect and destroy the homes of our people and of the Great Creator. Our role is to seove the memory of our people and of the Great Crealor. Our role is to seove !he memory of our ancestors and of our tradilions and to defend !he Pantanal. because only in !his way can we go forward towards the future in search of a better life. At !he First Meetings of Indians of !he Pantanal. the Indigenous voice asks: Why do they want to deslroy the nalural walerway7 Who is going to benefit? Who is going to become rich with this? Up to what point is !he !DB aware of the lhreat of destruction and empoverishment which the large-scale projecls bring for our people. We appeal to the Bank to be clear and transparent in its proposals. because our villages are worried. Will we be v ictims? Or may we dream of a betler future? For more information. contact: Rios Vivos Secretariat. Campo Grande. Brazil: tel: 55-67· 724 -3230: fax: 55-67724 -91 09: email: ecoabrmspant@ax.apc.org 29 �... EN VIRONMENT Biobio River: Chilean Government Renews Ralco Dam Concession In the Spring 1995 issue of Abya Yala News we reported that ENDESA. the largest private company in Chile. is planning to constrvct six hydroelectric dams on the Biobfo river in southern Chile. The first of these. Pangue. is already 70% completed. ENDESA now says it will move ahead with constrvction of the largest of the Biobio dam. called Ralco. Ralco threatens to displace 700 people. including 400 Pehuenche Indians. Since our last article. the strvggle to save Biobio and the lands of the PellUenche has been intense. Now, the Chilean state has broken down a barrier for the construction of Ralco. n Janun~y 12. 1995, ENDESA announced that despue oppost· tion by ciuzen grout>S and Indigenous people. members of the Chilean Congress. and even some gov· crnmcnt agencies. the office of the Inspector General of Chile had approved the renewal of ENDESM pi'O\'IStonal concession for surveying in the R.~lco area of the Upper Bioblo. The opposiuon to the renewal had caused the nom>ally autO· matic renewal process to be delayed for nearly a year. The groups opposed the renewal because of the negative impact of the sur· ,·ey;ng work on the ecology of the Upper Biobio >nd the Pehuenche Indigenous O cornmunities who live in the area. Ralco would be a 155 meter-high dam with a 3,400 hectare rese" 'Otr, which would flood over 70 km of the river valley and displaa! over 700 people, includmg 400 Pehucnche 1ndi:ms. Environmental and Indigenous rights groups oppose the project n01 only because of the wtde scale destntction it would cause, bm also because projections of Chile's future energy requirements tndicate that the energy it would produce will not be needed. ENDESA has been continuously con· ducting surveying acti\rities in the an::a. despite the fact that thetr origm.11 pi'0\1· sional concesston exptred in 1993, and their actlvities have consisl.enlly been carried out \\1thout the consent of the l>nd owners. The opposition groups 30 hold that while Ra.lco's impactS have 1101 been evalu>ted or approved by the appropriate government agencies. ENDESA should n01 be penniued 10 conunue to bring destrucuve elemems to the Ralco area. Under Chilean Law (law of PrOtection, Suppon, and Development of Indigenous People), the Pehuenche lnd&..U\S are not n.~uired to leave their ' lands against thetr \\Oil nor to accept any relocation pack>ge offered by ENDESA. The Pehucnche have made clear their opposition to the R.1lco project and the presence of ENDESA reprcscntauves in thetr temtory, but the concession \\111 enable ENDESA re1>resentatives to move through the Pehucnche lnd~ans· territory 3!j.11nst thetr wishes. Opposition to the gr•ming of the permit h.15 been widespread. Onjanu.•ry 19. a press conference was held 10 cnticize the decision to renew the claim. A dedar:nion w:IS signed there by the major en\Oronmemal groups and by youth organizations of the political panles in the go,·eming conluion of Chile. Also. the Chilean Burc.1u of Indian Affairs (Corporaci6n Naclonal de Des.1rollo lndlgcna .. CONADI}, recently created to implement Chile's new Indigenous Peoples law, intervened •&•lnst ENDE· SA. The Pehuenchc communhies in the path of Endes.1s proJect ha\·e had to contend with a well-<>rehestrated campaign or mis~infonnation were mtSied by Endes.1 lmo selhng thetr lands. Others have rcsiSied acuvel)\ asking Endesa engineers to vacate their communities tmmed•ately: "Since u has 1101 been possible to discuss thmgs \\1th ENDESA. and due to the assault that our Mapuche Pehuenche people are being subjected to, we feel forced to take the decision to ask them to leave Pehuenche territory, out of the communuies of Quepuca-Ralco. Palmucho. Qucpuca. Ralco-Lepoy, Lepoy. La Veta , Chenqucco...• (ll'erktn (chtefs) of Quepuca-R.1lc0 and Ralco Lepoy) . .., \lfflu to the Prtstdent Quit, Eduardo F•rt tmd to tlte diplomalic ftpr<wttatlves of Chll< In your own country, asking wm to r<Sptct the rights of lndigeMu< Ptoplts In Chile In accordance wfrh rite Cltiltan Indigenous Peoples law and lntcrnauonal Tttaues.: liduarclo Frei. P•<sldente tie Ia Reptlbllco tk Chile; Fax: +S0-2-690-4020 or +~·2-690· 4J29; http:llw'V\'\fm·sidcnda.cll; jo/tn Biehl. Chil<an l\m/xls$tldor to tit< Unlttd Statts: Fax: 202-887-5579 Compiltd from Corriemcs. news/mer of the Bteblo J\ctton G""'P (GJ\BB), and B•oblo updat« (translated by IRN). For More hiformation, contact: Grupo de Acclon por tl 81obfo, Ernesto Pinto Lagorrigue 112, Rccoltw. Santiago tie Otll<; Te1:+56-2-7J7· H20; Fax: + 56-2-777-6414; rnuJil· gabb@hueltn.r<una.cl and bribery. Some ------- At:lta Yalll News �H u M A N R I GHTS Cocaleras Take to La Paz! A 350-mile March to Demand Human Rights in Bolivia A oout five hundred Quechua- Aymata women organized a 350-mile march from the Chapare (a coca (Erythroxylum coca) producing area) to La Paz. Bolivia\; capital. The women marchers entered 1he capital on January 18, 1996,thiny days after having left from the upper rMches of the Amazon basin. Their main pur~ pose was to demand that the Bolivian govemment of President SAnchez de Lozada respect and enforce human rights in their home region. since abuses against the women and their families, also known as cocaleros, have increased recently. It was the first time organized lndigenous·peas..·mt women from the coca areas marched to L1. Paz to discuss coca-related policies that affect them and their communities. Coca: Spiritual, yet Demonized Coca, the raw material for the production of cocaine, is a native crop to the area. It was first made illegal by the Vienna Convention of 1961. However. due to strong Indigenous resistance (coca holds ancient spiritual and cultural value for the Indigenous peoples who cultivate it), Bolivian officials agreed on a depenalized status. Ritual consumption and cultivation of coca has been a11owed since that time by the Vienna Convention of 1988. However. due to the u ncontrollable status of cocaine expons and consumption abroad. governments have demonized coca leaves. condemning the product and pressing for eradication. Surprisingly, here in the US, the well known writer William F. Buckley Jr. recently reactivated the debate over legalization of dntgs in the jourMI National Review. The fact is that consumption of dntgs in general. and not only of cocaine, has been steadily rising in the US and Europe. A possible answer, Buckley stresses, lies in legalization. (William F. Buckle)• Jr., "The War Vol. 10 No.1 on Drugs is Lost"' National Review. Vol XLVIIl No.2. February 12. 1996: 34-48). War on Drugs or People? In the same way that the War on Drugs is perceived by policy makers as a failure, aoove all in the US, Indigenous peasants are not convinced by the long line of alternatives to coca cultivation. Chapare Indigenous peasants indirectly answer to foreign demand-the ..con· sumption side," in the US and Europe, which is almost never discussed. From the point of view of states. coca harvests must be condemned as the main providers of raw material for cocaine processed outside their domains. The US embassy in La Paz has cominuall)• pressured the Bolivian govemmem for complete eradication of coca fields. However. there has been a general failure to demonstrate the cconornic viability of altemative development projects, or alternative agriculture. Cocaleros are trapped in a never-ending profit cycle based on coca harvests that continue to guarantee their income. and thus their survival. As pan of the march, the cocaleras clearly addressed the fact that criminalization of coca has spelled disaster for the Indigenous peasants of Chapare. The state militarized the area. which they denounced as a violation of their human rights. In addition. the women marchers demanded the cessation of eradication of coca fields. compensalion for Indigenous peasants who were killed or have been physically disabled due to police bnllality in the area, government Stlllpon for initiatives seeking viable alternative development, legal protection for union leaders who represent Indigenous peas.1.nts in the coca areas, the decriminalization and commercialization of coca leaf nationally and internationally, and government account· ability for agreements signed in 1994 regarding the implememation of alternative development projects in the area. The Women's Cocalertl March received massive suppon from the public. A)"nara leader Cristina M~rquez. who represented the COB (Bolivian Workers UniOI\) during lhe march, said the "women are clearly struggling against the neoliberal model" led by President Sanchez. Ximena lturralde and Lidia Katari, first L~dy and vice President 0\rdenas· wife, respectively, agreed to analyze the demands of the cocaleras in order to better understand their situation. UMOPAR: Spreading Terror in the Coca Regions A sharp condemnation of UMOPAR, a specialized ami·dntg amted unit, was voiced by Quechua leader Silvia Laz.~rte. "For us [cocalerasl there is no life, justice. peace nor tranquillity in the coca fields ... we continue to suffer systematic abuses. \Ve want you to think aoout this, " she Slated. This coincides with a recent l'fuman Rights Wacch Americas repon which analyzes the human impacts of the War on Dntgs: "The resources possessed by Bolivian antinarcotics forces are too few: too few men too poor!)' equil>ped are being asked. on the one hand. to banle wellentrenched drug traffickers funded by immense profits. On the other hand. they are being asked to control the thousands of poor people who laoor at the lowest end of the drug production pyramid ... This law enforcement effon. moreover. is conducted in the absence of institutions and traditions that hold public agents accountable for their own adherence to laws protecting civilians from abuse: Quly 1995, Vol. 7, No.8, page 38). '1l (Compiled with information from the Bolivian National Newspaper, Presencia) 31 �I" HUMAN RIGHTS Nimia Apaza, Kolla Lawyer Challenges Argentinean Health Minister Nimia Apaza. an Indigenous Ko/la lawyer in northern Argentina <General Coordinator and Lawyer for the Jujuy Native Council of Organizations), challenged Argentine social welfare minister Herminio G6mez regarding his explanation of infant mortality in the Susques Province. "Infant mortality is not a cultural problem. " she asserts, "it is not true that mothers do not care for their children and that they let them die. • For Apaza. it is "the clash of cultures that is killing our people: Westem culture comes overwhelmingly. bringing so called 'superior and better ideas ' than our traditional culture... • How docs Minister GOmez tltink that infant monalhy rates in Susqucs. dur· ing 1he fors1 momhs of 1995. are linked 10 1he fac1 Lha1 mo1hcrs do no1 1ake L hcir children 10 1he hcahh centers? e presenaed an isola1ed case. possibly due 10 special circumsaances. In fac1. 1he academic calendar in Susques. which was once from summer until M:t)'· was changed from March 10 December. The previous calendar had a log1c: m May. grazing cycles change. and 1hercfore ammals need 10 be laken fanher away 10 find fodder. Moahers 1hat do no1 have older children are forced 10 lake younger children along. If 1hey do no1 lake thear ani- H duces a great imbalance. Susqucs, mdecd. is the sah plateau of JuJUY. This is 10 say that it has linle potable water and its vege1ation is b.1Sically a small perennial bush called T'ola (B<ucharis rola). T'ola prolect.s lhe topsool ·~inSI sarong winds and reproduces with linle minfall, which once created a s1oble source of graze for llamas. The problem os that today. soil ei'OSion has decreased Bunos (mules} were used to tmnspon salt to the lower ,,.neys to tmdc for rom. Nowadays, lllm vs arc considered dan· gcrous on 1hc highways. The police forbod them on the roods. so 1herc is no banering, nor com. On 1he o1her hand, 1hcrc are less gmzing arcos and beasts of burden are dying. People are aware of 1hos problem and they arc trymg to save 1he llama and sheep ons1cad of ca1ing the amount of T'ola in the area. them to survive. Before. families used to own large herds of amrnals and now 1hey ha\'c less th:m fifteen or twent)' heads. In a Strate· gic drama of survival, our people lc:orned to love under-nourished. Under Mercado. an agrononn$1, warned us these strenuous circumstances. the most about 1he ecological consequences, but affected arc the children who conn01 mals 10 graze, nol only will one child was n01 locord by the local au1hori1ies. withsaand high ahi1udc weaLher and sufchc. bua the emirc family will suffer The 1ru1h is 1hat our people tmdotionally fer from bronquilis. pneumonoa, and h.11vesa T'ola for domesuc use. but only whooping cough. because Lhey 001 have food for 1he next rear. 1ake what~ needed. avooding the disrupHow has the school system devalued lion of 1hc nntuml equilibrium. How then do you explain Lbe growLh 1he rradi1ions of your people? o f infant monality r.ues? Can you describe for us the tmdition· Tc:ochers ,v;lh good on1enuons teach h is the clash of cuhurcs thai is ttl diet in Susques? our children to eat cvcry1hing available, killing our people. When I speak about Our diet 1mditionally depended on but because of the geneml devaluation of cuhures. I assume that there is n01 one com-based meals, such as: Chilean our cuhure. 11 is understood 1hat com· superior c-ulture, nor th..1t ours as mferi· (brcakfasl), ulpada, to<ladas (snacks). b.'IS<d foods belong to poor people. So or. The concep1 thai our 1mdilions and lwlapurc<1, k<ll<~t>i, tult>O. caldo. 1111q<W, and when children return home. they no customs arc b.1ckward has made lhis picantes (lunches}. anchi (desen). and longer want 10 eat trnduional foods, and clash and mvasion the cause of malnu- chO£ha (rom beer). To this basoc doe1 we parenos do not ha'" 1he means 10 purtntlon and mfant monalll)~ added quinoo, Java beans, and pOl aloes, chase processed foods. For example. supplememed QCcasionally with chtllona noodles are available, but contain little How has \Vcstern culture affected (llama meat}. nulritional value. The superior value put Susques? on processed food is what is caustng the The people of the city don\ under- Can you explain the traditional eco- malnu1riuon of our people. stand 1hat our people live 'within' nnture nomic patterns of exchange in this and 1hat no one is superior. Mank111d is a_en? r (Excerpts of an inlcmcw by Manana no1 1he king of creauon: we arc all pan Our people obtruncd rom 1hrough CArbajal, "ilh p<mu.