10 12 1190 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/3fafc23a95d77c61014daaef911cafea.pdf 779aa412e9f076b6e288fb14cf371e8d PDF Text Text I~TEH N A TIONAL . AJ,rerican Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), "Indigenous people are displaced and become environmtnlal and economic refugees in their own land... Tom Coldtooth, lndigtnOUS Environmental Network cspcctcrofNAFTAnolongerbovcrs The resource-rich Native homelands will for ln<ligenous lands in Mexico. Even lbe overAmerica,it hasmaterializcd.Thc be targeted by corporntions as bot spots for free-flow spirit of the trnde agreement does high-OyingrhctoricoflbeCiintonAd- development Without doub~ all Mexican not extend to communities split by national minislrntion will now translate into very real trnditional lands will be up for grabs. Spccu- borders. The border communities of tbc an frightening environmen"\! destruction lators in Cbiapas already forced some Mayas Mohawk, Salish-Kootenai, Colvilleand labor injustice. Despite tb~aution off lands in anticipation of NAFTA's ap- Okas_agan, Abcnaki, Cocopa, Kamia, these issues received in thc<poJel!u tumult proval! o·odlia1> ~Kickapoo will not be reunited NAFTA inspired, one important story went The future of Canadian and U.S. lndig- dcspite}cmassivemeldingofthethrcecoununrcported in the mainstream media: cnousgroups is also uncertain. With NAFTA tries' economic agendas. NAFTA's ambush on Indigeno~ rights. approved by <j~~ws that protect !he vMious Indigenous organizations have NAFTA 's central premise tbat govern- rights of Native 1\nieticans to live on and deoo.b;ccd thetrnde agreement The Contiment regulations interfere witl(frc;c trade utilize their lands may~longer protcctany:.___S" CommL&sion of Indigenous Nations, allows dcmocrntically created laws to be one'f[Omcorj)Ornte"aVidltT COmJl'\nies wili--c> iganizations and Peoples (CONIC), reprcoonsidcrcd trnde barriers, and thus made inop- a~ the best~~~ sources, and natu- scoring 26 various organizations that reprccrntivc. NAFfA sets up an independent rnlrcsourccs. lftbe ~ t.A tribu naldeemsa scotover2,500oommunitics,and1bcAmeritribunal dosed to public participation. The legal protoction ofancicntland righrfa barrier can Indian Movcmen~ havebothdccriedsueb tribunal decides if a native, state, or federal to trndc, the law may be struck dowo: Tribal an auack on Native land claims. lawoffendsfrcetrndewitbout any criteria for governments rna/no longer be able to reguThe ripples of NAFfA will exten<l far evaluating whether lbe trnde would offend late the sale o lands and, as a result, beyond North and MesoAmerica. The treaty ; the public. Such unaccountability in a tribu- privatization of land will likely proceed on a has established the largest free-trade.zone in nal has broad implications for the Native ma:t-•scale. thewo~d,scllingancxamplewbicbthrcatens Peoples of North and Meso America. Privat.ization ~ill hasten theoonversion of to presage a global elimination of democratic In the United States and Canada, Native oommons into oom~iti.cs. For example, laws that protcctthe land and its ponplcs. The Americans live on traditional lands endowed water will be bought aoosold, trnnsfenedand Genernl Agreement on Tariffs and Trndc withfortypercentofaUknownenergysourccs trnded, without rc~~ativc claims to (GAT!), the international trnde decision for each oountry, acoording to the Indian sucb an essential resource. NAFfA enootU- making body, is scheduled to soon resume its Treaty RightsCommiuccof Chicago. These ages projects similar to the James Bay Hydro; eighth roun<loftradetalks. Manyoftbeissues trnditionallaods fall into two categories, res- electric Project wbieh will send Canadian on the table, like investment and service barervation lands and private property. In both wate.rs down the MissL&sippi to consumers in Viers and Intellectual Property Rights, were cases, government laws have served tosome- he U.S. and Mcxioo. The dam has flooded the i'csolved under NAFfA. If NAFfA becomes what protect Native American decisions r~ Cree nation's traditional hunting grounds, GAIT's model, we face ble.11< profaning of garding the usc or sale of t.raditional lao<ls. decimating caribou populations and forciyg the Earth's environmental and culturnltreaHowever, in Mexico, lod.igenousponplesalso relocations and cultural upheavaL sures. Our aching and wearied land can not living on coonomically valuable land enjoy NAFfA, crnfted by Bush and 2000 of ihe support such assaults on its Native American signifocandy less legal protection. President largest American oorporntions, incorporn\ed caretakers. Salinas recently abolished even the meager no Indigenous pooples in the drafting of ihe Mexicanlawssafeguaroingancientlandrights. agreement. NAFfA includes no provision Sources: The Circle; Honors Digest T: .It a r VOl. 7 NO. 3 &4 I S � 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. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) 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 Free Trade's Assault on Indigenous Rights Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kristina Egan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Free Trade's Assault on Indigenous Rights Item Type Journal Article Author Kristina Egan Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 15 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note NAFTA could endanger national laws that protect Indigenous land rights if the the NAFTA tribunal decides the legal protection of ancient land rights is a barrier to trade. Indigenous peoples could be removed from their land to make way for trade development. Attachment Title Free_Trade's_Assault_on_Indigenous_Rights.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] CONIC Indigenous Rights land rights NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement Trade Barriers 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/797c976c1a29f509083be0f45dd26274.pdf 3afbab296cf7a94204cd549fbae9788d PDF Text Text IHDIGE HO US W O ME N 0 RG AH I Z I H G Profile of an Indigenous Woman Organizer ,~~ .W~ "aria de Jesus Hernandez Yalderas 1 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 joumals and magazines that speak of them. In what follows next. Maria de J esus Hemtmdez Valderos. 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. Can you ltD us your name and where you art from? y name is Marla de jesus Hern~ndez Valdems. I participate in a women~ org.1nization called Campeslna Women~ Union or jel!Cll. in San luis P010Sf. Mexico. M Art you Nahuatl? Yes. we speak N•huatl. In how many communities do you work? V\le work in nine communities in the munidpaliLy or jeha. When and how was the women'S organization born! The womens org:ullz.~tion was born when our cQmpaneros. who have an organization called Ia lgualdad de jelica (Equality ofjeliC<I), were able to see that they weren\ able LO progress. that their orgru11zaLion would not work \\ithout the suppon of women Bec:ause of this. rhey named us Lht "right arm of the Cooperatlva de In lgualdad de jelic.1 (llqualiLy of jelica Coopemtive)." From that point on. they saw thnt it was importam that women participate. and 8 The chores o( the woman. . The home has •I ways been left to us: that IS. 3ltendcd. The imponam thmg wns that to take care of the home. to gather Orewe were very motivated abom panicl- wood, wmcr, and care for the children patlng In a meeting. Before this. we also. I am finding out that this happens had never auended a meeling. It was everywhere. the Om ume that we women left 1he house. 1lll full of em01ion, ~nd carrying Do you also work in the fields? Yes. some of the women work In the our ehlldr.n. fields, nnd many of us dedicate our· Were the hus bands bo1hercd that the selves only to the f.1mily. women were holding meetings? Well, at Orst the women's meelings What do you grow in the fields? were held with compailerll$ who nlready In the fields we produce mostly were panicipating. Thnt was how the Colfee. and some vegetables o~go1nlzatlon began. later. invlt2tiOilS wen: made to the 01h~r women who Is there much that you don~ produce also w:tntcd 10 participate. because lht land is not good? The land IS good but we have Wh01 "re you a.b le to achieve through noticed that It is much be.uer for colfee. the women's organizations? Very liule of com and beans is cuhlvat· \Vc ~~nm women to be recognized; ed. that we also pantcipale and that we be heord. M•ny times when women speak Ha,·c you oil been in contact wllh the in a nlttllng. the men don\ p.1y auen· women of other communities? non. Wt wam to g;>in suppon for us, Yes. Yes. We 3"' panidpaung m a coordinating group. We are panlctpal· the women. together, org,1nired. ing jointly. men and women. There, at Whnt :trc some of the aclivhies usually the regional level. we talk nbom womens sltuntlon and special needs. done by women in yollr community? we called for the first muung. Vanous women from several commumues �I~OI G EH OUS What is the coordinati ng group's name? h ts C~lled COCI P (1.3guasteo Potosma Indigenous Org~nization Coordinating Body). And )'OU have time to wo rk in the w ome n's o rganization? Well. I don\ have a lot of ume, but l make some. My children still depend a lot on me. as well as my husband. They are all still little! Are all o f you Nahuatl in the coordinating group? No, we :ue Nahuntl and Mames also. Arc y ou working closely with women in Chinpa.s? Up until now we haven't had much eonta<:.t, no. But d o yo u think it's important to be in touch with them? Yes. we would hke to be commumcating. We don\ hear much about the work that thcy'R domg. We would lik~ to be jnfonned so our organization here can take on some of the responsibtlhy nnd show that we can help them lron1 here. Why cont:u.::t women of 01 her countries? his irnl>ortnnt because t hat way we find out how women live at the national and imerna.tional level as well. Do you have children yourself at home? Yts. I have four children. Vol. TO No.1 What is you !