«oon from wcckly El of il. When nature is dcs1royed It pro- intcr-corrununal bartering systems. Pa1riota, l.n P~ Nov IJ. J 7, J995) Ecological collapse has caused deseruOcalion of the highlands. T'ola has been used as a fuel in the school ki1chen furm'ccs because there is no money avail· able for o1her fomos of fuel. Horncio '"II 32 A'<Yya Yala News �_ _ __,_ U M A H. N RIGHTS ,., Namandu: A Guarani Community Pays a Heavy Price for a National Park in Misiones,Argentina n the lOth of October. 1995. soon after mid-day. a group of unifonned. am1ed men from the Body of Park Wardens of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Government of Misiones entered the Mby'a Guaranf community of Namandu-Arroyo Azul and destroyed its dwellings and nearby fields. The motive for the attack remains unknown. but il is widely believed that it was due to the political interests associated with the creation of the Provincial Park of CuM Piru, and the broader governmental plans tO bring tourism to the area. O The area of NamandU is looued in the eastern end of the valley of CuM Piru. in the center of the province of Misioncs of nonhcastem Argentina. lt is covered with virgin rainforest and is one of the last undeveloped are.'IS of the Parana-Misiones Forest. It is also sacred to the eleven Mby'a Guaranf communities thm live there. The three communities of Namandu (Arroyo Azul, Namandu and Tamandua-i) are considered the guardians of the sacred area. Only four women. the children. and the elderly were present in the village when the uniformed men arrived say· ing that, in the name of the government, they had to 'vithdraw from the provincial park immediately. The women responded in Guarani Mby'a that they would wait until the men returned. When the women refused to accompany them out of the park, the officials broke into the dwellings, threw out all of the belongings, and destroyed all of the dwellings in the community, including the "House of Prayer" (Opy). Then they destroyed the communitys Vol. 10 No.1 flelds-<\11 of which were ready for har- vest. Soon the men returned from the forest \vith food and found their community completely destroyed. They quickly sought refuge in nearby villages. On the 12th of October, \vith the help of other chiefs, the members of are demanding that a Communily Indigenous Territory in the name of the Guaranf be created out of the Provincial Park. Ku Pin•. that would be pan of the Natural Cultural Reserve. '11 Please show your support for the Guarani p<ople by w•iting lette•> demanding: NamandU-Arroyo Azul wrote a leuer to Lorenzo Ramos, leader of the Counsel of Caciques (chiefs) of the Guarani People. They stated that. •we are 13 aboriginal families that. for a long time. have lived on this forest. Eight of our families have been evicted: fony people, old and )'Oung... Today we are thrown out into the streets and we sleep in the forest and don't have anything to eat. The children arc getting sick and us poor mothers and fathers, we don\ know what to do with them because we "This in an incident that does not deseNe all the expensive 'hoopla· that has been made over it. " -Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources abandoned our houses and the fields of manioc and wheat . We are suffering.. . We do not know what will happen .. . VVe do not know why we were evicted ... Although the MiniSter of Ecolog)' and Natural Rcsoun:es did not accept the responsibility for the events of NaTnandU and stated, ..This in an inci- ~ that tht governmtm r'tpair t11c damages they l1ave incumd and char the wardens be made legally n;sr>ansible in a courr cflaw; • supp<>n of the reqtr<St cf the Guaranf communities of Ku PirU that their land be demarcated in a Community Indigenous Tcnitory of 12,000 hcctan:s; • the re-establishment of Law 2435 that rccogni.tt.s the Guaratlf People. and their politi· cal. social. economic, and adtumi systems. ami grants them relative aut0110my; Sr. Gobernador de Ia Provincia de Misiones. Don Federico Ram6n Pucrta, Casa del Gobierno, 3300 Posadas, Al);<ntill<l; Tel: 54752-34483 Sr. Pn;sldcnte de Ia Nad6n. D.: Carlos S. Menem. Casa de Gobierno, Balcan:c 50, 1000 Buenos Ain:s: Argentina; Fax: 54-1331-6376: Tel: 54-1-343-3051 St Presidente de la Cd.mara de Dipuwdos de Misiones, Don l'lector Caballero, P<l1acio l.egislati\'O, lvanoswky 1950, 3300 Posadas, Fax: 54-752-39193 dent that does not deserve all the expensive 'hoopla' that has been made Argenlint~; over it," in November a court case For more infonnation contact the Cenlro Mocovi "/aiel> J..av'a: Casilla de Conw 36, 2728 Melinwt (/'rov. de Sanra Ft), Argentina; Tel: ~4) 0465·99015; Fax: ~4) 0465-99197. ensued during which an "apology• was issued. The Counsel of Caciques of the Guarani People continue to pressure the local and national governments and 33 �ORGANIZ A TION AN D CO MMU N IC A TIO N Forging Unity, Zapatistas Call for Indigenous Forum ith more than 300 delegates, 250 guests. and international observers and reponers. the Nauonal lndtgenous Forum took place on january 3-9. 1996. in SM CriSI6bal de las C.'\5.'\S, in an area called the Valley of jO\'el. The 0\'Cnl \\01$ co.lk<J b)' the EZLN (Zapatista t\rmy of National Liberntion), the Commission for l':lciflcation (COCOPA). ond the Plurnl Indigenous Assembly for Autonomous Reg1ons (ANIPA). Twenty four Zapatista commanders. four of W them women. panicip..1ted in the Forum by cha1ring the Working Commissions. The orgamzauonal frnme of the Forum revolved around 1hc objectives of the comrovcrsial "'Peace with Dignity and Justice- ncgoliaaions be1ween the government o£ President Emesto Zed1llo ond the EZLN occumng in San Andr~s lamlinzar, Chiap.1s. There the panics reached agreements on the firS! theme of lndig~nous Culture and Rights on january 18. Previous 10 the Fonun, the EZLN consulted ""h its more than one hundred ad\'1strs out of which 40 are Indigenous people. The Forum was divided into six Working Commis:;ions: I . Communi!y and Autonomy. Indigenous Rights 2. lnd1genous Culture 3. Indigenous Education 4. Condnion, Rights. and Culture of lndtgcnous \\~men 5. lnd1gcnous Peoples and Mediums of Comtnumcntion 6. Polhical Represcntmion and Panicipauon of lnd1genous Peoples It was 1he first 11me that the Zapatis1as met with 1ndigenous representatives from most of 1hc 57 Indigenous nations m Mexico. numberIng today approximately 14 m1lhon. In the Rcsoluuons. n>ost of the delcgmes expressed strong support for Autonomous Indigenous Regions as well as the need 10 ha,·e • pcnn3nent forum to d1scuss lnd1gcnous 1ssucs. Another resolution that came out of the Forum was 10 demand that the go"emmtnl and congress reinstate anicle 27 of the CollSiitution in order 10 ensure that communal lands woni be sold 10 outSiders. Also. the Forum proposed 10 change st\'ernl other an1cles of the Conslitution wnh aim to create a plun· nauonal state adapted 10 the many pueblos thm hvc in Mexico toda)' Margarita Guti~rrez. N3nhu from the SIOI< ofH1dalgo and one of the coordinators of ANIPA. spoke poshivcly of 1he evem ...Thas is a great Forum because u has united grassroots lnd1gcnous Represcmall,·es. and engaging in dialogue wilh the f:ZLN com- manders helps tO have an underst..1ndmg of the cuhures and problems we are facing. Also. the faet that m the EZLN women ha"e full panicipauon is very poshivc. \Ve hnvc to mnkc :m intenlnl revolution f.rst which is 10 allow women 10 p.1n1c1pate fully m all dect- SIOn-making processes... ,a Peace Accord Signed by EZLN and M exican Government ""J'"he EZLN and the Me>cican state agreed on a preliminary I peace agreement on Februaty 16th Ill the Chiapas town of San Andres Larrainzar. It was agreed that lndogeoous rights must be stated in the constitution: that Indigenous pol1bcal participation and representation be widely broadened: that just.ce be guaranteed to Indigenous peoples: that Indigenous cultural expression be supported: and that Indigenous peoples receive support for the creation of their own educational systems. . The peace agreement comes alte< the roundtable of negotoatiOn from January 10· t 8 in San Andres Sacamch ·en de los Pobres. where the two factions agreed to re-define the relationship between the state and Indigenous peoples. ex establish pnooples and components lex the construction of a ·new soctal contract.· in whiCh Indigenous peoples participate as full members of society. all 'lloithln the context of a ·profound reform of the state.- 34 By far the most s1gnifteant advance of the negotiations are the mocltfications to the Mexican constitution. namely the recognit1on of indigenous peoples' righ t to self-determination and autonomy. This comes alter an initial stance of complete reject1on of the even the mentton of the word • self-deterrn1natoon.- However. due to political pressures. the need to re-establish M exico's Image of stability as seen from abroad . and a negotiated definition of the nature of autonomy. the government conceded. What is the nature of the ·Autonomy" granted to Indigenous peoples after this Initial round of agreements? Autonomy was declared at the ·communal" level. which 1S a far cry from the Indigenous vision of distinct and proper temtorial. juridical. and political entitles. This point will no-doubt be contested In negotiating sessions to come. �ORGANIZA TIO N AND COM M UNIC ATIO N OAS Drafts Inter-American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Recently, the Organization of American States <OASJ distributed a rough draft of a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. On February 27-28, 1996, the IACHR (see below) of the OAS organized a reunion in Guatemala in which Indigenous leaders critiqued the declaration. The initial May deadline for receiving the input of Indigenous people has been indefinitely postponed, so there is time to unify Indigenous voices into one to modify the Declaration. For this, Indigenous peoples must come together in inter-regional meetings. SAIIC encourages the OAS to go further, as the Draft Declaration falls short of meeting the aspirations of Indigenous peoples for their collective rights. Despite addressing key problems Faced by Indian communities, the paternalistic dominance of national ideology pervades the document, leaving Indigenous peoples in a subaltern position of entities somehow "protected" by nation-states. In what follows, we present excerpts from the Draft Declaration. he present draft has been approved by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (lACHR) of the OAS for consultation about its tex.l with Governments, indigenous T organizations. other interested institutions and experts. On the basis of their answers and comments. the IACHR will prepare its final proposal to be presented to the General Assembly of the OAS. Section One. 'Indigenous Peoples' An. 1. Definition. 3. The usc or the term · peoples" in this lnstnunent shall not be construed as having any implication with respect to any other rights that might be attached 10 that term in international law. Section Two.' Human Rights• Art. II . Full observance o r human rights 3. The States also recognize that the indigenous peoples are entitled 1 collective rights insofar as they are indispensable 10 0 the enjoyment of the individual human rights of their members. Accordingly they recognize the right of the indigenous peoples 10 collective action, to their cultures, 1 profess and 0 practice their spiritual beliefs and 10 usc their languages. Art. V. No fo rced assimilation. The States shall not take any action which forces indige· nous peoples to assimilate and shall not endorse any theory, or engage in any practice, that imports discrimination, dCSintC· tion of a culture or the possibility of the extermination of any eth nic group. Section Three. Cultural Development Art. XVI. Indigenous Law. 1. Indigenous law is an integral part of the States' legal sys· tern and of the framework in which their social and economic d evelopment takes place. 2. Indigenous peoples are entitled to maintain and reinforce their indigenous legal systems and also 10 apply them to matters within their communities, including systems pertainVol. 10 No. 1 ing 10 ownership of real property and natural resources, resolution of conflicts within and between indigenous communi· ties. crime prevention and law enforcement. and maintenance of internal peace and harmony. Section Five. Social, Economic. and Property Rights 5. In the event that ownership of the minerals or resources of the subsoil pertains 10 the State or that the State has rights over Other resources on the lands, the governments must establish or maintain procedures for the panicipation of the peoples concerned in determining whether the interests of these people would be adversely affected and 10 what extent, before undertaking or authorizing any program for tapping or exploiting existing resources on their lands. The peoples concerned shall panicipate in the benefits of such activities, and shall receive compensation in accordance with international Jaw. for any damages which they may sustain as a result of such activities. Art. XX. lntellcclllal propeny rights. I. Indigenous peoples shall be entitled 10 recognition of the full ownership, control and protection of such intellectual propeny rights as they have in their cultural and artistic her· itage. as well as special measures to ensure for them legal sta· 1us and institutional capacity to develop, use, share, market and beque.~th, that heritage on to future generations. 2. Where circumstances so warrant, indigenous peoples have the right 10 special measures 10 control, develop and protect, and full compensation for the usc of their sciences and technologies, including their human and genetic resources in general, seeds, medicine. k nowledge of plant and animal life, original designs and procedures. Section Six. General P-rovisions An. XXIV. Nothing in this instrument shall be construed as granting any rights 10 ignore boundaries between States. September 19. 1995. 35 �ORGANIZATION AND C O MMUNI C ATION Conrlnued from pase 21 ABYAYALA NEWS BACK ISSUES! <Back issues are available in both Spani s h and Engli s h for $3 each plus shipping. Before 1993, the journal w as called SAIIC N ewslette r .) 0 State Frontiers and Indian Nations Vol. 9 No.1, Spnng 1995: :l II Continental Encounter o f Includes: • Ecuador-Peru Border War • InterVIew Leonardo Yoteri • Mexoco's Domestic and International Borders <not available in Spanish); Also includes: • Od Companies Take Over the Ecuadorian Amazon • Free Trade's Assault on lndogenouS Roghts 0 Confronting Bloeo1onlallsm Vol. 8. No. 4. Winter 1994: Includes: • The Human Genome Dtversity Proje<:t • Safeguarding Indigenous Knowledge • The Guaymi Patent • Biodiversity and Community Integrity 0 Indian Movements and The Electoral Process Vol. 8. No. 3, Fall 1994: Includes: • MeXICO: Indigenous Suffrage Under Protest • Bolivia: Reconstructing the Ayllu • Guatemala: Maya PolotiC81 Crossroads • Colombia: Spe<:ial Indian Oistricting :l Chiapas: Indigenous Upris ing with Campeslno Demands? Vol. 8. Nos. I & 2. Summer I 994: Includes: • M aya Identity and the Zapatista Upnsing • Chronology of Events • Indigenous and Campesino Peace Proposals • Interview woth AntoniO Hernandez Cruz of CIOAC Indigenous Peoples Vol. 7. Nos. 3 & 4. Winter t99 3 0 1993 Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples Vol. 7. Nos. t & 2. Winter/Spring 1993: Includes: • UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights • Statement of Indigenous Natoons at the UN 0 Exclusive Interviews with Four Indian Leaders Vol. 6, No. 4. Fall t 992: Interviews: • Miqueas Mollares. AIOESEP <Perul • Mateo Chumu·a. Guaroni <Bolivia) • Margarito Ruiz, FIPI <Mexico) • Callxta Gabriel. Kaqchikel Maya <Guatemala) 0 M arch on Quito: Amazon Indians Demand t o be Heard Vol. 6. No. 3 . Spring & Summer t992 <not avaolable on Spanosh) Also oncludes: • Interview with President of ONIC (Colomboal • CCN::; llloeelrg n I<Lra YdEI <F\nm)} 0 News from Around the Continent Vol. 6. Nos. t & 2. Spring & Summer t 991: Includes: • Pehuenche Organizing Pays Off <Chile) • South and Central American Women's Gathering <Peru) What has been tht response or people in the cities or Brazil? Arc they aware or the situation? I think thnt there 1S some acuvity. There 1S talk or Ollpnizing a pi'Oiest on Brastloo. When there is money to bring 300-400 lndinns to Brasilia, there is always liule time to plan. Wh :11 iS th e Situation regarding th e COil• struction of lhc go,•ernment dam on the Cotingo Rh·er? The conStnoction of the dam was suspended. and electricuy ,v;n be brought m from Venezuela inslcad. But. we don\ know what '"'" happen later on. Is the border area heavily militarized? The nnluary is on Nonnandoa and B.S. They want to build a town, and they keep coming through the area. helping the r:mchcrs, bummg an lndoan home here and there. l-low about in Indigenous areas? Calha None included a base withm R. ~)l05.'l1Serr.l do Sol. but they don\ ha,•e money to build it yet The molitary has declared nstlr agaonst demarcation of Indian lands. and suppons loc\11 interests. They built a blocklde on the only road that hnks the crues "ith the malocas, and assened the right to search entering Indians to intamidate them. Arc Indian lands subject to organized invasions by large c:ompanic-S. or Sm:\ll landless rarmcrs a.nd miners? The larger economiC intcre.sls howe plans to get into the area. They '""nt to get the miners out, so they can come in. But . we don\ want anyone to come m. "!' Send fax<$ to Prtsitlent Fmrando Henrlqut <Ardoso .,Jorrg him (0 guarantee riot dtnurre<l· Iron of lnd1gcnou.$ areas 1n Brazil, and to re\'oJ~r Ow<e1775: Htnro~ <Ardow. Prrso<knt of the Rcrmbli<, Palddo do rtanallo, Brasilia - 01' 70.160-900, fax: 55-61-226-7566. <mail: Frrnando pr@cr-df.mp.br A'r>[a Yala News �ORGANIZ A TION AND COMMUNICA T I ON • URACCAN Offers Degree 1n Indigenous Rights "For more than five centuries others have spoken For us. Today we want to begin to speak with our own voices on this October 12. when we commemorate once more the history of resistance of Indigenous peoples of the A merican Continent and as we launch a Degree Course in Indigenous Rights in our own university ''- URACCAN, the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua W American ith that invocation to the more than 500 years of Indigenous resistance on the Continent, Dr. Mlrna Cunningham, Rector of the new univer· sity URACCAN, began her address inaugurating a degree course in Indigenous Rights-a speech that showed that this new post-secondary educational institution in Nicaragua is dedicated to take the forefront of the struggle to defend and extend the rights of the Caribbean Coast peoples. Above all. URACCAN will be innovative and open 10 serve the real needs of the Caribbean Coast mosaic of minority peoples--Miskito, Sumu, Rama, Garlfuna, Blacks-who have been historically marginalized and oppressed by the Nicaraguan state. It will also reinforce the autonomous status of the Caribbean Coast area of Nicaragua by forming local experts in the fields of natural resource management who can prevent the exploitation of coastal resources by outside forces. The degree course in Indigenous Rights, inaugurated in 6ilwi (Puerto Cabezas), capital of the RAAN (North Atlantic Autonomous Region), is supponed and financed by a coalition composed of the internal budget of URACCAN , the Nicaraguan state, and International NGOs. It is a Bachelor level diploma that will be recognized as a basis to enter Master or Doctoral level degree courses in Nicaragua. The URACCAN Depanment supervising this course is headed by Y Zapata; coursuri es will be taught by Or. Hazel Lau, a well known Miskito leader and lawyer. · w e are merely demanding," Cunningham assened, ·a fundamental Vol. 10 No.1 right for Indigenous peoples and ethnic communities of the Caribbean Coast...our systematic and effective participation in the development of our own educational program.· The national educational system and national uni- versities. she says. have "'no roots in our culture and thus (cannot( respond to the urgent problems of our communities.ot Mirna Cunningham is well known as a continental Indigenous leader. In 1992 she presided the work of convoking and assembling the Third Continental Encounter of Indigenous. Black, and Grassroots Resistance. held in Managua. She is a member of the Nicaraguan Parliament representing the Pueno Cabezas (6ih,1) region. She is also one of the principal architects of the autonomy process rhar led the Sandinista government in 1987 to enact the Autonomy Law, a Constitutional provision that recognized autonomous status for the north and south Caribbean Coast regions. Indigenous peoples on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast face severe marginalization. Unemployment in the RAAN is now around 90%, and for the RAAS (South Arlamic Autonomous Region) it is 70%. The Atlantic Coast area has the highest levels of mortality for early maternity: Three out of every four unemployed persons are women. and there is an increase in rape and abuse brought about by social decomposition and drug consumption. Francisco Cambell, who recently travelled to the US in se.1rch of fun her support for the program, spoke eloquently of URACCAN's historical place in the lives of the 61ack and Indigenous peoples of the coast. "The Autonomy Process was the greatest historical shift from the liberal. nationalist ideology that to be Mesri~o and Catholic is the only legitimate form of belonging and identity. Now, the peoples of the region say, 'We will bui1d our university.'" The establishment of an Indigenous Rights curriculum will further the autonomy process in the Atlantic Coast region by giving local peoples the educational training necessary to build the juridical framework for the reclaiming of rhe native econom)• and political system . In addition, the program ' viii do this in a way that respects the various cultural expressions presem on the Caribbean coast: "'unity in diversity,'" which must also integrate the cosmovision of the Black Caribbean community. It will also decentralize the whole process of education, taking students into coastal communities for work~ shops. seminars, and open-ended, participatory sessions. The course, however, is offered only on the Bil"1 campus, which will favor Miskitos over Sumus because of its location. Hence the need to open another program in the Bonanza region to the benefit of the Sumu communities. , . Adapted from a Courneyeur ltxl by Felipe Sruarr For informalion aboiu URACCAN conracr: URACCAN, Edificio El Carmen del Canal 4 112c. al sur. Managua, Nicaragua; Tel: 5052-682-143; Fax: 505-2-682-145; or fswan@uugare.uni.rain.ni; Fax: 505-2-682145 37 �ANNOUNCEMENTS A N 0 A o s Cultural Survival Canada: Research, Education, and Advocacy in Biocolonial Times round the world, Indigenous peoples ~rc the care· mals, and genetic material frorn biochversity rich regions. takers of sacred knowledge about the unity of all liv- ~nd of the associated knowledge-systems or indigenous ing things and life processes. fron1 genes. micro- peoples. Whether the Convention becomes a mechanism orgamsms and spectcs. to hu01an societies and the ecosys- for protecting indigenous peoples' nghts or a tool for tems m which we h\'C, These g•fts or the Crtator have entrenchtng boocolonoahsm will depend to a large extent on 0ns enabled our peoples to survive five centuries of colonialism the negotl:\l1 set to begin in November in Buenos Aires and to continue to nunurc an extraordinary diversity and where the Conference of the Parties to the CBD finally has richness of life. even within our n1uch dommished land Indigenous peoples' nghts on agenda base. Our sacred relauonship with Mother Eanh os also votal for hun1~nity as a whole as the world seeks ways to rebal· For more mformauon, please conrac1: ancc hum:m needs wi1h respect for the environment. Today, however, the gifts of the Creator ~rc under siege Culzural Surviwd Canada. International Coordinat111g Offtet. by corporations and governments auen1pung to make life lndigtnous Ptoplc.s' Biodo\'trsoty Nttwork OPBN) 30-1-200 lsab<lla itselr another form of pri\'ate propeny. Thos new wa\'e of Strw, Onawa, ON. Canada, KIS IV7 Phon<: 613·231·5361; colonialism seeks to open one ·Jast fromier'" for economic Fax: 613-2J7-1547: Emml: csc®wtb.OJ>C.org glob~hzation: the expropriation of our knowledge and the privatiz:uion of sacred plants. animals and our own genes. Cultural Survival Canada (CSC) os an autonomous ch.1r· itable organi:ation supponing lndogenous peoples' Struggles for sclf-deternunntion and territorial mtegrity. In the face of this new w~wc of coloninlism. we arc engaged in research, public education and advocacy around issues of biotechnology. intellectual property rights, and other aspects of the international trade on genes and Indigenous knowledge. CS Canada nlso suppons ad,·ocacy and capacol)'·building initiatives aimed at strengthening Indigenous peoples' ability to intervene m mtcrnmional fora where pohcoes on biocolomahsm are bemg shaped. A .. BUFf) Iii .r. COM Biodive rsity and Human Rights esc is working closely with indogenous peoples' org.•· nizatlons around the Fourth International Technocal Conference on Plant Genetic Resources of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Uepzig. Germany, June 1996). the FAO's Food Security Summit (November 1996. Rome), UNESCO's Imernationnl Bloethics Commi11ee and, critically, the next meeting of the signatones to the Conventoon on Boologocal Doversoty (CBD) (('10\'ember 1996, Buenos Aires). The CSD is a binding intergovernmental agreement rat· ified by 138 States. tncluding the ma;orit)' of stotes'" South and Meso America While the Convention does include some recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples O\'Cr our knowledge and mnovations. private and public inter· eSLs in the Nortl:l are clearly poised to usc the Convention as a fron1ework for expanded privatization of plants. ano38 -~~ on biological divc,..Ity Bullalo COmmons dclbut:s BlooOJonJallsm: u lo>l>alJut t:ma11: csc@web.apc.org. - Abya Yala -News �S A I I C 'News from SAIIC ••• incc our last journal in November of 1995, SAllC passed through a difficult period. which has slowed the publication of Abya Yala News. We apologize to our readers for this inconvenience. In spite of many S difficulties, our work with Indigenous peoples has continued on stronger than ever. \'~~le had numerous visitors. worked on many different campaigns. and stayed long hours to do it all. We are very pleased to announce that Amalia Dixon is now Director of SAllC. Amalia's experiences as a Miskita woman in the autonomous Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua have prepared her well for the rigors of the SAllC directorship. It is a pleasure to work with her. SAIIC is pleased to announce that Mariana Chuquin, a Quichua woman from Ecuador has joined us as member of the board of directors. Mariana is from the community of Mariano Acosta in the province of lmbabura. Mariana attended the Universidad del None in Ecuador as a single mother. She moved to the US in 1984. and now works in Social Services for the community of San Francisco's Tenderloin district, providing health, food. free shelter. clothing. counseling, and information resources. She has remained active in the Indigenous Movemem through il all. \Velcome, Matiana. Laura Soriano Morales, a MixteC· Zapotec woman from Oaxaca, Mexico, has joined SAIIC to coordinate and produce SAIIC's radio program. Laura is pan of the Binational Oaxac.an Indigenous Front, and has a long hisVol. 10 No.1 tOr)' of working in the Indigenous to this poil'll, we have taped a program on Biodiversity and Biopiracy for the purposes of informing Indigenous peoples of this new fom> of colonialism. The radio prosram also consists of a segment of news entitled "Indigenous Voices.· Radio programs are taped and distributed to over seventy different Indigenous radio stations and organizalions in L1.tin America. SAIIC welcomes David Rothschi ld as the new Administration and Project Coordinator. David graduated from the University of California. Santa Cruz, with a Major in Latin American Studies. David has worked with vari· ous Indigenous organizations in Ecuador including CONA IE. He is presently working on a book focusing on Biodiversity and Indigenous Intellectual Propert)' Rights, to be published in English and Spanish. In late October. we received the visit of j ose Jacir de Souza. long·timc Macuxi activist in Brazil. jacir extend· eel his speaking tour from the East Coast to the West. and had great success here in the Ba)' Area. We had the privilege of conducting an interview with him with the help of Leda Martins and Glenn Switkes. Between November and january. Gihon Mendes. an intern from Brazil, worked with SAIIC in developing closer solidarity ties with Indigenous organizations in the Brazilian Amazon. Gilton compiled key information on the changes in the Brazilian Indian land legal structures and also net· worked with and presented his work movement. Up to area activists. It was a pleasure hav· ing Gihon here working with us. SAIIC also received the visit of a Sami delegation (the Sami people are indigenm.1s to what is today Norway. Finland, Sweden, and parts of northern Russia). During their visit, we exchanged common experiences or fighting for territorial rights. issues of representation, and the struggle to pre.serve and manage the earthS natur* al resources. We thank them for com· ing to see us. Lastl)', we were luck)' enough to receive the v1s1t of Francisco Campbell . who is Vice-President of URACCAN. the Universit)' of the Autonomous Region of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. Francisco talked to SAIIC about this brand new initiative to provide Indigenous education and training to the Sumu. Miskito, Rama, and Garlfuna peoples in Nicaragua. Several people have left SAIIC since our last journal: Le ticia Valdez. And rew Bartle tt , Marc Becker, and Cher yl Musch .We take this opportunit)' to thank them for their warm dedication to SAIIC and wish thern the best in all their future endeavors. ABYA YALA NEWS 39 �ITEMS AVAILABLE FROM SAIIC Daughters of Abya Yala Testimonies of Indian women organizing throughout the Continent. Statements from grassroots Indian women leaders from South and Meso America. Includes resolutions from Indigenous women's meetings. a directory of Indian ~.>aJ women's organizations and key contacts. information on lndi'\)1 women's projects. and poems by Indian women. Contains 128 pages with beautiful black and white photographs. Printed on recy· cled paper. $8 + $3.00 shipping. · Video: A Skirt Full of Butterflies 15 minutes. A love poem to the Isthmus Zapotec women · of southern Oaxaca. Mexico. by filmmakers Ellen Osborne and Maureen Gosling. For every purchase made. a second copy will be sent to an Indigenous women's o~ganization as a gilt. $19.95 + $3.00 shipping. Video: Columbus Didn't Discover Us Native people's perspectives on the Columbus Quincentennial based on the footage of the 1990 Quito Conference. 