>OSition in the organization? The women sdcctcd me ns the Women~ Union Treasurer. So you handle a lo t of money? Well not so much but .. ! What are some projects you b.ave be:en hwoh•cd ''rith? First we managed to get o popular soup kitchen there m the mumctpality of Jilitra that is called "Fior del Caft: a small goods store thntls m one of the communities. and • nixramal (com for tonillas) mill. WOMEH 0R G AI'IIZ I ~G Do you also retoJn your R ligious practices? People arc sttll very Catholic in large pan. but we also ha'"e other ~s in which people participate. but they are much less practiced than the Catholic group. So you don't retain any of the Nahuatl ceremonies . like offerings to the Earth? As Nahualts, we always make arches and offerings. The arches arc made !rom a branch. a stick and they are decorated with p<llnulla. and xtmparurchilr nowers. That is Nllhuatl tradition. There are also dances in wluch we participate. during the patron S3tnts celebrations. Th1s was bemg ldt behtnd but at the momem we are .s«.ng tMt it is important because 11 promotes the rebinh of the culture. Do you wish to send out a message Is coffee produced in the mouncains or in the plains? ln the mountains. to women of o1hcr countries, of other cultures? We are also participating in alternative medicine and in various bakeries. a.ll the women that have not yet joined Do you s till use your traditional m edic ine? Well. tn large pan that was being left aStde. but we w•nt to ptck up traditional mcd1cine again. Well . I would simply like to say. to a women's organization. I Invite you from this corner of 1.3guastecaPotosina, to particip.1tc and for us to begin leaving fear aside. Th." is what inhibits us most. But. yos. I invite you to participate in an o~nt.z:auon. It is d.ilrlCUit but we have to do wh•te--tr JS possible to panle~pate. Thank you. 'J 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 Profile of an Indigenous Woman Organizer Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Maria de Jesus Hernandez Valderas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1996 Spring 1996 Language A language of the resource English, Spanish English Zotero Title Profile of an Indigenous Woman Organizer Item Type Journal Article Author Maria de Jesus Hernandez Valderas Volume 10 10 Issue 1 1 Pages 8-9 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1996 Language English, Spanish English Abstract Note Maria de Jesus Hernandez Valderas, a Nahualt woman in Mexico, provides a glimpse of the activist world of Indigenous women looks like. She discusses the difficulties that have been historically placed on her. Maria embodies the enduring spirit of Indigenous women across the continent. Attachment Title abyayala_v10_n1_p8-9.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Hernandez Valderas Maria de Jesus Indigenous women Mexico https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/c29a04ddfd46e15ee94760a72b95258f.pdf 792ef84680435cfd9ee6d5964f9e0440 PDF Text Text Suicide Before Eviction Guarani·Kaiowa family in Mato Grosso do Sut wait along a road crossing the land rhat was theirs An entire communityofGuoroni-Koiowo people in Moto Grosso do Sui, Brazil, threoten co commit collective suicide if o Federal courc's order to expel them from their oncestrol fonds is corried out. This May, Marta Vitor Guarani, president of the Koguoteco Association for Displaced Indians travelled to che US to make the situation ofher people known co the international community. tt H owlongwillwehavetowaitfor the 'Brazilian justice system to give us rights to our land>' questioned Mana Vitor Guarani at a press conference in San Francisco. Over 11,000 lndigcnou,;; people including Guamni-Kaiowa. Nandeva and M'bya have lost their lands in the state to invasions by ranchers supported by S)'ffij)athetic courts and police forces. Indigenous lands in the state have halved over the last decade, now total- 26 ling less than 25,000 hectares. ' It is always the ranchers who win in the courts, while Indians end up without any respect for our land rights. But Indians are like plants, how can we live without our soil. without our land.' asked Yitor Guarani. She notes that landless Indians are left nothing but misery. "Ovcrseven thousand Indians arc working in the charcoal factories and inthesugarcaneproccssingplams. They live in a state of slavery. This is the integration that white society offers us. But we Indians, the first owners of this land. cannot accept this humiliating and inhuman integration." Land Expulsions and Mass Suicide The Guarani, Vitor says. "are the poorest people, the most. abandoned people in 'Brazil." In their desperation, many. especially youths, have turned to suicide. Indian organizations claim Abya Yala News �SELF DETERMINATION A N D TERRITORY that approximately 300 people have committed suicide over the last ten years. The Brazilian government's own estimate pms the number at Ill between the years of 1986-1993. Mana's community, Poste lndigena Dorados. has seen the greatest concentration of lndigeno\tS suicides in the country. One-hundred and six GuaraniKaiowa families from the community of jaguapire in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sui are threatening collective suicide if a Federal court's order to expel them from their lands is carried out. Marta states, ' The area has already been demarcated and legalized. but with no guarantees, and this could be the fourth time, that the Indigenous people of jaguapire are expelled, which would be very serious. because the mothers have decided that they will give poison to the children and later kill themselves !rather than be moved I." At the end of last year the community ofjaguapire sent a lener to FUNAI (the Brazilian agency [or Indian affairs) affinning that they had chosen to die rather than be evicted. A federal court postponed the community's eviction out of consideration for these circumstances, but the court's final decision is Still pending. In 1992, the community's 2,089 hectare area was declared a permanent Guarani-\(aiowa possession by the Brazilian minister of justice. It's demarcation was confirmed by the 'President of the Republic. Nonetheless, under Brazil's peculiar system for titling land to Indian communities, anyone else \vishing to present counter claims is given a lengthy period and multiple opportunities to do so. Legal challenges filed at any time in the process can be pursued for many years, even after lands are demarcated and ratified as Indigenous possessions. lnjaguapireand elsewhere, this has meant Indian loss ofpre,iouslydemarcated lands. Indigenous communities must prove \vith physical evidence that the)' have the longest record of inhabitation for contested lands. In the case of Jaguapire, evidence shows that the Guarani-Kaiowa have been burying Vol.SNo. l &2 their dead on these lands for at least 90 years, while the rancher claiming the lands arrived only ten years ago. In many cases however~ evidence is more difficuluo find. journalist Rippernotes. ' ranchers are accustomed tO run their tractors over the cemeteries to obliterate any sign that there were Indian people there. • Despite being the most populous Indigenous people in Brazil. the Guarani now subsist on the smallest pieces of Indian land in the country, and are submitted to the most brutal social and economic conditions. Thegiam region of forest and savannah once used by the Guarani for hunting. fishing and agriculture has been subdivided and reduced tO degraded pasmre by wealthy landowners. often with the help of State subsidies. land ownership in Mato Grosso do Sui is arguably the most concentrated on earth, with 1% of the population owning 70% of all lands. The Guarani are divided into three groups: the Nandeva, Kaiow~ and M'bya. and live throughout Southern Brazil from the state of Espirito ~anto to Rio Grande do Sui. HG wever. the vast majority live in MalO Grosso do Sul. Pressures on the Guarani lands have imensified as their territories lie within the area of the government's Parana-Paraguay project which has caused real estate speculation in the region. Although the case of jaguapire is one of the most serious, eleven other Guarani communities have also been evicted or are threatened with eviction, and await court decisions as to their fate. lnthecommunityofUmonYerde, Marta points out, 'people are living under tenLS wit hom the conditions necessary to live while they await the judge's decision. More than 200 families are there, and the)• are going through a lot of misery. We can see in their faces since we are Guarani people that they are very sad, extremely sad.' Accordjng to the Brazilian lndianist Misslonary Council (CI MI) another Guarani·Kaiowa community living in Marta Vitor Guarani and a companion mourn at her community's cemetery for youths who have killed themselves photo: J.R. Rlptl(t/ tmagens da tc.~rra 27 �SELF D ETERMINAT ION AND TERR ITO·~ Y--------------R~ antral "r'>lem M~lll (,ro.;o do Sui ruas ttO«UptCd thctr l:tncls tn the pre· nousl)· dcmar<atcd 2.7<15 :acre Takual)t)'ll') kuuuiu lnd••n Atn The)· h.n~ b«n e>1<tcd "~tum> from ~ temtOI)· .\bow 300 GuaDtll· Kala... a burned a bncl1~( P"" ;dang raMI actt» to tM tonacsted area lbncMB accu.c: them of bumm11 a hoU>c one! school as "cII. ha...cwr OMI note. ~ "''' burned b) a non·lndl.ln sutkr an an attempc to prl>\ol.to mtb t:ll) acuon :ayaMI tM lndtans \hh· tary polK'< N\~ occupied tM :ttc,;, although c.Latmtnll ncutrahty an 1M conlbct,IM)· N\C n(2tl) ah'a)"> acted ag;unst lndag<'nou~ pc.oplt Resistance and Repression TM Kaguatcca Asoolmton for 1>1>placccl lndtan\ umtc• :all lndtgcnoos groups In tM St>lr to m:bun bnd> of the diSpossa;ed and prcwnt funhcr C\1Cllon~ Elc\'tn tho11s.111d lndagtnom people nrr dlsplatcd an Mnto Gro>SO do Sui, 9,000 of thr'lt nrc Gunr.~nl, while the reM belong to other ~mallet· )>COtllcs. 1 grcnt prublcm fncing those \ who would rentrnto their lnnds,ls the gap between pl.tntlngnnd harvest time$, since they arc stnrtlng with no rc:~~:rw•. Kaguatccatssohthlng food ~uppon for these coanmunllie:> to> help them hvc unulthc fti"SS 11;11'\cst Currently three dtffcrcnt communttto W1th :1 tt>tal of 220 pc.opk arc prcp.~nng to mxcup) bn<b tht) "'""' ~1ou.ty !<>reed to 2bandon \Luu founded tM ~ca.­ c.auon for d~<pla.~.llndlilru follOW>ng 1M ~al\oJtton of 1\c,r uncle \!;areal Tupa )' ck 5ouu an IQ83, a htgltl) respcc1cd lndi&<nous leader""""'-, J.> 1M •poet ""h """ or hooey' for hb P""~r "uh l:tnguagc • Th1< "'"one of the many hundrcdiof lnda~I'IO\a lc:td crs,._auted for rno<t1ngbnd 1n,-a· soons A«otdtns, to \nor. 'In Br.a:tl. tM murdu of lndwt~ donn\ mock ait)'lnort. n.>t tM pohucbn. nor the gO\-.:mment, 001 the CI\1IW\ popub· uon ' Althoulth IC\ cr.ai•S+~'PNIIOJU ha'~ b«n ln\nllj;itrd, not one rc· suited 1n tM ktlkr'< ctm,1CI>on unttl 1a>t >~r whm tM u.a....m of \tarcal 28 contender At tM end of l,hl \pnl. t.ula met \\1th lndtgtnou' k~.kB rep· r=nung 24 or&~m:otuoo• and '16 In· di:an pcopks from all 0\cr 8=•1 At this mtttang. 1\c, co>nfumc.l hiS oppt"" • tioo to anu-lnd.an co>~llutoonal 'rc• forms• • a:ld proml~ dw cbtm.s or t Ill') :"a.... nc.. ~res m2ke lance ~m more dtfftrult 'for the lndagcnous cng.mt%21><'<\0 "'ltlld b.: Guaram. tM core of rcs&<Untt is reb· mtl. t,~<~n !luttoda) ,tM<c arc m2ny prot· eo~~nt <hurchn "hteh come to our International Support NHded Now co>mmunliiC$ ,..,.h tM same diSCOUrse \'itor Guaram ~~~sthat tnt<ma A> th.- Je>u•t> "ho amc dunng thi: uonal suppon for J;tpupta< b needed 'dde:O\ <I") • of Brutl They arc lalling ....,..._ 'lamM<ctomakt'lhosdmuncu· ourrclt~.lollm~ourculture. \\rllh- tion 10 1M namt of our P<<'l'k I OUI Hultur.al idmlll), our pc.oplcwan· ~y mack W. d.'nunciauoo tn tM ckr tM I"R)I"a>~ and the strtttSoC!M t.:S ~-. tn IM u~' and tn IM CillO, dnnklng. ~n~ :and bring Otbers~tlw:~rcopmto>u• lhopcn.l1<ukd b) the "h•t< ~>··· stated tlw all or Amtnatt JI<X>Ct) gl\C' I» \ ator l"cnt) -one Guar.am-Kaiowa suppon m th" b) Kn.ltng lcucn to communnar> ha'c formed the assem- Jud&<' Pedro Rona an ~n Paok>. "h<> t> bly ulltd A~TI(.UASU todtSCUSS!Msc the Judge "ho "til dwdc, :and b) prolllcnu, rspccaally th3t ofland. \"nor pressunng tM Btalthan 1:0\'Cmtnent <•plains, •tf onet-ommunuy.saltead)• so that they don't vlol~tr our con•utu· lcjtlllilcd, the)' help the other who are tiona! nghts.lktwccn the 5of0ctober >till in lond conOicts.• Thts organiza· and last month they were 10 h~''c de· tlon will p~rtlclpnte later this month in marcatcd nlllndlnnlnnd5. but thiS hns fonnathm of a Statewide asscmbl)' to not happened. 11 f< "J)I'CSCIIl ~~~ lttdtl\CrtCtU peoples of $ M:uo {;t'O$SO do Sui. whh 1he hope that In aclclftlort to Marta Viwr Gtwrcml wtd the l.ttg« "xtlltlon will be able to more joao RapfNr, lrtfu"'t<tllon we~< flltl\'ldrcl l.ty cffcctlwly ptC>$Urc for land rtghts. the Nucleus for lndtg~niiUI RIKhl>. CIMI, and Ratnforot il<tacm Nclkclth Positive Signs In a l.lndm.Jrk clca>100, the Su· Y<lUr kilt" ore ntroncl) tlllf'<"· prcmc Federal Coun tn San P.tukl tc· UUil/<>riMGuJr<Utl·KilW..a PI<"'~ ccntl) dtsmlSO((( •local coun dCCISIOO »ntc JUdge Pcdr<> IWII<J o-klng that tn !J,oro>fthe ran.;htngcompan) S..ttin GUMaru 1.1r.d ,~g~u, ~ >f<IV'IcJ SIA to> rclo.:att tho: Guar.tna community of""'tcCcrros Add•tl0n31ly. the Conn Exmo. Sr DR PEDRO ROnA gramrd 1 pcuuon b)· the 1\ucleus £or TnbunaiRcp!NIFcdmlda l~ lndl#noi.IS lbghtJIO prolubltoncjudg<' Ru:> IJbcro Btadan>. n )(). Cmtm m \bto G,._, do <.ul from hearing 01009-000 ~ P.Nkl.'-1' ~~~a.-.1 co;&.>cJ tn,·t>h1ns, the Guar.tna.liin« C\'· &x: (5511) 35-'WQol or04'l0 Cl) one of htS <kcto;oonS 11;1-e fa,-ored ran.: hang mterc>tsand malted ma'ic· I'll= scnl CAlpc'\ ld tiOJU of thou..ind• of lnda:ltiS \'uoc Guaram "1,., nO«S 'It Sttms Exmo. 5r tlut tooc "'111 1\c, lk>pc for tM GU:II3ni OR .Jean \!.uros Ftrrdro tf "lub· ti cl«ted to tM prcsKimcy. J=l'edc.:alda I \'araoo\IJioQu;<.o tNt tMre '"II ~ JUstl« and rccognido Sui lk>n of lndliln LAnd> • Current opanio.., Ru:> Qu.lor.x ck julho. n 3~ poll' """' \\ orkcr)' candadat~ -:"9004-392 Campo> Grande, M'> luts IJ:Ila<>O •t.uta• dl S.h'a ";th a &=I <trong n.111oaul lc)(j 0\'Cr htS nearest ".., f1aull)· scntcn,cd Shonlythereaf· tcr, ltxal authonttcs allo"ed htm to flee the r~ TM Guarani ftm:cly rcstStcd :~>aon of thc!r land> unnl ~tng 0\"tt· "hclnwd 1n tM carl) pan of thJS cen- in,.,. =· "'"> � 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. 8, nos. 1 &amp; 2 (Summer 1994) 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 Suicide Before Eviction Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Marta Vitor Guarani Joao Ripper Nucleus for Indigenous Rights CIMI Rainforest Action Network Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1994 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Suicide Before Eviction Item Type Journal Article Author Marta Vitor Guarani Joao Ripper Nucleus for Indigenous Rights CIMI Rainforest Action Network Volume 8 Issue 1,2 Pages 26-28 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note Indigenous people of Mato Grosso do Sul face expulsion from their lands as ranchers supported by the government claim the land. Though the territories have been demarcated for the indigenous groups, they are still at risk of being taken away due to the complicated legal processes related to land rights. Many in the communities have resorted to killing themselves and more threaten to do so if orders for expulsion are carried out. Attachment Title abya yala p26-28.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Guarani Kaguateca Association for Displaced Indians Mass Suicide Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil 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/fb34283bf981a7dcd3bbe3d8aea05220.pdf fb336b67b2b1479a9f095d6afac05344 PDF Text Text P ERSPECTIVES ON C HIAI$S C h::. .i: .a=t=;__:;;_;:....::::..... as--=--=-en _;_rrom T e m u co: -=--=-- . : p a s-----==- se-=-::..:.... :. . .;~ Interview with Aucan Huilcaman Consejo de Todas Las Tierras in Chile. In theCityofTemuco in the heortofMopucheoncestrol territory. the Consejo de T odos los Tierros (All Lands Council} meets once a year. Their international Werken (messenger), Auc<in Huilcomon is charged with making known the denunciations, agreements and projects from the Mopuche Tribunal. He is also responsible for relations with other Indigenous peoples of the continent. Heis2 7years old and in hisfourth yearo(law school at the Autonomous UniversityofTemuco, he was also o congressionalcandidate in lost Deeemberselections. but didn't achieve o seot in the House. In the following interview he spoke regarding the situation in Chiop<JS. of the Mopuc/Je in Chile, and the continental Indian movement. by Ximena Ortuzar* How do the Mapuche evaluate wh~t happened in Chiapas this past january? -There nrc various points related to this action. Personally. and in general. I celebrate the Zapatlsta's courage. decisiveness and organizational capaclty which permitted them to prepare thetr uprising without being detected by the Mexican Intelligence apparatus. Th~l is remarkable. In addirion, (he Mapu· chc support all lndigellOUS peoples' struggles In defense of their legitimate rightS. I observe though. a huge spilt between the discourse and Ideology of (he continental Indigenous movement and what (heZapatisl.aSareproposing. In one of rneir points, they demand, 'More land for the Indigenous people.• l11is Is good, but insufficient. Eve:n if they give more lands. these will continue to be just fragmemsofthe l~rger landscape. The fundamental lndlg· enous problem in all or America Is that of territory. When the State distributes p~rcels or land. mey remain under its sovereignty. The central demand 18 should be territory, where Indigenous rights have clear legitimacy. You cannot attack the real problems or the Indigenous people of the comment if you do not approa.ch thiS Issue. manner wnh being human. and with our own nature, Our COJICi!ption is that the territory IS a physical space where the ~bpuche people should have control. pbannmg power and autonomy to e,'(ercise free self-determinarion. Land and Territory 1understand that ont or the 'Mapltche's What is the conceptual difference between l.a nd and territory? -Land is an individual concept relating a person to 11 specific plnce-person-propeny. whereas the con.cept of territory is collective and refers tO a group or people with a portion or coll.,ruvetand. Formelndtgenouspeoplc. the concept of territory holds dements of identity. or culture or a form or organization. I can give you an example; with us. the Mapuche, many of the trees that surround us have names like the names of our children. And when the huincn -white person cuts the trees, clearing the native forest, we (eel that our tdentity has been cut off. Territory is connected m a substantial princlp.'l muggles in these moments is precisely fot' lerritory. -Th~t'sright. That hasrneantcharges against us for 'Illicit association', and •failure before the law, morality and good customs• which :tlTectS l44 or us. We could go to jail. but this will not SlOp our decision to recover what be· lon~to us. And you mtss this conceptual element in the z.,patisro proposal. ·F(Om what ! know. yes. I sec also that they ask for Salinas de Gonari to resign. I bdleve that he could resign and that wouldn't solve the problem for Indigenous people in Mexico. In my opinion. this is a weakness in me proposal. because the basic question is Abya Yala News �P ERSPECTIVES ON CHIAPAS not of changing the president but or chttnglng the nature of the State. m order to achieve transformation thnt resmuns the State'sabsolutcdominion o"er the Indigenous people which Is exercised agait\St their will. In the Z:lpattStJI proclamations I don't see n questionmgofthestmctureofthtSt:~tc. Another point that seems curions to me is that the h1ghest visible lendcrlsn ":sub-commander~ ...\Vhen we meet in our Tribunal there is no pres1dem, or secretary or treasurer of the Mnpu· che comnmnit)'. rather we hMe a Lonko. Mnchi--origmal authoritiesThese posluons bnng together the m· stnutional strUcture and the JUridic concept of the community. And you find this important... -OcOnitel)•. yes. It is not a question of form. While you don't reinstate your own forms of organization as a weapon to oppose the fonns of tdco· logi(jll dommation that the State 1m· poses. you are fighting with your oppressor's wenpons and they arc not ours by na10re. How would you C'l'lain this situation in the case of Chiapas? -Asnccnnin amount of mcmul colo· nlzatlon. No one c.~n fail to recognitc the effort. the courage and the dcei$Wtnc~ Of the Z:lpatistas that rose Up in Chiapas. But i reiterate that in my judgement the proposal that we know Vol8No. 1 &2 the Indigenous people, but rather the form in which this wns implemented. If we travel through the province of Arauco we encounter barely five Mapuche communities. The rest arc villages close to cities. They applied colo-nial thinkmg. Historicall)•, the Council of the Indies- which was an organization designed tO organize the Indians according to the dominant concepts-it rocogmzed the Indigenous people's nght to orgnnizc in municipalities and gave them a structure !or this. With the agrarian refom1, the Mapuche were obligated tO Ji,•e in vii· las on lands awarded In a determined has holes in the area of Indigenous place. makmg thlsn population center rightS. They propose the need for that breaks with the concept of indijusucc which is impossible wh1le the ,·idual-lnnd that represents a human rightS of Indigenous people m Chiapas collecuvity In 1h1s nsJXct. I see in the to deCide their own future Is not rem- Zapalistas a conceptual weal..