24 minutes. A co-production of SAIIC. CONAIE. ONIC and Turning Tode Productions. Available in Spanish or English. $19.95 + $3.00 shipping. Amazonia: Voices from the Rainforest A resource and action guide with a comprehensive list· ing of international rainforest and Amazonian Indian organizations sponsored by SAIIC and the International Rivers Network. and published by Rainforest Action Network and Amazonia Film Project. 1990. Available in Spanish or English for $4.50 + $3.00 shipping. ·1992 International Directory & Resource Guide An annotated directory of over 600 international organizations that participated in 500 Years of Resistance projects. Includes declarations from Indigenous conferences and organizations and information on curriculum resources. speakers bureaus. computer networks. audio-visual .resources and print resources. $5.00 + $3.00 shipping. "Indigenous Voices" Radio Program SAIIC's latest taped radio program is now available. Focusing,on topics related to biodiversity and Indigenous peoples. it serves as an informative base with which Indigenous peoples can protect themselves against unwelcome bioprospecting and biopiracy. 1 hour. Narrated by members of SAIIC's Board of Directors. <Available in Spanish only) $8.00 + $3.00 shipping. South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) P.O. Box 28703, Oakland, CA 94604 Non-profit Organization US Postage PAID Oakland, CA Permit No. ?9 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no 1 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Issue 1 Language English Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 10 Pages 1-40 Abstract Note Entire issue https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/8025a887636d9d13b5eb2b450a8b47fc.pdf 5ada909f0d314d6e644352d851343333 PDF Text Text JOURNA OF 1HE SouTH AND MESO ~ INDIAN RIGHTsFENTER (SAIIC) VOLUME 10, NUMBER 11 SPRING 1996 PRICE Orn@JB PEOPlES OF $4.00 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Cover Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title COVER PAGE Item Type Journal Article Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 1 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p1.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note Cover page https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/f58d40d058de3fe07cc0f25e957ed291.pdf eff9035a41ea4cbe39a6d0728d62d99b PDF Text Text Abya Yala News \\~ ( ONTENTS Editors: SAIIC Soard or O:r«tors )ovmal COO<'dinaboo & 1.4)'001; Gilles Combrisson Copy EditO<S: SAJJC Staff ~." SAIIC Staff Oire<tor:Amalia Dixon Administrative COOc"d'JAator: David Rothschild )oconal COO<dinato" Gilles ComMsson Radio Progtam Coord'onator: uuta Soriano Morales t.:1bral)' Cootdlnator: Katia Terrett Editorial . .. ......... ." ....... . .. .. ... . . ... .3 . ,, ln"Br~e~.. . •. ., .. .... . ..... . ........ ...... . . . . .4 ~ t • ' ~ ...,..,_ . lndigenau s Women Organizing SAIIC Board of Directors Two Watershed Encounters il) Mexico ............6 Interview llllitb -q~ Maria de Jesus Hernandez ..8 Aetivist \ The Right to Love and P-olitics .. : . . ...... . . .... 10 ' 7 ' '·· Commentary o.n s eiJiflg . . , . . : .. . . .... . ..... .. 13 Empowering Native Wom~n in Central A. ierica ... 14 n " . .. 'I SpectaI Sectton on/!Brazt ' "Urn :leito de Veelos" .... .. .... -'... .... ~- , ..-16 Decree 1f77-5 .. .... ............ . ~· -~~ -- .. , .. 18 lnteniiew w ith Jacir Jose de Souza ........ -~ ... , ' ~' \ -. d. Se If Detern . ;unatton 31n Temtory Mariana Chuqufn ( oichua·&uador) GuiD•rmo Oefgad<i Que<hua-8o1Ma) Carlos Maibell'• lM•sl<ito-Nicaragua) Gina Pacaldo (San Canos Aj)ache·Chicana) Marcos Yoc (Maya-Kaqchil<cl-Guatcmala) Subscriptions: Yala News (ISSN 1071·3182) is P<lblished quar· in English ar.d Spanish. It is available fCX' an annual $ ~rsooal membership. $15 low-income subscription. $25 fot Indigenous/social jvstice non·~fits. $40 institutions. For Canada and Mexk.o add $5. ror all othcf' ifltemational membef'sh1ps, add $10.Your dona· lions help us send the joumal r~ ., Spanish tO Indigenous organizations in the South. l'lb: ~...,,, Wara Aldet¢te (Calchaqui-!'-rgentina) Alejond'o Ama.-u Atgl)med<> (Qvechua·Penl) Nilo Ca)'\i.quto (M~uthe-AtltCotina) ' We wclcome submissions of -attides. lctte.'S, pho- tograohs and relevant in~tion. l<!tt..-s and articles may be ed~ed for length ~ ~ ' - access to a computer. ~ send )'O!J"article on paper and on an Awle compatible 3 In. •nch disk s.tld all c~e t<Y. 1 P.o.~9a604, USA Ss7o3 0 aldand, lnlervie)N w ith Jose Maria Cabascango ..........22 , The Survival of N'atilie ~merican t:anguages .... ..~5 Environment ~ 2 3 ~H~JM~.r.42~ e·mast sa.u'-":!Pgc.apc.Of8 We YfOU)d lik~ to OJ~aniZJtiOOS !lw>k the following indMduals and for the1r generoos ass.stan<e to Abya Indigenous Conferences Reject Hidrovia . ... .. ...28 Biobio Update: State Grants Concession . . ... . . . .30 Billy R. Trice Human Rights Shannon Wright. Christi:t'\f! Halverston. Alfonso lararnil!o. and Dan ~r. SpectaJ thanks to Viclae Coca/eras March jn l a Paz .. ... . .. .. . ... .... ..31 Argentina: Kolla t' WYer Challenges Prejudice .....32 a l'ilamandu: An Evicted Community in Argentina ...33 Organization an d Communication Mexico: EZlN Calls for· Indigenous Forum ........34 EZlN-Government Negotiations .. ... . . . .... ...34 OAS Declaration .. . .. . ............... .... ...35 URACCAN Offers Degree in Indigenous law .. . . ..37 Announcements and Ads ... .... . . .... ...38 SAIIC News . . . . . ....... ... . . ... .. . . .... ..39 Yala Ne-ws: Jr.. uu.-a Soliano. Stefaro Va.'<'C, G!enn SWitkes. Ricardo Hueroa Katia Torreli. Marcia Campos. Wa.'d and Judith Su-onadl. Th.'1111<s to all the ~le and organ;zat•ons who sent us t~.eir greetings for the """' yWi 9~nlzations: Amerindl3 /Spain). CEDIS (8oi~Nia . DoGp ($1Nitzer1and). lndiansK Me<JiescntCf' (Notway , Grur>9 Rarumanta (\..ISA). Rainforest Action Net (USA). T!PI (Norway-Spa!n). Bin•gulam Magazine. Publicatioos: NAORP (UC Oav;s. USA). Presencia I.Fteraria (BoiMa). Revista Ojarasca (Mexico). NACLA (USA). Hoy (La Paz). Than1cs to the following foundations fO<" !heir gene.-ous support: john D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. General Service Foundation. Public W•lfare foondation. Judith Sb-onadl Fund of the Vanll).$'d Public Foundation. Foundation for Deep Eco!og)< SAIIC Rei>"'S<'ntatives abroad: juan Scba•ti.!n Lata (Spain). Rafael ~umedO (G<!rmany)..Aiejandro Argomedo (Cinada). and Susan O'Oonelf (WaJils). • ~ Yala is the Kuna word (or whkh includes all of the A.meficas. cover Photos: Dick Bancro~. Glen Switkes, Nilo Cayuqueo Continent of life Indexed: Memativc Pn:m Index. Ethn1c News Watch. SAIIC is located at 1714 Ftant<l'"' Street. ),yj Floor. OakiM<I. CA 94612. Please send all comspondence to the P.O. Box addre<• above. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Table of Contents Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Table of Contents Item Type Journal Article Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p2 .pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note Table of contents https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/56569bd097f18389a14e25301ee792dc.pdf 0cc921d0a9417efdc33aa066b7760771 PDF Text Text ANNO U NCEM E NTS AND A DS Cultural Survival Canada: Research, Education, and Advocacy in Biocolonial Times A round (he world, Indigenous peoples nrc the care· tnkcrs of sacred knowledge nbom the unity of all livIng things and life processes. from genes. micro· orgamsms and spectcs, to human societies nnd the ecosystems m which wt hve. These gtfts of the Cre01or h:t\'C enabled our peoples tO survive ftve centuries of colonialism and to continue to nurture an cxtmordinary diversity and richness of life. even within our much dlm>mshed land bGsc. Our sacred rclauonship with MO(htr Eanh >S also '""I for humanity as a wholt as the world seeks w3)'S to rebal- mals. and genetic motorial from bo ocllvcrsity roch regions, nnd of the associated knowledge-systems of indigenous peoples. Whether the Convention becomes a mechanism for protecung lndogenous peoples' nghts or a tool for cntrendnng b>ocolontallsm will depend to a large exlent on the negotlattons set tO bcgon in November in Buenos Aires where the Conference of the Parties to the CBD finttlly has Indigenous peoples' nghts on agenda For more anjormm1on, pleast comact; ance humnn need!io wnh respect for the environrncnt. 'fodny, however, the gifts of the Creator art under siege Cultw·al Sunlval Canada, lntmuttional Qlordinathog Ojffu. b)' corporotions and go''tmmcnts attempting to make hfe lndig<noou Proples' Biodi\Wily Ntl\,ork GPBN) 30-f-200 15ab<l/a itself anO(htr form of plivate propeny. This new wave of Strut. Ottawa. ON. Canada. KIS /Vl Phone 6JJ.2J7-S36J: colonmhsm seeks to open one "lnst fronucr· for ccononuc FDX: 613-2J7-IS47: Emaol cse@wcb.apc.arg globahzation: the expropriation of our knowledge and the privatlzn.tion of sacred plants. nnlmnls and our own genes. CulturJI Survivol Canad3 (CSC) ban autonomous charuable org3nization supponmg Indigenous peoples· struggles for self-determmntion and territorial integrity. In the face of this new wnvc of colonialism. we ore engaged in rcscarth, public educ:nion and oclvo.:acy around Issues of biotechnology. intellectual propeny rights. and other aspects of the intcmnuonaltrode tn genes and Indigenous knowledge. CS Canada also sup pons advocacy and capaC>· ty·bUJiding initiatives aimed m strcngthemng Indigenous peoples' ability to Intervene tn tmernauonal fora where polocoes on biocoloniallsm are bcmg shaped Biodive rsity and Human Rights CSC b worklng closely with Indigenous peoples' o~a­ nizatlons around the Founh lntcrn.1uonal Techntcal Conference on Plant Genctk: Resources of the Food ond Agriculture OrgamtntH)Il (FAO) {l.iepzig. Germony. J une 1996). the FAO's Food Security Summit (November J 996, Rome). UNESCO's lmemationnl Bia<thics Committee and, eriticall). the next meeting of the signatories to the Convcnuon on Blologocal Diver,,ty {CBD) (('lo,·cmbcr 1996, Buenos Aires). The CBD is a binding inte~overnmental agreement rot· ified by 138 states, including the majority of states In South and Meso AmeriCil While the Convention dots include some recognition of the rights C)( lndigenou• lleoples over our knowledge and innovations. private and public inter· ests '" the North are clearly poosccl to usc the Convcnuon as. fromework for exp.•nded privmization or plants, ani· 38 lit ~ r. lit BuF~ COM .. .. -~ ..: N ew n-o m t. U.Uurnl " on biological dlvcNJIIy Bu ffalo Commons dclbut:s Write to CS Caned a. t:mall: ~veb . apc.ol'l(. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Cultural Survival Canada: Research, Education, and Advocacy in Biocolonial Times Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Cultural Survival Canada: Research, Education, and Advocacy in Biocolonial Times Item Type Journal Article Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 38 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note The gifts or the Creator, which many indigenous groups admire are endanger in today's society. These gifts have enabled indigenous peoples to survive five centuries of colonialism and to continue to nurture an extraordinary diversity and richness of life. But today the gifts of the Creator are under siege by corporations and governments attempting to make life itself another form of private property. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p38.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Biocolonial Times Canada Human Rights https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/19348addcaad0aa0abab3eef8e32d669.pdf fec3203c33313d1784ce8dcf907dbf56 PDF Text Text ED I TORIAL n light of the recent Fourth Womcns World Confere1tcc In Beijing. and the intemational aucntioll thnt is l>ei11g focused on womcns issues, we dedicate this Issue to Indigenous women. in the context of the Beijing conference nnd the International Decade or Indigenous Peoples cclebnlled by the Umted Nations. Indigenous women rOISC the or VOIC· es froon oil nauons. peoples. org.>.nizations. n11d communities 3nd call for the respect or Mother Ennh. hfe. territory. S<!lfdetermonation, and communal intellectual rights Through th1s calling. lndig,enous women also seek to gather forces for a better conscrvouon of Indigenous philosoph}~ the ethical, ~helle. and spiritual values contained In the \'lSton of our 3nastors. Women. ~long with giving binh to the new geocrauons, are the guardians and thoS<! responstblc for tmnsmittlng. devclopmg, nnd protecting the ,,.lues whtch ldcnufy us as peoples. This is why womtn have pb}'l:d such an tmponam role In histoncal struggles for life, although tl\,1l role is utmost never acknowledged. I In the llet)mg conference, despite the lomued a=ss for our vooees, we lndogenous wom<n mode n dcclnmtlolltO the mternmional community in which we e.'pressed our opposulon to all forms of social injusttce. and •11 types of violence and discrunm:UJon which aJTect our communhies. \\)t denounced the re-colonization and the thre:n to Lhe ccologicol equilibrium in our communities, which under the name or glob31iuuon. creates conditions for wenlthy n"tions to once a~,tnin 1m•nde our territories to exploit the resources that, thus fnr. we have managed to prese"·c. We spoke out against accords ond entuies such as GATT and the World Tmde o ,·gnnizntion {WTO), which help create the Instruments for the approprlntion nnd privntlzmion of our communal lntcllecwal J >fOJl<ny. We denounc-ed the "pirating• of ancestrnl resources by tmnsnnuonol companies in this age of ·ncolibcrahsm." Under such models. our value.• ond comnmnal exchange practices wllll><.>come a thJng of the past, substottued w'llh the greed required by the rules of the free Market. We are cvcu witnessing the appropriation of our genetic inhcrit:tnce, under the name of the Human Genome Oovershy Project In the mean ume. our rivers, the oir we bre.uhc. ;~nd the lond we live on are continuously fouled, leading to the slow death o( out Mother Eanh. In the: cffon to sustmn our families. we ha>-e had to tncorponue non·lndigtnOUS ways. but we strive to ~m:un in harmon}' wtth the em1ronmem. We choose ~onsclously to sllmubte those economiC octi\Ottts that strengthen our peoples. underst>nding that out communities depend mainly on lr.ldluonol systems of productiOn like fishing. hunung. famtl)•agnc-uhure, ond small cnfts enterprises. The moventcnt of Indigenous \\'Omen toda)' confronLS all $OilS of senous threatS as it places itself in the path of powerful nnd d~ructivc forces. It is uti:ent, considcnng the cttrrent sttualion. to develop better methods of communtcation between Indigenous women so as to cwrdinatc effective action.