-ness. st:u~d. And this hapJXnS by reinstat· ing territory and chnng1ng tht struc· What do you anrlbu1e this to? -I don'1 exactly know. I believe that ture of the Stme. I also sec thnt they the Indigenous peoples In Mexico have sufficient instilutional s tructure aJld they s hould have employed 1his in Chiapas. I am certain that the Mapu· che would never have a sub-commander in a s1milar sttuation. We could ha'·ca Toqu1,anongmalauthor· hy. but never a copy. nn ass1mila11on. I want to clanfy that I don't intend to take away from what the Z:lpanstaS ha\'e done, butlt's my duty to say that I detect a ccnain strange inOuencc on the Indigenous people in these circumstances. \Vhat is the basis for your statement? -For the last six years, we ha,·e met periodicnlly w1th lnd•genous leaders of Me>dco,l know all of them. The last Aucan Huitcaman add1"1!ssing the UN 11me. I was In Onx3ro last October. World Conference on Human Rights They assume that theyareethnicgroups held in Vienna during June. 1993 and don't vtndicatr their existence as peoples or natiOn$. Ideological domipropose the need for~ ngr~rhtn reform nation has entered into their minds Jaw which is a concept distorted from and language. In M~xico, the Indian the essence of an indigenous commu- walks m the SlrcclS like a dominated nity. In Chile there was an agr:man being. des puc being part of the majorreform and we don't quesuon the ity. blolog.allysJXaking. They are not amount of lands that were returned to conscious of who they ;m:, This is 19 �P ERSPECT IVES O N (HI APAS explained by the fact that Mexico's government has implemented the most policies of assimilation against Indigenous people. Already in 1942 in the government of Lazaro Cardenas it was said, "We have 10 Mexicanize the Indians, and not to lndianize Mexico.". And they worked on the Indians with that purpose. Maybe the roots of the problem lie in the Conquest. .. -Without doubt, the Spanish crown had a strong influence on the Indigenous people that inhabited the territory that is now the Stale of Mexico. Today they are disarticulated, they cannot decipher their own writing. and this blocks their ability to reach. once again, their own scientific exp1analion of life,. The Indigenous trunk was cut and they are still in the process of reassembling themselves. While this process is incomplete, the consciousness. the commitment of being Indigenous will continue to fail, despite being the majority. Self-understanding as a person What does it mean to be cootmiued 10 being an Indigenous person> · It is not a specific contmiunent or political belief but rather a way of understanding yourself as a person . A good example of this is that in Mexico. there have been two Indian presidents: Benito JuArez and Porfirio Dfaz who governed for many years. Nevertheless, this did not mean any advantage for the Indians of Mexico. To be Indian in biological or racial tenus doesn't mean anything if the kind of commitment I was speaking about doesn't exist. In the meeting with Indigenous leaders of Mexico which )'OU alluded to, did you raise these observations? -All of them. 20 Will Chiapas set an important precedent in the Indigenous struggle? With what response? -Without doubt. But it's important -Ourconceptsare very well received, but there has been unevenness in the not 10 let out of our sight that this level of who deals with the subject that precedent and its lessons are imporstops at the level of leaders. Further- tant for both parties: Indigenous more, lhe communities of Mexico have peoples and States. An example of this been very controlled. If one visits an is that the first constitutional and juIndigenous community, you ftncl that ridic recognitions of Indigenous people it has a plaza. it has its musical bands arose in Nicaragua during the that is, everything is organized as the Sandinista Revolution when the IndigCouncil of the Indies would have it. enous people rebelled agai nst the The Romano-Spanish concept of orga- Sandinista government and began 1he nization is palpable i.n the communi- armed struggle which was erroneously ty's Structures, which seem more like called counter-revolutionary. The govthose of a city. I'm speaking of an ernment decided to recognize them, ideological concept , applied through and it happened that other States took external structures, and contradictions similar measures. These were re-acarise such that Indians end up being commodations, small legal rectifications ... Legally functional for the States, Mexkans. bm not for the Indigenous people ... And this doesn't occur with the MapuThings change so that everything reches> -I would say it occurs less. l will mains the same? -Exactly. The Stale makes legal give you an example: we hear and we read about Emlliano Zapata. If we modifications in order tO insure the don't have prior knowledge we don't maintenance of its institutional domiknow that he was Indigenous, because nation. as happens with Benito Juarez and l'orfirio Diaz. despite being Indians, Is there a message )'OU would like to they have Spanish names. We have convey? -Indigenous movements are the ones struggled to conserve our Mapuche names and we have accomplished that which will give a new face to America with very few exceptions. The great in terms of justice, democracy, and majority oft he Mapuche conserve their liberty--which today are onl)' a dream original last names. and for us, that for us. Thus, its fundamental that constitutes an important element of every political and social movement in our identity. Meanwhile in Mexico America takes into account this elemany times, Indians only recognize ment which "~II define relations Statethemselves inside themselves--and people and Indigenous nation. Bemany limes. not even there. Here, our cause today, it is not Marxism that puts last name identifies us as Mapuches. the State at risk, but the Indigenousand in consequence, not as Chileans. original organizations. The State knows this. and takes its precautions. Every social and or political organization 1hat fights for human rights must know that Chiapas a Landmark the indigenous people should prevail Tofinisllthe fotmh annual session ofthe and contribute 10 the construction of a \vn Ma!Jt<Che Toibunal, Huilcmnan gave a true inst itutionality with our O charspeech in Tcmuco.lnfinishinghesaid, •ro acter and based on our own particurhc brothers in Chiaflas, fmward wirh rite lalities. ~ strl<ggle for land tmd liberty." "R..>prin;edinl"'t ln>ml'l1=. Mexico.April II ,1994· N>ya Yala News � 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. 8, nos. 1 &amp; 2 (Summer 1994) 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 Interview with Antonio Hernandez Cruz Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Maya Tojolabal Secretary General of the CIOAC Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1994 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Interview with Antonio Hernandez Cruz Item Type Journal Article Author Maya Tojolabal Secretary General of the CIOAC Volume 8 Issue 1,2 Pages 12-14 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note SAIIC spoke with founding member of the State Indigenous and Campesino Council of Chiapas about the government's reaction, including detainment and torture, to the organization's peace and rights demands. He also speaks of the state of indigenous organization and consciousness in Chiapas. Attachment Title abya yala p12-14.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Government Abuse Indigenous Organizing State Indigenous and Campesino Council in Chiapas https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/1effd5dca26553ed0191a3539be6eb92.pdf 58108704d3aa42c0c35ad4f0eedeb5f5 PDF Text Text PERSPECTIVES ON BIODIVERSITY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Guidelines for Biodiversity Collections: A Look at the Issues by M elissa Nelson here is no place where the clash between the exploitation of, and balance with, the naturnl world is more pronounced than in the struggles of the world's Indigenous peoples. As the colonial power elite tighten their grip on the remaining "natural resources ... they arc discovering that it is Indigenous people who hold the secretS to the many uses and benefits of plant and animal communities. An age·old T war is ensuing between two world views and ways of lh•ing: one that believes humans are the pinnacle of evolution and chat our ultimate purpose is l O con· trol and enslave nature: the other that Lhc human mind will never completely comprehend, much less control. the do is sensitively observe EarthS naturnl C)•cles and work to harmonize \Vhh them. It is surprising to many people thot this war of world views is not onl)• seen in the obvious pl"ces of educational philosophies. economic theories, and religious and political syswns, but in the seemingly benign realm of ecological conscl"\~ation. After aH 1 3S Australian biologiSl Roger Kitching has said, ·conservation is jusl as much a use as are agriculture, forestry, and urban de,·elop· n'ICnt." Highly diverse :Hcas arc m demand by u·a.nsnational corporntions who seek to control the world~ remr~in· ing resources. by conservation groups forces of nature and that the best we can who intend to protect their ecological significance. and by researchers who wish to study these areas. 'Who decides MeltSsa Nd.so11 is pan Ojibwc arul works as which areas are designated for constrva· c.xccutivc director of Ccnsuvancy in California. tion? How are these mauei'S decided? When are the local Indigenous people Vol. 8 No. 4 The Culwral involved? When do they initiate such efforts? Arc they in control of their ternwrie-s. or are conservation organizations in control? 