< in the defense of our peoplts. Along with this, our double. vital role ns reproducers and preservers of our people must be strengthened. Faced 'vith this histolical, trnnscen· dcmal nliSSIOn. we shou1d seek inspirnlion and wisdom m our ancestors ror our journey to the ncx1 millennium. \Ve should look for strength, coumge, and detennination m the future, which is the future of our communities. organiza· tlons, and our peoples. and their right to exist in dignity. In this issue, In which Indigenous and non-Indigenous women have conrributed anicles, we explore the \\'O}'S that Indigenous women have participated in the broader Indian movemcnLS in Latin America. the spcctnc org.1n1Zntions and programs that h:ove focused on women:S needs and activities. and. by means of interviews. the pomt of view of notive women thc:mseJ,-es; how they envision their role on n.111\·e and notional society, and the hardships they must endure when they try ond change those roles. SAIIC ll«vd of OtrectoTS Vol. 10 No.1 -3 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Editorial Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Board of Directors SAIIC Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Editorial Item Type Journal Article Author Board of Directors SAIIC Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 3 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note In light of the recent Fourth Women's World Conference In Beijing and the international attention that is focussed on women's issues this issue of Abyayala News focuses on women's issues that specifically concern indigenous women. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p3.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Editorial https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/3c4932b78e4f3ed63b13d07a5930f2fa.pdf 6ede06ef579a625b15a3dc17e08de642 PDF Text Text H u MAN RIGHTS - Namandu: A Guarani Community Pays a Heavy Price for a National Park in Misiones,Argentina O n the lOth of October, 1995. ftelds-<\11 of which were ready for bar- soon after mid-day, a group of vest. Soon the men ret\lrned from the uniformed. amted men from the Body of Park Wardens of the Ministry of Ecology and Nawral Resources of the Government of Misiones entered the Mby'~ Guarani community of Namandu-Arroyo Azul and destroyed its dwellings and nearby fields. The motive for the attack remains unknown. but it is widely believed that it was due to the political interests associated with the creation of the Provincial Park of CuM Pi<U. and the broader governmental plans to bring tourism to the area. The area of Namand(t is located in the eastern end of the valley of CuM Pi<U, in the center of the province of Misioncs of nonheastem Argentina. 1t is <:overed 'vith virgin rainforest and is one of the last undeveloped areas of the ParaM-Misiones Forest. It is also sacred to the eleven Mby'a Guarani communities that live there. The three commttnities of Namandti (Arroyo Azul. Namandu and TamMdua-1) are conSidered the guardians of the sacred area. Only four women. the children. and the elderly were present in the village when the unifo.m1ed men anived say· ing that, in the name of the government. they had to withdraw from the provincial park immediate!)< The women responded in Guarani Mby'tt that they would wait until the men returned. When the women refused to accompany them om of the park, the officials broke into the dwellings, threw otu all of the belongings. and destroyed all of the dwellings in the community, including the "House of Prayer" (Opy). Then the.y destroyed the communitys Vol. 10 No.1 forest with food and found their community completely destroyed . They quickly sought refuge in nearby villages. On the 12th of October, with the help of Other chiefs, the members of Namandt\-Arroyo Azul wrote a letter to Lorenzo Ramos. leader of the Counsel of Caciques (chiefs) of the GuaranJ People. They stated that. · we are J 3 aboriginal L1milies that. for a long time. have lived on this forest. Eight of our families ha,·e been evicted: fony people, old and young... Today we arc thrown out into the streets and we sleep in the forest and don't have anything to eat. The children are gelling sick and us poor mothers and fathers. we don\ know what to do with them because we "This in an incident that does not deseNe all the expensive 'hoopla· that has been made ov.er it. •· -Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources abandoned our houses and the fields of manioc and wheat . \Ne are suffering.. . We do not know what will happen .. . We do not know why we were evicted ... Although the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources did not accept the (esponsibility for the events of Nainandti and stated. "This in an incident that does not deserve all the expensive 'hoopla' that has been made over it," in November a court case ensued during which an ·apology" was issued. The Counsel of Caciques of the Guarani People continue to pressure the local and national governments and arc demanding that a Community Indigenous Territory in the name of the Guarani be created out of the Provincial Park, Ku Pi<U. that would be pan of the Natural Culturnl Reserve. '1l Ple<~se show your Sttpport for tlte Guara11f people by writing I<IW~ demanding: · that du~ governmeru rt pair the ttamagcs they have ir1cun~d m1d d1at the wardens be madt legally n:SI>Onsiblc in a court cjlaw; - "'1'1"'" of tltc rt/p<e$1 cf the Ctwranr communities of K« t>inl that their ltmd II< denwr('ated fn a CommuniLy Indigenous Territory of 12,000 hwarcs; - the re-establishment of Law 2435 that IU· ogni.te.s tile Gtutranf People. and d1eir polid· cal, social. economic., a11d cultuml systems, and grants them relative. autonomy: Sr. Cab<mador de Ia Provinda de Misiones. Don Fc<lerico RamOn Pucna, Casa dtl Cobicmo, 3300 Posadas. Argcmina; Tel: 54- 752-31183 Sr. Pn:sfdcmt de Ia Nadon, Dr. Carlos 5. Menem, Casa de Gol>icmo, 8/lkan:e 50. 1000 Buenos ;\ires; Argentina; fax: 54-1331-6376; Tel: 54-1·343-3051 Sr. P~<sidente Mision~. de Ia C<lmara de Dip«tados cle Don Hector Caballero, Palacio Ltgislativo, h·anoswl<y 1950, 3300 Posadas, Argentina; fax: 54-i52-39193 For more irifonnalion contact the Centro Mocovi "lalel1 lav'a: CasU/a de Como 36, 2728 Mel!nwt (Prov. de Santa Ft). Argentina; Td: ()4) 0465·99015; fax: (51) 0465-99197. 33 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Namandu:A Guarani Community Pays a Heavy Price for a National Park in Misiones,Argentina Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Namandu:A Guarani Community Pays a Heavy Price for a National Park in Misiones,Argentina Item Type Journal Article Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 33 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note Armed men from the Body of Park Wardens of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Government of Misiones entered the Mby'a Guarani community of Namandu-Arroyo Azul and destroyed its dwellings and nearb fields with no known motive. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p33.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Argentina Namandu-Arroyo National Park Rainforest https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/da7813addbb1cf8f40e01436d061717f.pdf 2634457c63e718c34bb5dc555b5d52cd PDF Text Text _ _ _ _ _ __,'-"- l,_,__,"---'- T E R M I N A T I 0 N S E_, F 0 E A N 0 T E RRI T0 RY The Survival and Revival of Native American Languages The disappearance of Indigenous languages. although a deeply disturbing and ever accelerating trend, has received little national or international attention. Under enormous stress from a variety of sources. the Native people of this continent appear unable to halt the rapid erosion that is washing away a central strand of human identity. Not only are languages disappearing. but with them unique world-views and philosophies. The negative consequences of this loss of cultural. spiritval. and intellectual diversity will become more apparent as the spiritual and intellectual barrenness of the modern world more fully reveals itself. By Alexander Ewen and Jeffrey Wollock The Problem T he study or Native languages, anthropological linguistics. was developed under lhe ass\.tmption that Indigenous languages were doomed. hs main task has been to record languages (or posterity. This is imponant. but it is not enough. Toda)' there is glowing resolve to put a brake on this process: the Indigenous culmres and their traditions are too import~nt. For their survival, the languages must also continue. As a stuffed and mount· ed specimen can give little sense or the live animal it once was, so dry texts and even t~pcs are no substitute for living languages. These are not museum pieces. they are themselves living libraries, windows on worlds that can· not be replaced. The loss or language diver.;ity is a global trend. It has been estimated that, at current rates, the 5,500 currently living langu.,ges will be reduced in a century or two to just n few hundred.! American Indian languages have been especially hard hit. Indeed, o£ the worlds languages that are considered nearly extinct, over one quarter are Indigenous languages in the United States. At the time of Columbus, at least 300 lndigen.o us languages were being spoken in what is now the United Vol. 10 No.1 States.2 Today there are only 148 and, of those. one third have fewer than 100 fluent speakers and are consi.dered near exlinction. More ominous. 32 native languages have 10 or fewer speakers and are in critical danger or becoming extincl within the next few years) The percentage of Native-language It is estimated that 80% of all Canadian and United States Indian languages are in a similar process or d)1ng out." Few national governments are doing anything effective to reverse these patterns. For example, the United States has a strong commitment to bilingual education, yet the manner in which it is speakers in the various communities taught is almost useless in preventi-ng varies enonllOUSl)< While over 350,000 Native people, or one in six. speak their language, almost three-founhs or these come from fewer thar\ a dozen Native nations or groups o£ nations. and more than a third of the Indigenous-language languages from disappearing. There are many Indian communities that have successfully resisted the glob· al trend. Some, such as the Hualapai and the Utes. have long had vigorous and effective language progmms. Recent speakers in this country are Navajo. While Indigenous languages are threatened in other countries in the Americas. nowhere is the problem as critical as in the United States. More languages are on the verge or ext.inction in this CO\IIllf)' than in the rest of the Americas COJnbined, and California More languages are on the verge of extinction in this country than in the rest of the Americas combined. and California alone has more threatened languages than any other country. alone has more threatened langttages than any other coumry. Moreover. even those languages that are not immediately threatened with ext.inction are in danger. For example, although Yakima has 3,000 spe.1ker,;, most or all o£ these are middle-aged or older. Without a comprehensive program to educate ymmg Yakimas, the language will soon suffer a massive loss of speaker.; as they begin to pass away. income from gaming and other new enterprises has made possible strong language revival progmms among the Oneidas and Menominee of Wisconsin. ln Canada, there is growing awareness or the seriousness or the issue and there have been strong commi\mcnts to lan.. guage revitalization from national Native organi.z ations such as the Assembly o£ Fir.;t Nations. 25 �SELF DETERMII'ATIOt< At<D TERR I TORY A Navajo WOill!ln elder. The N~ajo are one of the few lnd!Set!OUS cu1Mes in the United States that have retained their la119uage to thJ, day. Nc<e than one third of the Native la119uage 5Pe4kers in the US are Navajo. The Needs hard for b1llngual education on public All prchmiiUII')' fmding.> mdtcat.: schools, only to Ond tb.11 it IS tnade\Ylth N:u.ivc communiurs m tht UnHed that Nntl"e commumues tn the Umted qU3te lO stem the IO.S of speakers. Due to the L~k of re$0Un:e5 a\'allStot<> on mtenswe languas~ tc..:hms or Stntes. Canad2, and other p;trts of this reviv:tl: ond that there ore successrul hemisphere Ond the languoge rtl<nuon able to ruos.t NAdve communities, many modds of how to pro<:<<cl. M•ny ISSUe tO be OnC or thetr blg&CSI COn• or whonl RIC ~tntggling \VIlh ;\ host of Indian communities rcqutrc immtdlnte cems. The inablhty to p.15$ On the lon- other problems. l:onguage pmgr:mlS nn: n<'tl<>n. In the form of specially designed guage to the youth l' mnklng it mort us11o.tly not an <>i>lion. Most lnd1gcnous J>rogmms, if their languages ore to sur- :md more difrkult lO 1>:1<< on tradition;; people in this hemisphere have much and culture. or C\'et\ to loster the tradi- lower stundnrds of lhing than the survive. The inabtlity of the modem mmd to tional le~dersh1p necessMy to guide roundmg populntlOIIS and are often under~ouUld 1M wealth thm surrounds 11 lnd1:m communottes lnt<> the future. extremcl)r poor Many Native commu· I> every d.l)• molang 1M world n poorer The general consensus among those niues suffer pohti(';tl oppression, conpi.ICe A report ISSUed b)· the who work Wlth N;ul\.: people on theu unwd eros1on of their land bost, :md Worldwnteh lnstltute in 1992 wamed b>IX!' is that the ~ tll.ljOrit)· of Natn·e th~ demo! of their legal and cultur:ol that the consequences of C\tltun: loss communities would gladly org.mlzc or nglns • Effons to develop and provtdt an nmong tnb-•1 peoples would Include the parti<:ip;~te on lan~c reco'Cf)' prod15nppearonce of millions of plant and jects If they had the op11on. When eco- econOmiC b;ue to these Indian communmmnl spcdcs. which currcmly Hvc nomic opponuniucs prcS('nl them· nities Cllll hnve detrimental effeCls on under their protection.) One can only selves. Indian reurv(luons usually l~ng:n:\ges and, cuhurcs-.7 New economJ>Oncler the question: when the world Is begin a language rcvttahznuon pro- Ic devclopmtnt ncti,.ties such as the reduced to a single language. w11\therc gram. Many cornmum11cs, .such as the NQrth American Free Trnde Agreement be anything of value left to sayl Seneca and Ont>ndo~, h~w fought (NAFTA) c•n be expected to ha.·c a All of this indicates two th.ngs: thnt thc:rt Is> cntto1l need to be&Jn \\OOOnj: 26 �nta;.uw~ cfft-ct <>II Indian Lmgu;t.:<> on !>kX>a> "he"' •lmost 10'- or the pop- • ...., .. lncllgtlous.• Lan~ rt\1tolluuon as • com· p.u•mely ncv. clf•>rt, wnh few SU<· ._._,and m•ny f•llurco Program> arc n-qulrcd that con t.tkc onto •ccount the •f'<<lh< pohto.:.tl, <Uhuml, and <<O· n€1mK cucum,tan<t~ or N:tU\'t' .:om~ muntll<'- • hen ~~ Nathe people wllh cconorn~< 1\''<llli'Ct< often la<k the rn.tny diffcr<ru •kills needed tc> put f<>rwot<l • comprchrMovc progr.>m. M<lr<O\'t'r, cultur•l <h.tn~ IS """ so raJ>od •nd pen·~~l\t. thAt ne>> "•l~ to lml.l the mtcrc>t ,,[ >••un,t: pcoplt and c<Ju<are them nad to he de-.lopcd Tht bock of communiClhon amonll :-o;.,t>c communltlet h:as h.ndtr<d the r.... •ucc:.,.,ful m<><ltl< from ~'"Ill applocd m Othtr ""·" In,......, \\here languogc los. h•• rc"Chcd ~ cnucol lt,·d, go'·4:m"'"nt' and tn~uuuon.'\ put the emphAsis on rc~ordtng bn~· ralltcr th;on '"' rescuon~ thtm \luch mor. n-~>l'<h nc~ch to~ done M thl\ ossue to better sur<<)' nnd evol· ur11r the cum•ou •tntc of lonj~ungc retention amon11 North American lnd~.t.ns o.s well • to o«k out <uccessful ><>lull""" .. H oteet I Ooernoncl IIIH3l m '"thee global ... _ lo... ~houGh I ote of he cetcu· latoo tho numbOr of liVIng fonQuliQOI at 6,000. 2 Teetor (19761 U•VOI en OIHm<!IO Of 300 Na""" Amfonc3n ~-· It cont.oct 3 c.-. (lge4l ' ..... ,.,. 176 .... ~ .. nM!IY ··'""''·of w!IICII•9 .... .n the Uno•od s.~,·· 1n ""' - · on1y A<l•t""" dole to tl>oS number· there It no other countty w.lh mote than I 0 cni1CII1v enciM(Iera<l JM. ""'h •3 ...,.,.,.. fo, tt'ldrt 111/ttr~ndtk•,.. COftttJt.f , \fco.'l F"'t" Dl o 'lJool W ~ '-'ol4r..... JIO \\hl '>! ~r. lM~. ~"1: 10019. ~ Zl2·16S~ ,,, fcx. 2Jl. ~1J.I t- 11""110• a.c.,., •., M(•rent ree-cho<s u.M d-Hetet~l n• ct•t .. for delt'"'*"*"'Q - - • ........_ .. ••'O<"od Ot - ' f _,_ the<e 1 s - diKr_,. on the ~~gut-. The , ... of uoed on the~t on<t · ...., . _....,.. al fewer tholn · - hundred ~"""' elderly, cen be conotdorod near extonctoon. • Teeter 119761 o•t"""'" that 11411 ofel AIM•Iean lnd4n ~ WI. become ••ttonct ~ w.th .......... gene•••- or ~ (19931 cot..• Moct.-el Kreuu of tho UnM!< ..ty ol Alia... "' Footbonk1. 'For tho 187 lncl13n lnngungos 1uMvong In North Amonco OUIItdo ol M>tke Ktau" ..t•ncltee that 1•9 ol ! ' - are ~nd · Fen.. I 1993) ttateo !hot 110 of the 53 NatM> len· _ . . opokon "' Cencodo are • conaod.....,., <Jechnong or endMgored • -ker.. .,,..,.tv 5 According tO Brtocoe (1992). 'Up IO 5.000 ~ -~~ t2 ~ent of the r.ndw.. T'-Yclilfetl,_ the •est of .,._,. be<lcM.oe t'-Y M cloMf 110 .,. . . -- '" ' -·a -~t countnea duo••••t cut:~· l"he ..-port '-'<1 lll4t ~ . . .I*'P'- - · .a.o Vol 10 No.1 !l7 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Survival and Revival of Native American Languages Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jeffrey Wollock Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title The Survival and Revival of Native American Languages Item Type Journal Article Author Alexander Ewen and Jeffrey Wollock Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 25-27 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note The disappearance of Indigenous languages although a deeply disturbing and ever accelerating trend has received little national or international attention. Under enormous stress from a variety of sources the Native people of the South American continent appear unable to halt the rapid erosion that is washing away a central strand of human identity. The loss of language will create negative consequences like, loss of cultural. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p25-27.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Disappearance of Native languages Indigenous languages Native Language Revival https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/9b390183dd082b481ab5ec8964e11288.pdf 2cd907da8c82eedb655574c4414db7ec PDF Text Text ORGAN I ZATION AND COM M UNICA T ION OAS Drafts Inter-American Declaratio n on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Recently, the Organization of American States <OASJ distributed a rough draft of 8 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. On February 27-28. 1996. the IACHR (see below) of the OAS organized a reunion in Guatemala in which Indigenous leaders critiqued the declaration. The initial May deadline for receiving the input of Indigenous people has been indefinitely postponed. so there is time to unify Indigenous voices into one to modify the Declaration. For this. Indigenous peoples must come together in inter-regional meetings. SAIIC encourages the OAS to go further. as the Draft Declaration falls short of meeting the aspirations of Indigenous peoples for their collective rights. Despite addressing key problems Faced by Indian communities. the paternalistic dominance of national ideology pervades the document, leaving Indigenous peoples in a subaltern position of entities somehow "protected" by nation-states. In what follows, we present excerpts from the Draft Declaration. he prcs.:nt draft approved by the Inter-American TCommission on has been RightsGovernments,the OAS for Human (IACHR) of consultation about Its text with indigenous organizations. other interested institutions and ex pens. On the basis of their answers and comments, the IACHR will prepare its unal proposal to be presented to the Geneml Assembly of the OAS. Section On.e. 'Indigenous Peoples' An. l. Definition. 3. The use of the term "peoples" in this lnstmment shall oot be constmed as having any Implication ";th respect to any other rights that might be attached to that tenn in international law. Section Two.' Human Rights' An. II. Full observance of human rights 3. The States also recognize that the indigenous peoples are entitled to collective rights insofar as they are indispensable to the enjoyment of the indh<idual human rights of their members. Accordingly they recognize the right of the indigenous peoples to collective action, to their cultures, to profess and practice their spiritual beliefs and to use their languages. Art. V. No forced assimilation. The States shall not take any action which forces indigenous peoples to assimilate and shall not endorse any theory. or engage in any practice, that importS discrimination. destruction of a culture or the possibility of the extennination of any ethnic group. Section Three. Culrural Development Art. XVI. Indigenous Law. I. Indigenous law is an integral part of the States' leg.• I S)'S· tern and of the framework in which their social and economic development takes place. 2. Indigenous peoples are entitled to maintain and reinforce their indigenous legal systems and also to apply them to mauers within their communities, including systems pertainVol. 10 No. 1 ing to ownership of real property and natural resources, resolution of conOicts within and between indigenous communities. crime prevention and law enrorcemem. and maintenance of internal peace and harmony. Section f ive. Soc:ial, Economic, and Property Rights 5. In the event that ownership o[ the minerals or resources of the subsoil pertains to the State or that the State has rights over other resources on the lands, the governments must establish or maintain procedures for the participation or the peoples concerned in detennining whether the interests of these people would be adversely affected and to what extent. before undertaking or authorizing any program for tapping or exploiting existing resources on their lands. The peoples concerned shall panicipate in the benefits of such activities. and shall receive compensatlon in accordance with international law. ror any damages which the)' may sust.ain as a resuh of such activities. Art. XX. Intellectual propeny rights. 1. Indigenous peoples shall be entitled to recognition of the full ownership, control and protection of such intellectual propeny rights as they have m their cultural and artistic heritage. as well as special measures to ensure for them legal status and institutional capacity to develop, use, share, market and beque:uh. that heritage on to future generations. 2. Where circumstances so warrant. indigenous peoples have the right to special measures to control. develop and protect. and full compens;~tion for the use of their sciences and technologies, including their hum.~n and genetic resources in geneml. seeds, medicine. knowledge of plant and animal life. original designs and procedures. SccLion Six. General p-rovisions An. XXIV. Nothing in this instmment shall be constmed as granting any rights to ignore boundaries between States. Scprcmbcr 19, 1995. 35 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource OAS Drafts Inter-American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title OAS Drafts Inter-American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Item Type Journal Article Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 35 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note Recently, the Organization of American States distributed a rough draft of a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. On February 27-28, 1996, the IACHR of the OAS organized a reunion in Guatemala in which Indigenous leaders critiqued the declaration. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p35.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] OAS Organization of American States Rights of Indigenous Peoples https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/ce93b8334af5034e919856cb327e09ff.pdf 8ec2104ca9e1328883a0a75f91e29834 PDF Text Text HDIGENOUS WO MEN 0 R ~ IZING Two Watershed Encounters for Indigenous Women in Mexico The National ANIPA Women's Conference and National Indigeno us Forum recently held in Mexico constitute two examples of how Indigenous women's particip ation is Increasingly crucial for a global Indian identity. By Maya Santilmarla he hogh level of p.1niciJ"'tion of fndonn women, 19 invited guests and that the autonomy of thepurblos Indios is Indigenous women in the twelve "dvisors rrom J ndi,nn COtllnlUili· the path towards the initlation or a new Znpatista Army of N:ulonal tie.s and womenS organizauon.s relauonship amongst ourseh~. with Liberation (EZLN) has inspired and thJVughout Mexico J"'nkiJ"'tcd in the the Mexican SlOt~. wnh other Mexicans. encoumged other lndogmous women to Working Table "I of the Peace and between mtn and women... Within take p.1n in the Cl\1lbn struggle in Dialogues. "lndogenous Rights and this framework of autonomy, we Mexico. Recognizong 1heir imponance Culture; between the EZLN and the Indigenous women demand our full as the base of their culture ond Lhc Government in San Andrts Sacam participation, and th.•t no interml or givers of life, a fund.1mcmal role whoch Ch'en, CluaJ"'S. txtcmal condotion Impede 11." is g"·cn httle value in socoety. The women who J"'niopattd as rtpThe document also demands a reIndigenous women from many difTerem rcscntntlves of the1r commumues and negotiation of NAFTA and the reform of regions of Mexico have decided to mise organizOlions in the dialogues. among article 27 to its original revolutionary their voices after 503 ycors of silence in them Tzotzil, Tzetzal. Tojolabal. spont, which st.ned t.hatth<: temtoriesof order to rescue theor dignity and defend Chinanteca. Chol, Mixleca. and Natlhu Indian peoples are "1na.lienable. not the rightS of Indian peoples. women, preJ"'rtd their lbl of demands negotiable, and indispensnblc.- and The need to analyze nnd understand despite language and cultural bamers. which was altered against the will of the particular situation of Indigenous Through the two phases of their work, most Mexicans for the purpose of J"'$5women has caused them to make spac<'S from October 18th to the 30th of tng NAFTA. Among their dcmonds was for thetnsch'<S where they can discuss November, they drafted an cbbotate also the nght of women to own and their problems, needs. nnd intc~ document which signaled the tnple dis- inherit land, the redistribuuon of land During the closing of the last year and cnnnnation tlmt they suffer as based o n the criteria of susoainability, the opening of the new. two encounters: Indigenous people. as women. and as access to nhcrnmive technology. of Indigenous women were held m the the poor when h comes to health, edu- Increased and 1mpro"cd educational, highlands of Chiapn.<: the workong tnble cation, nutrition, housing, and recre- cuhurnl. he.1hh, production, labor, and on "Silu.1lion. Rights and Culture of ation. social ,veJfart SCI'VICCS, as well ns the end Indigenous Women· In the dialogues The EZLN:S female delegation of the PRJ-dominated (Institu tional between t he EZLN and the demanded, among other things. that Revolutionary Pany) State, and the tran· Government, the Nnuonal ANIPA Convenuon 169 of the lmemallonal stuon towards a true democrncy. Women'!~ Conference. Workers Orgamzallon (011'). and other The process of actually puumg imemational J"'ctS signed by Mexico. be together their ancestral demands in a documen t representing Women and the Peace Dialogues made legally effective. and that they be joint translmed to all of the Indian languages Indigenous women in Mexico pro\'ed With the will to dtalogue with the for distribution to the communities. an lnvaluab~ e.xperiencc. Among other government about thcll' demands as Convention 169 of the OIT is one of the things. it provided a venue for the new prlncopallegaltools that lnd1an peoples relationships and organization between Maya Sanramaria wrlres at~d researthes have to defend t heir nghts to self-de ter- Indian leaders through the leadership of primarily in the region of Chiapas and has mmauon. and the basis of the claim to the EZLN. The govemmem commission follo.,·td the Zapatbta uprising sin<e it Autonomy of lndilln peoples. They (COCOPA), In contrasl. dod not ranfy began In 199-1. She a1w prl>\ides ttchni<al demonded that b.1SCd on th~ accords, the women's document and did not prtassistance for the women's T~tottil t.he necessary reforms be made to the sem the least Intention of negotiating tt Weaving Cooperative h1 San Crist611<11 de Federal Constitution. so that It Include f~ndnmental chonge. It Stated that h las Casas. Sht is pYC$cntly working on an the free exercise of the autonomy of \\'Ould not constder the discussion of exhibit on Zapatista womtn in MinntSO<a lndoan peoples. "\~¢ women nunifest conceptS such os "outonomy," "religion.- T 6 A~D Y ola News �INDIGENOUS WOMEN ORGANIZING '"self·dtttmlin-ation ... or "new constitu· lion." National ANIPA Women's Conference The first women~ encounte-r of the National Plum! Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy (ANIPA) 'vu held in San Crist6bal de las Casas from December 1·8, 1995. Two hundred and sixty rep· resentatives of 65 Indian and womenS organizations from 30 Indian nations and 13 States of the Mexican republic gathered in Chiapas to "speak our word, talk about our rights, uses a.nd customs, and discuss the propos.•! of autonomy for our communities, whhin a vision of gender." The national \VomenS Conference came at the culmination of a series o£ women$ workshops and regional con· rerenees galv;mized by the Zapatista uprising that have sought to J>rovide spa.ce:s of reflection and discussion about the issues confronting Indian women. In addition, many women feel the urgency to further organize and cry out again. t the military presence in their s communities-not jl.tSt in Chiapas. but across Indigenous regions in Me.xico-and what this presence means for their families and their communities. Jm·ited by the Organizing Commission or the ANIPA and the womenS organiz.'ltions in Chiapas such as K'inal Ansetik, j'pas joloviletik, and the women~ commission or CONPAZ, the participants of the encounter dis· cussed 1hc legal lniliath>e 1hat is In progress for the creation of Au1onomous Pluri·cthnic Regions (RAP). Many of the women involved in the autonomy initia· tive have e'pressed that the proposal does not include the autonomy or women within their society, nor their desire to have specific rights as women, and thai 1hey have no1 been taken into consideration during the ¢reation of the proposal. In the two days of discussion the women took the time to talk about the political and social situ~uion in their vil· la&es. communities. and homes. They Vol. 10 No.1 Women of San Andres Sacamch'en de los Pobres befO<e the first dialogues. analyzed their lives as children, as 0\0thers. and as wlves. They gave a new name to their struggle, that of '"autono· my: and made the concep1 theirs. one that thC)' could now take b.1ck to their communities and share with other women. In attempts to do away with the societal factors that oppress them as Indigenous women, the panicipams discussed their rightS, which they trans· fated into Spanish as "cus10ms." They expressed their desire to do away with all the "bad customs" and nourish the "good customs" in their socict)'· "There are customs that can be counterproductive or contrary to the dignity or liberty of women... snid julitm:t G6mez, Mixteca and representative of the Editorial Center of Indigenous Lhemmrc in Oa.xacn. juUana considered it hnport:lnt to recognize that ..somelimes. we women are the ones transmit· ting bad custotns with the education we give our children," and that "the change should begin "ith the educntion of women.