1'hese are some or the ques· Lions raised br conOicts surrounding l~nd use in Indigenous territories. Reigning in the Bioprospectors? \Vhen capitalism and conservation nlCCl. omsider·tapitalis.ts unfortunately enjoy n>any advantages. as well as opportunitit.!S to reapply paternalistic auitudes that .. modern \Veste.mers" know best how to manage kmds. Consequently. an increasing number or concerned people (both native and nonnative) arc discussing and proposing ways to protect Indigenous peoples' knowledge and biological resources from exploitation br the various comp.:1· nics. governments. and academic. devcl· opment and research institmions seek· 19 �PERSPECTIVES ON B IODIVERSITY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ing access to biodiversity infonnation and native knowledge. Organi.zations and individuals have met, u.n der diverse sponsors, including the Third World Network, Zuni Conservation Project, Pew Scholars Program, World Wide Fund for Nature, and Nati"e Seeds/SEARCH, to discuss formation or ethical guidelines to over.. see the relationship between "prospector" and "steward." Underlying these effons is a common feeling that bio- prospe<:tors are already grabbing biolog· ical material as fast as they can and that some process is needed to ensure a cooperative, just, and mutually beneficial relationship. Enforceable guidelines for bioprospecting are one component o[ the complex process or negotiating the equitable exchange o[ infonnation and rtcSources. Some Indigenous activists, however. human and land rights violations. From phannaceuti~l comrncts to international treaties · such as the Biodiversity Convention, we see governments, cotpormions. research institutes. NGOs. and other groups beginning to rc-eva.luate how they relate to and "'do bw;iness" 'vith Indigenous peoples. and begin· ning, at le-ast, to pay lip--service. to Indigenous intellectual propeny rights and benefit-sharing. Indigenous peoples worldwide arc meeting, organizing, and taking leadership roles in determining the nature of these relalionships. Here I point out some questions and issues to considet when reading, discussing, or assisting with the writing or ethical guidelines for biodiversity prospecting. General Considerations for Guidelines To begin with , the definition, purfeel that creating such g1.1idclines will pose. and scope or the guidelines must only condone and increase exploitation be clearly set out. For example. do the of biodiversity and Indigenous knowl- guidelines. cover only biodiversity infor· edge. It could do so by giving bio· mation, or do they cover situations prospectors a legitimate use-document where a bioprospector seeks access to to rationalize and cover up their colo- knowledge about the uses of biodi\'ersi· nialist. and, in Native American histori- ty? What is actually mea.m by biodiveran Jack 0. Forbes' view, ..cannibalistic," sity-plants, animals and fungi , or other intent. {look at the comtpt uses of biological entities such as microorganEnvironmental Impact Statements.) I isms or cell lines? How will guidelines cnn see both points of ,ricw. but sub- be enforced? What system of compli· scribe more to the belief that we have to ance will be used? What legal frameaddress the heedless bioprospecting work should be established? What i.nsti· already occurring within indigenous ter- tutions are subject to the guidelines? ritories and do something about h. Even Who decides these questions? though many bioprospectors exhibit "the disease of aggression against. and Critical Components consumption of. living things... we canIn 3ny biodiversity accessing situa· not let lear of the ·other" paral>••e us tion. one must Stan with an explon\tory and pre,•em cooperative efforts toward phase. I believe this to be the most crit· change. ical Slagc to regulate. Any guidelines A diverse set o[ ethical guidelines, must define how the appropriate contracts. uta.ties. and other dmft docu- Indigenous authorities arc selected. For ments have appeared in recem years in example. different situations might response to Indigenous protest of require prospectors to approach any 20 combination of Indigenous national. regional, sub·regional or conllnunity organizations. The exploratory phase should serve to introduce the potential user. as well as their intentions. interests. and methods to the appropriate authority. At the community level, the reasons for requesting access to biodi~ versity information should be revealed to the entire community, to tmditional leaders, and in the local langllagc or the co1nm\lllity being approached. A project document should be presented which discloses the foreseeable consequences :lnd commercial interests of the. research. and a description of the meth· ods to be used. Following this disclosure. 1hc bioprospector should inquire whether the community or its represemativcs wish to tenninate or continue with negotiations. If the. community agrees to lhe involve.~ ment with the bioprospector. then other issues, especially the terms of compenS.1tion, must be clearly outlined. The question is. docs the. accessing p.1rty have the ethics to honor and respect the oommunity·S deei.sion? If the desire to cooperate wilh 3Jld show respect for Earth's divci"$C' manifestations and peoples were currently presem . then l wouldn't be writing this. How do we instill I he absolute imponance of this basic respect for life in the "cannibals" of first world capitalism? I do not know, but we must start somewhere. Many acti\'iSts think that "talk is cheap" but by discussing this with a wide variety of people, and aniculating the deep ethical issues involved with this complex situation, we may begin to shed light on 1he subject and inadvcnently educate those who need to hear it. F()r rrt.OI'c information contact: Titt Cultural Constt\'MC)I, P.O. Bcx 72086. Davis, CA 95617. (916) 759-2285.jax: (916) 759-2268. fW.(a Yala News � 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. 8, no. 4 (Winter 1994) 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 Guidelines for Biodiversity Collections: A Look at the Issues Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Melissa Nelson Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1994 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Guidelines for Biodiversity Collections: A Look at the Issues Item Type Journal Article Author Melissa Nelson Volume 8 Issue 4 Pages 19-20 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Winter 1994 Language English Abstract Note Indigenous communities are often caught in the cross hairs of different interest groups struggling to control ecologically diverse territories. Conflicts over the use of indigenous territories raises many important questions regarding the rights of Indian communities. Attachment Title Guidelines_for_biodiversity_collections.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Bioprospecting Conservationism Intellectual Property Rights land rights https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/7c76f8893e2aef54532ac21c596baec5.pdf df626b86fd28d17f99f1a65c45c9f3a8 PDF Text Text Eco-Jusr1cE "DURING THE LAST 500 YEARS, MINING HAS BEEN, MORE THAN ANY OtHER HUMAN ACTIVITY, THAT WHICH HAS TRANSFORMED THE ECOSYSTEM OF LATIN AMERICA" ·ELIZABETH DORE (MEXICANliESEARCHER) 12 largeSt copper deposits in the world. ore than tw<nt)' five years after tht Ngobc-611gl¢ (Gua)'mi) people forst r.llscd their voie<s in protest over the immJncnl danger that the Cerro Colorado mming project presented to the regionS social, cultural ~nd en,rlronmcmal life. 1he same ghost of gold and copper fevtr has rctumcd to haum the region. M The various lndigenous communities surro\tndil'lg the 75,000 hectares granted to Panacobrc would be directly affwcd 1f the O'linmg cxploiHuion were to begin. Outing mining opcmtiOI'l S In the 1970s, t-ommunities were alarmed when the $..'\n Felix River, which originates at the b~\St of the Cerro C.olor.1do, brought thick mud down from the mount.'\in com:nninating other rivers and Sttcam.s. Ghosts of Cerro Colorado Mining Project continue to haunt the Ngobe-Bugle + by Anelio Merry Lopez Without taking mto account the Ngobc·Buglfs htstoric tights as original inhabitants of the regionS mountains, rivers and streams. the Panaman.i£~n go\·emmenl signed a new contract in 1996 with the mining company Panacobre S.r\. for the explo· mtion of Cerro Colorado. known to the Ngobcs as 'NgMuo Taint. This mounta_ is considered br geologists to be one of the il'l Vol. 10 NO.3 ll i.s very probable thal these w:.uerways will bt used to u·-ansport waste <'nd toxic Stlbstancts from mining sites which will undoubted!)' affect the hcahh of the Indigenous cqmmunities as wtll as lhe great diversity or animals thal usc the river daily. The concerns of the Ngobc-Buglf, of the peasant and social orgamzations, the church, human rights orgtmiuuions and of the community in general, stem not only from prtvious CXj>ericnccs with min· ing at Cerro Colorado (which caused enonnous environmental damage to the region ) bm :"tlso from experiences with other similar projects. During the time when the S.1.n Felix River experienced contamination. negative envuonmemal impacts were registtred. including the appearance of dead fish. shrunp and other SJ>CCICS t\long the riverS shorts. The river b«amc so polluted that j:>e:OJ>le wtrc forced to stop bathing in its waters. The transnational corporations together \\~th the national government worked to promote the mining project under the guise of development and progress and to generate ~m air of confusion among the Ng6be·6\1glt popuhuiOI\. 13 �Eco - J u sr1cE After the San Felt'= River disaster an evaluation was con· ducted to 3SSC.<s the projects im1>act on the Ng6be-8uglt. The teSts were onlr carried out for two months. an insufficient period of time w draw any meaningful conclusions, The mining project itself. however ,will take an)'wherc from 25 to 50 yeats. One of the largeSt imJXtctS that renewed mining at Cerro Colorado will have on the local Indigenous people is loss or '""t tracts of land which would further strain land rights issue in the region. \:Vith increased mining exploitation in 1he area. some Indigenous communities will undoubtedly be rorccd to relocate. According to Panacobre S.A.• thOS¢ affected by relocation will receive · just" reimbursements and will be allowed to retum to their lands once the opcrntion 1s finished. proce.sses. During this new mining procedure, tht rock frag· mems will be sprayed with a water and sulfuric acid solution which will travel in a dosed maze of tanks ::u'ld tubes. then the )3SSed on to a second tank where an orga1 liC: m1xturt will be J solution will be adde<l which separates copper. Finally. the mixl\lrc will be sent to a founh tank where it will receive elccuical charges to dislodge the copper omo a metal slab. 1\ccording to a cornmuniqu~ from the CommissiOI'l of Indigenous Afloirs of the legislative AsSembly of PanRma, as \VCII as many other communiquts demanding the susp·ension or the proJect. mining :u Cerro Colorado · represents a serious threat to the NgOble·Buglt people from the physical. social. cultural and environmentttl standpoint." In the past rear. various sectors have M INING AT organized to b.:mle against mining projects which threaten human and environmental CERRO survival. particularly the health or Indigenous people. Some e><ampll'S of local COLORADO organizing include: the S..1meno From Against Minmg (Frcnte Santeno Comra 1a "REPRESENTS Mineria) which wfts created in the Province of Los Samos last May: 1he A SERIOUS National From Against Mining (Frcmc Rivers near the mine. like the Cuibora and the Tabasara will Nacional de Lud1.1 Contra Ia Mincria } was THREAT TO THE most likely provide the great quamily of water required for the founded in june in the Province of Pan.a.ma: l-arge-scale mining e.-..ploitation. These rivers rt4'\y also be used the Indigenous and Peas.mt Front Against NGOBLE-BUGLE to construct a dam. as has been previously planned. Mining of Alto ll.1)'ano (the Frente lndigena PEOPLE FROM y Campesino de Alto ~ayano Contra Ia The Ng6ble-Buglt pointed out in testimony that "the con· Mineria) was fonned last August in the THE PHYSICAL, struction of h1ghw3ys has created dangerous consequences. for Kun:\ communhy of llx-di in Alto Bayano exan>ple. the earth removed during the dry season due to the and the ProvUlce or Veraguns . ront Against F SOCIAL, constnlCtion or the highway from Hato Chami to Nanci~o was Mining ( Provincia de Vcraguas Frente \Yashed into the rivers and Sl.rcams by Veraguen.se Contra Ia Mincria} was also CULTURAL AND THE RIVER the rains which prevented the local founded last August. ENVIRONcommunill.ts from crossing. Landslidts Minfng activity has always been and BECAME SO caused by the mining exploitation are MENTAL also a threaL continues to be a serious threat to the sur· \'!Val or Indigenous peoples. Mineral POLLUTED STANDPOINT ." The Panacobre mining corporation has exploitation inevitably disrupts the unique THAT PEOPLE 3nnounce:d that aftct completing its S)'mbiotic relationship which Indigenous pre-fe:tsibilit)' studies it has begun its people have "ith the land. Despite odvaneed tcchnolog•es nnd WERE FORCED £C"asibility studies in order to detenninc impact assessment evaluations. there is no guarn.mee that these the construction costs of minmg instal· projects will not affect the ecosystem, the environment or ilS TO STOP lations and later operations. These people. ~fining is continually promoted as an alternative devel· studies include a social and environ~ opmcm that will btneRt the lndigenous people m the are3. BATHING mental impact rcpon undenaken b)' when in reality the communities face relocation and displace· two consuhory firms. The first being a mem from their native land. and a host or illness which are an IN ITS Canadian firm, Hallam Knight Piesold inevitable consequence or polluting mining activities. ..,. WATERS. and the other a Pamnnanl:m company. Panamanian Ecological ConS\IIt:mts (Consuhores Pana.mcnos £cologicos. S.A). The rc1>0n. now in Tht oulb/Jr is o Kuno ;ovmolisl who htn (OtJtfibuleJ lo numt-1~ per~dicals and pvbfJ. wM. its second phase, include-s the Study of rive:rOows, the quality or (Q~IU tJnd hM (O<ptodU<td vtuious todia ptogtams oboul KfllfQ is Ht ohc wotk$ with tht Mo<rimiento dt to Jvrtlltud Ku~M~ (Ku~M~ Youth Movtmtnl}, water, the flora, vegetation, cultuml characteristics of the areas' inhabitantS and lhe fenility of the land. ll is estimmcd that in the Cerro Colorado area there are 1,360 million metric tOns of copper mixed with traces of molyb-denum. gold, silver. as well great quamities of suUur found in pyrite. Annu-ally, tbe mining project would t xunct .113 million metric tons of rock from Cerro Colomdo out of an open air mine pit. The 26 million metric tons or w-aste produced by this extraction and tr.msponed in pipes toward tht coast, does not include the \Y:\Ste produced dtuing the processing of the minerals. Panacobre will employ mining technologies known as "lix· iviacion en pitas'". '"solvent exn<lction" and "'electro·deposltion" which :according to them arc sa.fe and en,Jironmcntally sound 14 A bya Yala News � 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. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) 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 Ghosts of Cerro Colorado Mining Project Continue to Haunt the Ngobe-Bugle Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merry Lopez Anelio Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Ghosts of Cerro Colorado Mining Project Continue to Haunt the Ngobe-Bugle Item Type Journal Article Author Anelio Merry Lopez Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 13-14 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1998 Language English Abstract Note The Panamanian government has signed a contract with a mining company which will lead to an exploitation off Cerro Colorado, significantly harming the large Indigenous population. Toxins from mining is likely to do much harm, and mining itself is a serious threat to the Noble-Bugle peoples way of life. Attachment Title Ghosts_of_Cerro_Colorado_Mining_Project_Continue_to_haunt_the_Ngobe-Bugle.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Cerro Colorado Exploitation mining Panama https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/2f1350a5b2b251360219b6173c1ed579.pdf b1b83e67687936cfc2259485a1be0b96 PDF Text Text Canadian Mining Interests in Nicaragua Threaten Sumu The Nicaraguan Ministry of Economics recently awarded a permit to the Nycon Resource Company of Canada to search for gold and other minerals in the Bossawas Reserve, on the border of Honduras in northwest Nicaragua, continues to be the site of mining, logging, and subsistence farming operations that endanger Indigenous populations and the environment. According to MARENA, there are now 700 non-Indigenous families living on the borders of the reserve who have cleared thousands of acres of forest for crops and cattle-grazing. Loggers have begun to haul tropical hardwood from the area to Managua, and flights over the reserve reveal huge clear-cut areas on the western and southern edges. Sumu leaders have demanded the cancellation of the mining permit. Information courtesy of Nicaragua Center for Community Action. 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. 9, no. 1 (Spring 1995) 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 Canadian Mining Interests in Nicaragua Threaten Sumu Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Nicaragua Center for Community Action Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring, 1995 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Canadian Mining Interests in Nicaragua Threaten Sumu Item Type Journal Article Author Nicaragua Center for Community Action Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 5 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring, 1995 Language English Abstract Note The Nicaraguan Ministry of Economics awarded a mining permit to the Nycon Resource Company of Canada, despite the risks it will have on the health of the Sumu people. Attachment Title Canadian_Mining_Interests_in_Nicaragua_Threaten_Sumu.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Bosawas Reserve mining Sumu https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/f2dda1bd26659f3c2dc59a3dd3f7403f.pdf 7e83c327307458ad96b323e7d65c97da PDF Text Text E c o-Jusrt c E A Poisoned Culture: the case of the Indigenous Huichol Farm Workers + by Patricio Dlaz-Romo and Samuel Solino~Aivorez 'I I'I I Migrant workers and pesticides Knous mdscators of the su~uon which nug.runt \\'Orkcrs tncounttr In 1993 1t w.tS esumated that to each plaming season opproxnnatel)• 170,000 Oeld workers Qrlive m the valleys of Sinaloa. 1\n average cl 5.000 agricultural workers $Uffer from tOXtCpoiSOning 3$0 result o( the handling or. or prolonged t.'q)OSUr< to, pesll<:tdes that •rc used m cuJu,-.uon Olthe 35.000 •81'<"'hur>l labor<rs that worked m rhe S.n QUIImn Valley of B>J• C.hlom~a m 1996, 70"m:rc lod1gtnou.s Artl<l< 20o( the 11.0 Convenuon 160 emphatically calls for signatory govenuntms 10 do ~urc. because the contractOr$ do not pro-cvcr)•thmg possible to prc:v-em workers ,;de them with >.1fcty cqUtpmem, and from being subject to contractual work· btouse tht condtuon.s 10 which they lave: lng conditions dangerous to the.r htol!h. and work m the a~trotndiiS(rto! fidds pn:- panteularly ·as a con5"CIU<n<:e of their \'rolS them. lor example. from bathmg <xpo<ure to pcsuctdcs or othtr dangerous and from "-ashlng thetr clothes after subsl•nces•. bemg m contact wtth pesundes recently •PI>lied or wuh n:stdual pes!ICldes. Accordmg to researchers. the maJOrity uf the Indigenous m•grnnt workers who The cases of !>ot~nlng and dearh work m lhe agroindustrinl fields m north· (rom peSI.icidc.-s count among the most ern Mex1co are: MiXIC'COS. lflqms. 3nd ~ exposure to pesll<1dcs 1S one or the greatest nsks wt lndtgenous mtgrant workers face. In MeXICO, the tobacco oompanies with agro1ndustnal cuhh~tlon usc enormous quantlllcs of these danger· ous agrochc.mtcal produce$ ,OJithout com· plytng wllh the lnternauonal levi I'<Sinctions dCSlgntd tO prot<ct hum:tn hie The lndtgenou$ wori<us •~ esp<· Cllllly vulnerable to the pernlC:tous dfttl-' o( the pesltddes for di\'CI'SC re<~SC>ns, among thent the r..ct that they lack mlor· malton regarding the dongers or expo- 10 Zapotec> from Oaxaca. Nahuas. Munccos and TI•pcnecos from Guerrero and Purh'epechns from Michoac•n. The dcmogn•phlc data indicates a cx~remely serious shuatton According 10 Estel• Guzm~n A)'lllo, women (34%) ond ehtl· dren undtr 12 years o( age 02'4) constt· lUte 66, of the lndtgcnOUS f>bor (c>rce tn tbe ogncuhural regions In northern Mexico Ruth franco. a docror spec1:>lt:• mg m work-related health and the coor· dmator of the Progmm for D•y Loborers o( the IMSS delevtion In Slnalo:t, C51i· mOles th111 25% of rhe 200.000 workers tn the Smalo.1 valleys during the 1995· 1996 ..ason wtre children bctwtcn the agu of 5 •nd H . 01 the t blldrtn from southern Me;aco. 63% •re ht1ed by tntern~td1011c> tn thetr place or ongtn ond the rtSitn the state of Smaloa forty lour per· c<nt of these chtld laborers are female ond Ofty SIX percem male. 55% of the d11ld farm workers ha"e been workmg in the fields (or I to 5 years and 14% for over 5 years At the conclusion of the agrlcultur· al sc;uon, 72, rtturn Wl!h !httr r~mthcs to tht1r rcspecu''t States, 20$, R"m:un in Sm•loa. >nd 9% conunue along •he nug.rant v.'Orktr rome to Other desnna· uons The extenr of the mdtS<:nmlnate use of pesticides has been frequen!ly exposed and dcnaunctd 1 the Mex1a1n prtss.. his n esumJted thai thousands of used contruntrs and tOXIC n:s•ducs that an: gener.lltd by the ann~! use o( upw•rd.s o( 8 mtlhon 1ons o( pt>ttddcs arc cnmmall)• diSposed of tn •d hoc trash btns. channels. drams, mcmer.nors. ;.nd recycled to store dnnk~ fng Willtr The hannfuJ cffCC\S ()[ pt~l· cides on human health t'lnd on the en''l· ronm.ent h:we been dearly docum~med �ECO·J U ST t CE Huichol~s and p~sticides The Huicholes sptak a l~nguage belonging to Lhe uto·:Ul<'«~ linguistic f,tmoly that •lso mdudes N~huad, Hop•. ShMhon<, Comench( .1nd m."Uiy other t.ngwges m a \'liSt lftllon tlut extends nonhward to tht Umt<d Smrs and southward 1nto cenml MexiCO. Some stud~<s est•mate that betwecn 15 and 20 thousand Huicholcs. Inhabit th«:: moun· tams or the Sierrn Madre Occldemal with· in ,, territory that comprises pans of the Mexican SL>t<s of J.