· The amcndmen1s proposed by the women for the initiative t<) form autonomous regions were dmf1ed into a document and presented to the general council of the Autonomous Pluri..ethnic regions during 1he forth reunion of the ANIPA, which took place on the same grounds for the three days immediately following the women's ANIPA confer· ence. Many of the women delegates Sta)•ed for the general assembly, making this the highest auendanee of women at an ANIPA meeting. During the ANIPA meeting. they asserted that, ..1 \uwnomy is a set of mtintdes and fomls of rcsis· tance for the prcserwnion of our customs. languages. and traditions. and to reject the resources the government gives us. because many times they divide I.IS.The women at the conference atso re,• iewed a document ..-mnen by the EZLN's advisors and guests in San ""'s approved by the ANIPA. The initiative for Amonomy and the womenS proposal were then to be presented at the National Indigenous Forum which had been convoked by 1he EZLN . The propos.1ls and demands made by the women who worked and panicipat~ ed in these encounters ""II ultimately be sent 10 the Congress and Senate for leg· islation on Women's Rights. It is impor· tam to recognize that these spaces where women have, as an option tO war and for 1hc cons1ruction of peace, debated their problems concerning their culture and rights signal an importanL change in the political process in Mexico: namely. thm 1he process of democmliuuion can no longer occur without their true liberation as \VOmen. ~ Andr~s. which 7 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Two Watershed Encounter For Indigenous Women in Mexico Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Maya Santamaria Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Two Watershed Encounter For Indigenous Women in Mexico Item Type Journal Article Author Maya Santamaria Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 6-7 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note The National ANIPA Women's Conference and National Indigenous Forum held in Mexico constitute two examples of how Indigenous women's participation is increasingly crucial for a global indian identity. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p6-7.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Global Indian Identity Indigenous women Mexico https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/3ff696192a615ea2ed3774e66d92f021.pdf dc874ddedaf29b8ed7661b24f8f3fff2 PDF Text Text r E~VIRO~MEHT Indigenous Conferences Reject the Hidrovia Mega-project • This project doesn't volue the rivers. the streams. the forests. the fish. the birds. the Indigenous peo· pies. nor life. It only volues the winnings of a few businessmen.· • First Indigenous Encounter of the Paraguay River Basin ndt&cnou; peoplt$ who srand to the nver basms nnd lead to the colo· The Indigenous co.,huons also &IJI· lose their hornes and ltvchhood as nl~auon of neM\>y lnt>ds. "Ot>l)' 20 per· td ahm they were •extremely worried" the re>ult of the ~lidro1•fn tndusuinl cem of lndigcnt>us communiucs an nt the bck of illformauon and evasive waterwny pri>Je<t on the Pomguay· PJraguay ha1t ltgalt!tles 10 th<tr l>nd, n;nu~ of tM go,·ernnu:m3l inStitutes Pam~ river S)'Stcm met In October of and onl> a fmctaon of the..« •~ .ade- urryang oot the proJ«I Th.s con«m 1995 to d1$CUSS the pfOJC<t'S ampact ou quate for >ustaanang a trJdn10nal \\';1$ the ampttus for the formauon of their tradtuonol econonuc-s, and to lifestyle: strts.<o:~ the dtdarolion or the the Rlos Vtvos coalition. rc-grouptng agree on n plan of action against Pnrnguay b:tSm. "The llndlanl tcrrlto· 300 NGOs and Indigenous organlzn· Hidrovla. Nt,.adt, Ayon:o. Angaite, "'~of 1he enure region wlll experience tion; worldWide. In ~cember 1995, Guan~. Guamn1 NandevJ, und Guarani prt<Sures even grtnter than th~ th31 foll0\V1111\ 3 y<ars of pr<$5tnt to achlcvt Ocddrntal represenlatl\'CS from the ~'"" prtSCntl)' due 10 specul.uion on publte p>nicipauon m the Htdrmia Parogua)' •nd Plkom")'O m·er basins the v:llue of l~ntl and ahe esubli~hmtnt pf'()re.s, the lntrr-Gonrnmcnaal me• sepal'l\lcly and came up "1th a of ranching ~nd ngrkulturnlmd~tstties. Commauee on I hdrovl~ (CIIi). made dc1aikd plnn of action agounSI a project 1 he res111t will be more foretd evic- up or the States of J\rgentina. lloll\'lll, which the)' S.')' will spell d•saSter for tions, s•anmg with the rivcnnc popub- Bnull, Pnroguay. and Unaguay 'f«ptcd lhe envuonmenl md rhe (Ommuniucs. tlon.<.• a pml"""l [l'l)m Rlos \'1Vos to provldc The Htdlovfa proJect. WO\lld reqo1~ wtdentng nnd dcepenang the channels of the Paraguay and Pnmn~. South America~ second lnr&est w:11cr S)'Siem. to ttUow <X:<'l!n-going ships access to the pon of Oceres. Bm:ll. 2,100 nules upstre:tm from the ril'cr's tnouth ncar Buenos Ain:s. Under the plnn being studied. the rivers would be channeled. straightened. nlld dredged, with tribu· tarits of the nver blocked ofT and rock owcroppmg. m th~ channd deton:ued. lndagcnnus peoples ond environ· mem.. •lisl5 lllstSI that Hldrovta, nicknamed "I tells Highway." would devas· tate the liver ccOS)'SICms. lndudi11g the Panaan.1l wetland (the lorgesl in the world}, and b)· exu~ns>NI, the tradtllonal cconomat$ of the lndtgc'llous peoples which are based on fishing. In the meetings, lnd•gcnO\IS leaders protested that Hidro11n ahreotens 10 worsen the olread)' pn:e~nous ltvmg standard.< of tlu! people dependent on I 28 Alcyfa Ya'-' Nt.WS �ENVIRONMENT access to all documents from the feasi· bility studies of Hidrovfa. Nevenheless. Hidrovla project in all the Indian languages spoken in area or impact. lastly. CIH continues to state that <::OJ\Struc.. they call for an inrense and constant tion will begin in the next few monlhs. This has fueled doubts b)• tndigcnottS organizations and environmental group~ that the)' will have a meaningful role in the decision-making process. The resolutions of the Paraguay and Pilcoma)'O Indigenous encounte>:S call for the unincation of Indigenous peoples affected by Hidrovfa and the joint preparation and publication of a diag- Indigenous presence in all of the local, regional. national. and international instances where decisions on Hidrovta are being made. ~ Information compil<<l from original documents and from Vllo,-ld Rivers Revtcw (D<cemb<r. /996), tile ncwslellcr of the lntctnational Rl\'ers Networll ORN). For more hifonnmion, conwcr: nostic of the social and environn'lcntal conditions they face. As a counter· example to the official feasibility stud· ies carried out b)' the govemments. the diagnostic would directly involve the leaders of Indigenous communities. Important too is the translation and distribution of in formation on the Coordinadora de Putblos lndlgenas de Ia Cuc11ca del Rio Piicomayo. C.C. 1380. Asu11ct6n-Paraguay: Td: (595-21) 21-427: fax: (595 21) SSQ-451 ; o.- IRN, 1M7 Berkeley Way. Bcrltcley. CA 94703: 14:1: CilO) 848-1155; Fax: (510) 818·1008; Email: im.o'&: WW\V: hup:l/''lo'"'"~im.org. "May We Dream of a Better Future?" A Letter fl'om Indigenous Peoples of t he Pantan al to the International Development Bank The following letter was sent by 180 Indigenous people of the world's largest wetlands. the Meto Grosso Pantanal, to the Inter-american Development Bank. regarding the Bank's support for studies for 1he Paraguay-Param\ Hidrovla industrial waterway, and for the Pantanal project, both of which will have environmental and cultural impacts on the region. end both of which are being designed and implemented without consultation with the traditional inllabitants of the region. Aquidauana. Mato Grosso do Sui. Brazil. January 27. 1996 1/>{e. the Guatos. Terena. Kaiowa. Bororo. Umotina. Pareci ~;~nd Kinikinao are the traditional peoples that the Great Cre<~tor chose to live in and protect this region of the world. Throughout time. our ancestors taught us to live in harmony with the waters. birds. and plants. as a way of giving thanks and nurturing this gift for- our well· being. · With the arrival of the white man came the roads and the railroad. and then came diseases and new customs which were unknown to us. This was the new civilization. IDB is now financing a large-scale project under the pretext of developing the seuthem cone. We know that this project is part of a new re-organization of the world economy. which will truly atte-nd only the ambitions of Vol. 10 No. 1 unscrupulous businessmen. where egotism. nepotism. and political rivalries reign and only the fittest survive. In this context of the decadence of .. modemrty. • we Indigenous peoples were never consider~. and were instead o.nly victimiz~. We were never consult~. but we recommended that this type ef ambition must be halted for the good of humanity. Their money must not disrespect and destroy the homes of our people and ef the Great Creator. Our role is to ser:ve the memooy of our people and of the Great Creator. Our role is to ser:ve the memory of our ancesto•s and of our traditions and to defend the Pantanal. because only in this way can we go forward towards the future in search of a better life. At the First Meetings of Indians of the Pantanal. th.e Indigenous voice asks: Why do they want ~() destroy the natural waterway? Who is going to benefit? Who is going to become rich with this? Up to what point is the IDB aware of the threat of destruction and empoverishment which the large-scale projects bring for our people. We ~;~ppeal to the Bank to be clear and transparent in its proposals. because our villages are worried. Will we be victims? Or may we dream of a better future? For mote information. contact: Rios ViVos Secretariat. Campo Grande. Brazil: tel: 55-6'7· 724-3230: fax: 55-67724-9109: email: ecoabrmspant@ax.apc.org 29 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Indigenous Conferences Reject the Hidrovia Mega-project Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Indigenous Conferences Reject the Hidrovia Mega-project Item Type Journal Article Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 28-29 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note The Hidrovia project would requires a widening and deepening the channels of Paraguay and Panama. Indigenous groups of these areas like the NIvacie, worry about the environmental impacts that this project will have. This article also features a letter from Indigenous Peoples of the Pantanal to the International Development Bank. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p28-29.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Hidrovia Mega-project Nivacie Paraguay River Basin https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/c4ac743f93430cb0179afb9706002e6e.pdf c58992632fd7731d26e8c79e4b4993a6 PDF Text Text --- IH OIGEHOUS W O M EH 0RG A H IZIHG Empowering Native Women: New Initiatives to Reclaim Indigenous Women's Status in Central America Paying attention to women's roles as managers of territories and transmitters of cultural identity, we locus on two regions of Central America where small-scale Indigenous women's initiatives are encountering success at re-inserting women as dynamic members of their societies. By Laura Hobson Herlihy ndig~nous women's involvement with conservation. development, nnd human rights Ol'S"niz~tions h<1S given them new political and econom· ic power in the Honduran Mosquh•~ nnd an P:anama. Conser.'lluon dfons h•'• almost always focused on men\ role In <eonomic actnitits and thcar usc or naturnl resources. Howe"er. foeusong 3llCntion on the amponant role or women as managers or commu· nlty territories nnd transminers of Inn· guage and cultural Identity pro,•i<les ghmpscs of the emerging empowerment process that many lnchgenous women are presentlr experiencing In C.ntml Americo. In this onicle I pre· Sl'nt the case of the Masklto •nd A r~e and and re-valoriuuon of lnd.genoos womal's SUIIJJS is poosible Tawahko of Mosquitia and the Kuna, IIYOUSh their <1Ml QI9MIZObOO and i~ With conscvauon. ~ Embent, and Ngobe-Bugle Guayml an conservation, ~- and tunon lights (l(S«liZ&ions. PanatJU\. Kamokasna, and Wasporasnl. muJti-colored, b.1gs with • long shoul· Krausirpe. the biggest "lloge. has a der strop. A few ytars l~ter, MOPAWI population of about 400. Because (ew (Mosqultln Pawls,'\), a non-profit develMajao: A Women's Market in lndigcnous women In Mosquhia Slill opment agency In Honduras, took over Moskitla weave bags made from rainforest FITH's bag-making project and incor· I The Tawahka Sumu (population plants, I was surprised to ftnd Tawahka 700) live nlong the upper l'l.-aches of women weaving b;tg$ made from the the Rio Patuca in the Hondumn maJaO (Heliocarpus Ooneii-Smlthh) · Mosqultla. Hagh atop cleared n,·er tree. The women expWncd thot FITH b.lnh, houses cluster to form the ~I· lngts of Krausirpe, Krautara, Yopuwas, (Fede~6n lndlgena Tawahka de Honduras>-• legally rccogmzed laura 11obson Herlihy is a Ph.D. student lndagenous federation tlmt represents In sodo·culturol anthropoiOjp• at tlat the Tawahka people-tnltlat<d a local Unlver:<fty of Kansas. Sla< has worked market in the late 1980s to l)urthase with various Indigenous gr·oups fn their woven majao b:1 In order to be gs. llondums, an the Rio Platm1o Biospherr marketed in Tcgucignlp" as "book lks.!IVt of the Honduran Mosquifla, and b.,gs· or "purses." FITH representatives tn Panama. requested thot women w;:av.: smaller, 14 pomted It Into their "Formaci6n de Ia Mujcr· pr0f111m. which has helped ampi'O\e women$ soctoeconomac status in Mosquaua by pro\<ldang them w11h local aash-eammg opponunitaes. Markeung woven majao b.lgs is a posa· uve element m Tawnhka Sumu soci<t)'· Bag manufncturing Is not honnful to the rainforeSt envamnmcnt and it pro· vidcs a mechanism through which women pass down traditional knowl· edge to their daughters while, at the same tfme, providing Income for thetr households. In the process, the �------------------------~ N_D ,I G E N 0 U S ~~ ~ won1ens majao bags have become one of the recognizable symbols of their broader struggle for their own identity and cultural survival. Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve Just nonh and contiguous to the Tawahka zone is the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve. It was established under the United Nations Man and the Biosphere Program in 1980 to protect the natural and cultural heritage of this special part of Honduras. The Misldto. the largest Indigenous group in the reserve, lived in 19 villages with a pop· talation of 4,500. In Kuri, a small Miskito village (population 122) on the Caribbean coast~ Indigenous-held territories within the biosphere are passed down through the female line. Sisters built their homes around their motherS patio and reared their children together as one greater family. \Vomen inherited both coastal village and rainforest territories rrom their mother. known as Mama Almuh or Kulw. the powerrul grandmother figure, village elder, and head of the maniloca.l group. Miskito men lived away from the coastal villages for long periods of time. earning cash off-shore while divtng for lobsters and doing subsistence agricultural work up-river while Jiving on their wives' rain(orcst territories. \~lith the men gone. women passed down Miskito language and culture to their children m matrilocal residential groups. teaching them traditional kinship terms and women's activities. Indigenous Women's Congress in Panama Farther down the isthmus, in a broader and unprecedented way. Indigenous women in Panama recently organized an annual. national-level congress called "Mujer Incligena de Panamoi" with the help or non-governmental development organizations (NGOs). including UNICEF-Panama. the United Nations, and the Centro de VOiTo No. 1 W 0 MEN ORGANIZING Estudios y Acci6n Social Panamc1\0 (CEASPA). I auended the first Indigenous women's' congress in 1993. Nearly I 00 Kuna. Emberil, and NgobeBug.le Gu:.t)'mi women met over a weekend to discuss their common problems and goals in this Central Arnerican cou.mry. First, the participants analyzed the political, legal, social, economic, and cuhurnl involvement of Indigenous women in Panama. Next. they analyzed the histOry and status or women in each culture group. The objectives of the meeting were to promote the participation of \verar<l (EmberA woman). merv (Guaymi woman). and ome (Kuna woman) as one force. ~nd to formulate proposi· tions to be included in the "Plan Nacional de Ia Mujer: At tbe end of the three day meeting, the Kuna, Guaymi. and Ember;\ leaders proposed that the "Plan" should include. among other programs, education, health care, land titling. and work opponumues (including the marketing of ans and crafts) for all Indigenous people in A ~mq Nmuk 0< Kvk8, U1e grandmother figute and village that legislators enforce lhe demarc.11ion of the already existing Kuna and Emberil Comarca boundaries and for the removal of newly seuled colonis-ts within their limits. Newspaper Panam.:l. reponers recorded the event and these Beyond this, some Indigenous demMds in the national press. That the women in Panam<\ also hold loall and govemmem did not respond to all of regional political offices. Cella Mezua. them did not diminish the significance President of the EmberA "Congrcso of this event. For the first time in General." holds one of the most power- PanamaS histor)•. Indigenous women, ful indigenous political positions in the coming from different cultural identicountry. As Presidem of the Congreso. ties. ~cted together in unified opposiMezua presides over a council of lead- tion to the national government. ~1ezua ers who make important cultural. and the other Indigenous women leadpolitical. and economic decisions con· ers cominuc to pressure the governceming the Ember~. The daughter of a ment concerning their tenitorial and forn1er cacique (chieO. Mezua graduat- human rights. The Indigenous women~ ed from the national universit)~ became congress meets annually to discuss a local leader. and was then elected to these and related issues. regional leadership positions. Indigenous wornen in P~nanla and During the first Indigenous Honduras are aware of the 1mpacts womenS meeting in Pcm~ma. Mezua colonialism. incl\tding "Modenlization.. called out for justice and decried the and .. VVestemizmion,. which have his· governments taking of a Ngobe torically subordinated them. Their Guaymi mans life, and for their use of organized resurgence and self-valorizatear gas against pregnant Indigenous tion. as well as their involvcn1cm with women who had recently demonstrat- territorial conservation, their own defied in Panama City. She also called for nition or "'development ... and collecti\r e the national legislature to approve the human rights. are hopeful signs that l. w recognizing the Guaymi Coma:r~a they will ensure a fmure for their larga homeland. likewise, she demanded er societies for years to come. ~ 15 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Empowering Native Women: New Initiatives to Reclaim Indigenous Women's Status in Central America Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Laura Hobson Herlihy Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Empowering Native Women: New Initiatives to Reclaim Indigenous Women's Status in Central America Item Type Journal Article Author Laura Hobson Herlihy Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 14-15 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note It is important to pay attention to women's roles as managers of territories and transmitters of cultural identity,Focusing on two regions of Central America where small-scale Indigenous women's initiatives are encountering success at re-inserting women as dynamic members of their societies. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p14-15.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Federation lndlgena Tawahka de Honduras Moskitia Panama Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve Tawahka Sumu https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/fb0b90fee6744d9c0109406d384f69e4.pdf 01fd5e53b121e9475a9af0ecaa07773d PDF Text Text IN BR I E F Peru : Ecological Protection Zone Plan Threatens Indigenous Lands NRENA, the Pemvian National lnstitme of Natural Resources, in concordance wllh article 12 of the Le)' de Tierras (L 1nd Law), has put forth a proposal to create Ecological ProteCtion Zones out of 40.5% of Peru~ Amazon lands. Within these zones. concessions could still be. granted. The rest would eventually become private property. This would be disastrous for Indigenous commtmities. most of which do not have legal title to their land. The proposal, published In the Peruvian newspaper El Peruano, defines Protected Zones as natural are.1S already protected (national parks and reserves). swamps, fragile watersheds. and lands along rivers. More than 31 million I hectares of the Pcnwian Amazon would fall into this <:ate· gory. The NSt. about 46 million hectares. would be classified as Areas Free of Ecological ProteCtion and be administrated by the Ley de Tierras, making it eligible for sale by public auction to private investors. Indigenous groups have already reacted strongly against this project. The Aguanma and Huambisa council fonvartled itS own amendments to the Ley de Tierras to the Ministry of Agriculture. Now, it only remains to see how the Minister of Agriculture, who stated that he ' vas open to recei,•ing the input of all sectors. will react to the national and international pressure. Information received from El Comercio, Uma, m1d the Amazon Coollr!on Women March in Chiapas to Commemorate International Women's Day On international woman\; day, March 8,1996, between five and seven thousand people, mostly Indigenous women, gathered at the Plaza de San Diego and marched to the plaza of the main cathedral in the center of San Crist6bal de las Casas, Chiapas. This march. which coincides ";th the dialogue at San Andr~s Larrainzar between the Mexican Government and the EZLN (Zapatista Army of Natiom\l Liberation). was held to commemorate International Women's Day and was organized· by the Comisi6n de Mujeres Por El 8 de Marzo (The Commission of Women for March 8th) and the Frente Zapatista de Liberaci6n Nacional (Zapatista National Liberation Front, or FZLN). 1'he participants came in caravans from Indigenous communities all over Chiapas, including the Laca.nd6n jun· gle. It was an emotional and inspirational evcm as women, 4 some carrying babies on their backs, and many wearing ski masks, marched through the streets. Some banners denounced the unfair treatment of Indigenous women and demanded equal rights for women , and others announced support for the FZLN and the EZLN. Compiled from reports from Global Ex<lumgt Volunteer'S Honduras: Violence Flares Against Indigenous Communities he Commission for the Defense of Human Rights in Central America (CODEHUCA), has expressed grave concern over the safety and life of Chonfs Indigenous members and leaders, a commlU>ity residing in the depart· ments of Copan and Ocotepeque. Representatives of the Confederation of Autochthonous Peoples of Honduras have reported a series of death threats made against the leaders of the Indigenous Chortfs Council of Honduras (CONICHH) and members of their families. T Particular mention was made of 1he following persons : Antonio Arias, Marfa de jesOs lnteriano, jose Ernesto Suchite. jose Domingo Mejia, Victoriano Ptrez. Natividad Lopez. juan Amador Mtndez, Andrts Ramirez. Estanislao Ramirez and CristObal Pinla. Members of the community have been subjected individually and colleCtively to several attacks including the destruction and burning or their houses. fields and other possessions. These acts have been attributed to caule breeders and land owners in the region who are opposed to the reclaiming of land which the Indigenous population has occuj>ied for over a century. Within this context. on March 2 and 4, 1996. the hous· es and other possessions of seven Indigenous families were burnt and destrO)'Cd. One of the fires also caused the death of the child lsmacl Arias Leon. CODEHUCA remarks that in 1994 the Go,·emmem of Honduras ratlned ILO (International Labor Organization) Convention 169 and in july of the same year also signed a commitment, stipulated with 8 Indigenous at>d Black communities. in order to resolve conflicts over land possession. In spite of this, so far there has been no definith• distribu· e tion of land to the Chortls communities of CopAn and Ocotepeque. The International Secretariat of OMCTISOS-Torture believes that the failure to comply with the obligations mentioned have encouraged the commission of acts consti· tuting grave violations of the right to life and safety of peo· pie. as well as their economic and social rights. Abya Yala News �- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - '1 N_ '--'-' lnfonnation from OMCTISOS-Torwrt Plwe se.nd leiters to Ou: liondumn government expressing yQur concern: S.E Carlos Roberto Reina, Prc:sidente de Ia RepUblica, . Casa Pr;:sldcncial, 6a Avcnida, Ia Call<, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Fax : (504) 34 35 73 Telex : 1129 MMRR H0/1429 HO Guatemala: Government Approves, but Modifies, Convention 169 n March 5, 1996, the Guatemalan Congress uru1ni· mously approved Convention 169 on "Indigenous and Other Tribal and Semi-Tribal Populations in Independent Countries· of the International L1bor Organization (ILO). revised from an earlier version in 1989. Ratification, how· ever. occurred only after the ntling part)' modified the first article of the Con\'ention. The night before the congressional session. hundreds of Mayan people h.~d gathered in front of the Legislative Palace in a vigil for the "new dawning. • Convention 169 was first brought to the Guatemalan Congress in 1992. It wasn1 until 1995 that. under the Presidency of General Efraln Rios Mont. it was once again up £or ratification. At that point it was taken to the Cone de Constitucionalidad (Coun of Constitutionality) to determine if it contntdicted the national constitution of G\latemala. Its constimtionality a. sured. Kaqchikel-Maya s depmy Aura Marina Otzoy of the Guatemalan Republican Front proposed to re-open the dialogue in February of this ye3r. The debates for and against the Convention were intense. Siglo XX! and Prensa Libre, both major Guatemalan national news publications. came om with headlines such as · convention 169 to the Trash Bin!" and "Ratification of Convention 169 Creates Environment of Uncertainty.• The reaction of the private sector wa.s one of cautious apprehen· sion. "11691 might be harmltss to the country. nevertheless in no way does it benefit the interests of Indigenous people." s.1ys the president of the Agriculture Department and the Committee of Commercial. Industrial. and Financial Associations. •... it will on!)• bring chaos to the country." Indigenous organizations. on the other hand. did their best tO ellS\Ire that this favorable piece Of legislation get approved by the national government. COPMAGUA (Coordinator of Mayan Organizations of Guatemala) stated that · with the ratlncation of Convention 169, the Mayan people seek to build a solid and lasting peace in the country... We are calling out to you so that you may realize the necessity of change in this society. that its no longer possible to go on accepting living conditions implanted during O VoL 10No.1 .B R I E F 500 years of sacrifice, pain, despair, indignation, and alienation." Seventy-five deputies were initia1ly presem at the voting session. $eventy•tWO remained at the moment Of deCiSiOn, and voted unanimously for Convention 169. Nevertheless, the governing party (PAN - Party of National Advancement) managed to modify Article 1 of the document, en.s uring that the ratification is being made with the understanding that the dispositions of the nationtll constitution come before those of the Convention. Information p•<>vidcd by Atencio Lopez BRAZIL: Marcio Santilli Resigns from the Presidency of FUNAI O n M3rch 8, 1996. Marcio Santilli, resigned from the presidency of the National Indian Foundation (FUNA!) after 5 months of service. This comes as the agency's fundamental aim of demarcating Indian lands has been undermined by the recent passing of Decree 1775 which allows outsiders to contest the process in a coun of law. After 10 years of documented FUNAI corruption. Santilli was in the midst of attempting a clean up the organization. Many high level decision-making FUNAI authorities have been accused of illegal logging and mining in Indigenous areas as well as having long-standing patronage ties with some local leaders. Where Santilli had identified blatant cases of corruption, he had replaced S(a!f. combating powerful job security laws for the public sector. After the passing of Decree 1775. howe"er, FUNA!'s effectiveness seems to have completely plummeted. Faced with corntption scandals, an outbreak of invasions of Indigenous areas. and police inaction, Santilli resigned. "We owe Mareio Santilli our thanks for his effort to clean up FUNAI. and put it in shape to effectively defend Indian rights in Brazil. But it is now clear that the National Indian Foundation needs radical surgery. not band-aids. if the ddense of Indigenous rights in this government is to move from rhetoric to reality." said Carlos Alberto Ricardo. executive secretaf)' or the lnsfiruco .Socioambitmtal. On March 14. 1996,Julio Gaiger. a lawyer specializing in environmental, agrarian, and Indigenous rights. took office as the third president of FUNAI during Henrique C1rdoso's term. Last year Geiger worked as an auxiliary to the jtasticc Minister and is responsible for the final text of Decree 1775. J,ifonnarion from Environm~mwl DcfenSI! Fund <md Amanaka'a, <1nd rhc lns.rituco Sotioambiental 5 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 1 (Spring 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource In Brief Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title In Brief Item Type Journal Article Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 4-5 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English Abstract Note This journal introductory discusses some of the top stories and events that have taken place throughout Central America. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p4-5.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Brazil Guatemala Government Honduras Violence Indigenous Women's March Peru Ecological Protest