•Hseo, Nayam, Oumngo, and lacatcw Ynr oft<r )nr. approxonuttly -10$ of .1l1 Hutchole famJhcs t('.Wt the1r <Jommu· nutes m the dry season 10 find employ· mem. IXX>rly p01d and dnngerous. m the tabat'<o fields of the Nay>lit coast. The <."1mses of this tempornry migmuon stem rrom the socioecononuc Situa.uon or the Indigenous people and from thm ritual c-•ltnd.ar In tht rainy sc~n the llu~tholts tl':l· d1!100>lly culn\'au'd • rombmauon of conl, ch1lt, ~ans. THE "VALUABLE squ:t,.h, 0\nd runa- AND APPRECIAT· ED" HUMAN MERCHANDISE INCLUDES r " n t h Unfonunatel)•, the Mcxlcon govern· mcm $1IC:· PREGNANT WOMEN AND BABIES INCAPABLE OF promotes exactly the oppo- monocultura1 pbnung·by diS· tnbuung hybrid se-eds of com that r<qu~re the usc of pesticides and nnificl:t1 renilizcrs. r<plactng the rn~>ed seeds that CRYING, MUTE v.-trc trodluonally FROM PAIN, WHO used by Huteho!es HAVE RECENTLY BEEN BORN TO •nd other Indigenous ogn· cuhuml peoples. Monocuhure agri· MALNOURISHED culture nnd other MOTHERS modem develop· mC"nlS brt:ak down the lnd•gcnous tn1dmons of coopenmon m tht communal agncultutal work and 1ncr~3.5e.. at an at.vmmg rntt. tht tnci- dcnce or malnutrluon and olcohohsm The mtroducuon Of herbiCides like P~raquat and 2,4·0 gradually destroys commun:~.l farm practices, puts the ht31lh of cult"·ators and th<•r famihu In danger. Vot 11 No.1 and dettnorates ranntng th>l typically occurs on lnllsides. With increasingly fewer opp<Jnunlties to $Uf\•hte in •he mountrtlns, the Hu•eholcs fed forctd to mtgmtc tn $<:1r<h or work '" the tobacco f~tlds '" tht c:oasl.tl pl.lntauons of N'.l)'ant Tht HuiCholts also mtgnte for cultural rta· sons Ncgnn cll•ms that "they ha•·c the rdlgtou; nectSSit)' to vi~n the ocean, :m ancestral female f1gurc associ.1ltd with fenih· 1 3nd t h.c tanh y Once they reach '"" (OJ$[ howt\'<r, thty fmd that tf they don' work m the t.tb<tC<'O plan· HUtcholts and the loetl landowners - the huter Actmg as imermcdlarlcs between the labor force and the ' IHg tobacco c•punl - usually takes place tn the pl.w or the commumues, on the m.11n lughw-.ty•. ur ut the houses of the <mpiO)-trs Som<umes the Hutchol« osk, hesitantly, for .som~ •txtra.s-: a «M31n quantity of tOrttlla.s a da)' per f•m•ly <>r some ration or w:uer. worker< ore these For tho:<t 5Uccted. '' Is grtat ac:c:om· plishmtnt. The r<St wtll ha\'t tO drink water from the 1rngauon uuions, lht.y can- channels deriving not t'ttum home from the S•ntl.tgO to 1hr mountams_· River. one or the most comamtn~t· TabJcco Ius td in M<Xt<O, or bttn grown in from the wells of Nay.tnl \10('-t long tht rtg•on, \\·h•ch before the •mv:tl are also com~nH· of the Sp:mish. nated in th.lt, but It WO\S in the o wing 10 the 1940~ when the 11\tensive usc or tab.lC:c:o market pestictdts tn the took orr ... result zone, thc dongtr· of the Second /kMIIddpiWOIIftJe:hlbli'-'"'-""*" ous agrochtmlals World W•r The ~blto~lo:m. ha,·e k.u:htd Into muntdpalny or the •qu1ftr SantL1go lxcutmla m Naynnt 1s the Me.;..1can eapnnl or tabacOne of the reasons •hat the Hu•cholts oo production. Every year, local l.mdown· contrnct to work in the cuumg (lnd crs mcc1 1n lhcir town plazas to hire the: stringing of tobacco. and not m other Huichole workers and subcontroct them agricultural work, •s because these opera· as a chup labor for« HuJchole workers tions :lrt done tn lht 1.3tt afternoon or are •PP""'I.Itcd because their \\ork wtlh mom1ng. wh(n th~ tempcnnurt ts rnorc the tobacco lea,·cs (hang•ng ond agr<tablt compared wuh '"" h<at or th< bundhng) ts practically an •n nuddle of the d•y Dunng U.. hang1ng and bundling of the lea•·cs one stays The Hu•choles make the Journey from under the shadt or the "branches." Tht the ~1cms unde-r subhuman conduions. apparent 'ldvnmnge of working i1\ the nrrlvtng at the tobacco fields hungry • shade becomes a henlth thr<at when the thirsty ond exhausted. The "v.tlu.lble and Huteholcs arc cutting the moLSt lr:wes apprtdatcd* human mrn-hnndise: and they be<~>me wet from he<td to tot. mcludts preg.nJnt women ;;and tx\b1es Moist slun .•bsorbs pesuodts more •~•ly. lnc.opoblc or ''>'ng. mute from ~n. who Tht \'tT)' DICOCUW ln tob3cco (:aU5($ dun ha'T m:cntly bten bom to malnounshtd imtauons and hl\'es, symptoms whtch, tn mothers or mothers with tuberc:tJlosts the Untttd St>t<>, ha~e bten identified as Vulnemble tlders and t\-tn the ·s~rong" Green Tobacxoo S1ckness. men nrrivt nt these ccntcf"!i' m Wt3k con· dhion, The The children, who actively p.1nlcll)atc ncgotUn1ons belwctn the in the CUl ling of the lea\'eS. art paniculnr· ly susceptible to the harmful effectS of the 11 �Ec o - J u s TI CE pesticides and the nicotint. It is considered ..easy.. for them to work in the first ph>SC of ~1e cutting because they can gather the leaves at the base of the plams. Mexican government's health and envi· ronmental Institutions have taken the migmnt workers, in the Indigenous com· munities of1he Hukhole sierra, a.~ well as necessary measures to pro•ect the h~altl> i!'1 the principle municipalities of the tobacco zone in the coast of Nayarit. In these workshops they showed, in both furrows, cuning of the wol'kcrs that handle these toxic substances. The endemic malnutrition the leave-s. their bodies are smeared with that the Huicholc populftlion suffers Huichola and Spanish, the sticky gum t~nd resin that covtr$ the tobacco. At the same time. they inhale becomes more ~cute \vith the rise in aleo· As they work along t~e the video and absorb the residues of the toxic pesticides that hove been applied to the planes. holism. which increases during the work· ing season on the coast. This in wm Huicho!es and Pesticides. whtch includes the tesumonies of Indigenous and mesti· zo farm workers who have suffered from oggnwmes 1he tox icological problem. problems of pesticide poisoning. The families li\'C and sleep in boxes, or under blankets or plastic. beneath the T h e Huicholes and Pesticides Project •s smngs of tobacco leaves that are drying. In their makeshift shelters, they try to protect themselves from the inclement health sun during the day and from the wet cold between at night , themsth•cs undertaking a study exposing in the process to the toxic substances that cover References: latrines. Even the food is cooked beneath the hanging strings of S101emenrs by Diego Ag<ciiM Acuna. leadu of rhe Narional Union of Wag< Field 111>rkus (CTM). El Univusal, tobacco. Oceasionolly the Hmchoks use the out p."l.ying notice to the gmvc dongc•-s that this represents. since the majority cannot read the mslrtiCtions on the labels which may be wriuen in English. Other wnes 1hey bring these containers back home to the mountains as ..practic-al souvenirs"'. Pesuctdes 1\re poisons spcctfically designed to kill. They arc toxins that con· taminate and degrade- everything wilh which they come into oomaet; there are no remedies or cures against them :md. contrary to their manufacturers· clairns, they are destroying the cycles of life and the ecosystem of 1he planet and Its inhabitants. Nowmlxr 9rl•, 1993. Pmonal communfcatlon <>/ Ramiro CMd"" orwkl the ogo ol I 2ci!Ollilllte 3~ of A1't<>yo Scpul"edc1, (ltlvisor lO ""lt>digM!M la1>x (l)((t in ""o¢clltlif0f lh< Ncuional PtogY<m~ of togioos ol N011htm H•xico. Agricultural WOrkers. \\~th the Surerary of Social Devdopmtnt. Magcltdrna Gomrz. I"dfan Rlglu$. Uaurc prcs.:rued ar Indigenous and mestizo workers the 1691h Convention of tht lntttnationaf designed in coordination with the Organitcnion of \\1>rit. INI. 1991. Pg,78. La Pesticide Education Center of San jornada,july 22. 1996. Esrela G~ttman Frnncisco. California and lnch.tdes col lab· Ayala. Healrh a1 worl.: rhe case of rhe agrioration from the University of cultural workers, rtported in La)ornada. Guadalajara and the Autonomous Ap•il 19rh. 1997. pg.46. Excelsior, University of Nayarit. The study began in Ftlmcary l71h. 1996. El Universal, july 28, 1995 and includes perfomting two blood 1996. juan Negrin. The liuichol Cr<<llion of an:)lyses to dc-tennine the levels of cry· rhe World. Yam Tablas by j<>s< Bcnll<t throcyle chohnesterase. The pesticides Sanch<t and Turukila Cm·rfllo. E. B.Crocker Neither the national and tmnsnatton· al companies that manufacture pesticides. nor the tobacco producers. nor the 12 '11 inhibn the activit)' of this neurotransmitter. producing various effects on oneS Arr Gallery. Sacramcnro, CA. health. including death. As of this wming 111t outh01s work wiJb Jht HukhM•s oM Ptstitide1 Projttl in ll.~rico Gly, Mtt.K(I. For mote inf01mo6on1 plt-~m con/tXt: Hukholes y Plogllitidos~ (mjfio (txtt lot 111·9, 11560Mtxko, Mexk•. (·m1l;l: biDk@moil.inltmtJ.com.mr the study is :u the stage of data analysis in collaboration whh imponant Mexic~m non govcmmcmal organ1zations dedicated 10 the epidemiological investigation. 4 Urgent need for an investigation the large pharmaceutical companies and tob.1cco grow· crs Olre "iolating rights to infomlation and health and, in the process, are polluung land. rivers. aqu1fers, and finally the ocean. whom the the Sea" Haramarn. water, nor any empty ptSticide con· tainers w caiT)' their drmking water, w1th· in the agroindustrial fields. Huicholcs cali "Our Mother of the lca,,es. Ther:e is no potable drainage, There is no doubt that, with the massi\'C use of pesticades ll<tween 1996 and 1997. the team working on the Huicholes and Pesucides project produced vt~riO\IS mfonnational workshops on the human rights of Abya Yala News � 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. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) 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 A Poisoned Culture: the Case of the Indigenous Huichol Farm Workers Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Patricia Diaz-Romo Samuel Salinas-Alvarez Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Poisoned Culture: the Case of the Indigenous Huichol Farm Workers Item Type Journal Article Author Patricia Diaz-Romo Samuel Salinas-Alvarez Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 10-12 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1998 Language English Abstract Note Exposure to pesticides is dangerous and potentially deadly to Indigenous migrant workers. The Huichole people, being forced to leave their communities during dry seasons to find employment, suffer from farming practices and toxins. Attachment Title A_Poisoned_Culture_the_Case_of_the_Indigenous_Huichol_Farm_Workers.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Farming Huichol Mexico Toxins https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/9f66d30ffc6d03104e545463fb2a9b6c.pdf 6f87d29300763c9565dd108613212f4f PDF Text Text _ _ _ _ _ _ __,:....:: O_- J U S T I C E E C~ _ T he Urarina, who call themselves "KachA· , meaning people,'" are a ~'lhe semi~nomadic Amazonian people who have inhabited the Chambira and UrilUyacu river basins north o£ the Maral)on river in Peru for at least 500 years. The Uraril\a al\d the Mayorunas (Matses) remain the largest umitle:d Amazonian Indigenous groups in Peru. However, the relati\'e: isolmion of the Urnrina has been imen1.1pted as their traditional territory has occn invodcd by colonists. loggers. river traders, and drug· Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies + by Ritchie Witzig and Massie/ Ascencios voyeur tourists. All of these groups have brought significam disease pressure on Resource Exploitation Update the Urarina that threatens their 'vay of life and survival as documented in the article published in Abya Yala News Vol. 10. Nllmber 2 (Sllrnrner 1996). Vol. 10 No. 3 The most rcccm and grave threat to Urarina su ,.;val is disease importation caused by the three multinational oil companies who entered their territory in late january 1997 to build an oil d rilling site ror I>ctrolcum c;~traction. The Urarina people live in a Oood zone that is projected to have signifi~m oil rescn•es. Three multinational oil com· panics ocgan drilling from the Chambira oil field located at Santa Martha on the Chambira river. Santa Martha is an old Urarina corrummity located in the heart 17 �Eco-Jusr 1 ce of Urarina land that was temporarily vacated due to the semi-nomadic naturt of Urarina cuhure. The Chambira oil fields arc pan of Block 3 owned by Petroperu. the Peruvian national oil company, but the rights to drill directly on the Chambira river were transferred to Enterprise Oil Co., of Great Britain in 1996. The rights were sold because Petroperu did not have the capital to initiate drilling. Against the " "shes of the public, the Peruvian government now wants to privatize Petrope:ru. The s."le of the oil rights to Enterprise had the effect of privatizing the entire Chambim oil field withOUl privatizing Petroperu. Enterprise subcontracted Parker Oil Drilling Co. of Tuls.,, Oklahoma, and the Santa Fe Petroleum Co. of Lima. to drill the Sama Manha well. Constnlction of the oil field staned in January, 1997 and by May I. Enterprise/Parkert'S.,nta Fe had drilled a complete well but fonunately did not encounter enough oil to warrant funhcr exploration. The latest news is that the company has moved to lot 32. which is just nonhwest of their original site and is still deep in Urarina territory. to pursue further exploration in the next two years with a go\'emmcm contract. Spills Before Drills Even before ther struck oil, there were ecological disasters. On April 30, 1997, the steel bouom of a barge bringing up supply oil w 3S punctured by a huge capirona (Calycophyllum sp.) tree 10 kilometers from the oil well, causing oil contamination of the entire Chambira river downstream. The barge was then towed upstream, moored at Sama Manha, and surrounded by pylons tO control the oil leak (sec Figure 1). One Urarina cacique (leader) in the Hormiga river off the Chambira c01nplained that the fish entering his grounds had been contaminated from the oil, and were swimming imo the Hormiga looking for fresh water. Amazonian river dolphins (lnia geoffrensis) which were numerous in the Chambira river basin ha,•e since noticed to be scarce from the main Chambira. This is certainly only the firsl of many barge leaks as this accident occur·red when the river level was at Oood Stage in the rainy season . The Chambira is a nar· attempting 18 row river. at times only 30 meters wide. In the dry season when the river is 10 meters lower there arc certain to be more accidents of this type. There are no stud· ies ongoing by the government , any NGO. or the oil companies of this impending ecological deStruction. SIL and Missionary Control an Urarina individual under the control of the SlL and living in Nueva Esperanza. This Urarina man who signed the docu· mems is not a leader of the Urarina, and only represents himself. The total "com· pensation'" to the Urarina nation from this ·agteemtnt'" was a speedboat and monthl)' promises of gasoline given to the impostor "leader'". The total effect was to give an extra St>eedboat to SIL Unfortunately, it is difficult to undo a fr:.mdulent '"cont~ct'" as described above quickly. and it enables the oil companies to establish thetnselves while the legal defense of the Urarina is being organized. As they have done elsewhere in the \Vestern Amazon. the SIL have again proven 'vith the Urarina that Indigenous self·detenninmion is e.~actly the opposite of their mission. The Summer Institute of Linguistics (Sil or l LV· lnstitmo Linguist ito de Verano) used an impostor Urarina ~Je,adcr" to help the oil compar'lics create an appearance of legitimacy in their inva· sion of Urarina land. The Sll is an evan· gclical organization of atnateur and pro~ fe.ssional linguists who attempt to influ. ence the societies in 'vhich they work by transl:.uing the Bible into native ian· g.•ages. SIL has had .-- -,...- - - - - --.v;;:- - - - - ---,---, ~ a represemati\'C , (Ronald Manus) liv''"""' ~ ing intenniltently in the Urarina commlk 5 nity of Nueva ~ Esper:mza for the §: past 30 years. The ! Urarina have retained their cui~ i turc and spirituality ~ despite SILS anctnpt l! to influence them. As the outside agency with the longest domicilial experience in Urarina territory, the SIL has never tried to empower the Urarina in any way to protect their lands. Colb)• and g t Dennen's recent book about oil exploitation in the Amazon, ..Thy \Viii be Done· has documented that the histOry of the SIL has been to help divide Indigenous peoples L ......______s~t,;;~!li;!!!o_____:~.j,~_ _j and even help oil companies enter 1M tom.'"'"' rrid"P'rrid ptito6rotiM of oil righn in Indigenous areas. When the oil compa· Peru. m. lot~ ha>o""ntly been <iloogod. OJ nies needed to gain entrance into Urarina uplo<otiM is ax"ntly tnl:iig p/o<e oo lot 32 (formerly lot land, they received 1he nceessary help 8) ;, Urorina tttrfiGI'(. from the SIL. SIL helped arrange a paper deal that ·allowed" the oil companies acce:ss to S.1nta Martha that was signed by At::fta Yala News �E co - J u sT I CE Disease Importation Mtdrinarional oil txploration = Malaria, pertussis. and cm·ironmcntal contaminalion Oil drilling teams are renowned for transporting new su-aii\S of disease into territories they exploit. The oil explo· rmion and drilling teams are based in the field with support offices in lquitos and Lima, but their personnel are imponed from various areas in Peru. the United States, and Europe. The Sama Fe lquitos office use the small Nanay ri\'er port com· munity of S."lnta Ckua to lo.1d all their equipment onto barges for transtxm to the Chambim. Santa Clara is currently suffering the most intense and drug resistant P. falciparum epidemic of any area in Peru. as well as an outbreak of penussis (whooping cough). Pcnussis appeared last February in the Chambira. after drilling had started- it was almost cenainly brought by the oil teams. At least seven persons died from the two villages around ~nta Manha. The Umrina have not received the DTP vaccine which prOtects from penussis, and penussis can be among the most lethal diseases in children with multiple infections. Over sixty percent of the P. falcipannn strains in Santa Clara ncar to lquitos are resistant to chloroquine and pyrimcthamine/stllf~doxine. the two cheapest and most \.IS.Cd drugs against P. faldp.annn in Peru. The P. falciparum strains in the Chambira river still respond to pyrimethamine /sulfadoxinc, but sup· plies are small and infrequent. There is a Vol. 10 No.3 real danger that resistant P. falciparum strnins are being transt>Orted to \'CI'}' the Charnbira by the oil workers loading the suppl)' 1>.1rges in Santa Clara. The Peruvian government has no health post in the entire Chambim river basin. The nearest health post is In Maypuco. more thai\ I week by canoe from Urarina territory. Colonists on the lower Chambim have access to boats and motors which can shuttle sick persons to Maypuco and on tO lquitos. The Urarina or oil workers will take away any hope controlling the P. faldpanun cpidtqliC that is currcmly decimating the Urarina people. hnplimcmation or Convention 169. of which Peru is a signatory nation (199'1) would help to protect the cultural rights of the Urarina as well as legall)' title their land. Legal recognition of their territorial boundaries would lead to self determination for the Urarina giving them some recourse to protect their ,...,ay of life. '\!) have no transponation except canoes. As of May 1997. the Peruvian non· governmental organization CEDIA (Centro Para el Des.1rrollo del lndigena Amazonico) had counted over 3.200 Urarina in the Chambira basin alone (there are also Urarina in the Uritiyacu river and in ;\ffiuems of the Corrientes river). The final number wiH likely include over 4.000 individuals. a large number for a rcn'lotc Amazonian J>eople. Even though it has only juSt begun, the oil exploitation in Urarina territory has resulted in both serious hcahh impacts and environmental degradation. If it continues at this pace, the cultural, biological, and ecological effects of oil exploration on the Umrina w'ill likely be irreversible. The Urarina do not marry outside their group and sexually trans· 1niued diseases including AlDS arc not yet a problem in the communities. Cultural breakdown from exposure to oil workers may alter this trend. New drug resistant Strains of malaria brought in by R. Witzig ltos ptJiormed mtdical surveys, Jiseose lttot· mtnl, suppfftd mtdlcin~. end lraintJ UJorino village htafth warkm fYHWJ in bc!ir medirof and pvbfir htofth on strM sepatote flips Ia the (hombiJa basin silut /992, with a Iota/of 13 months in the lit/d. This ron· lintring ptojut w#lic.h the outbar for~ndtd ;s Ihe Amazonian lndigtn<Jvs Ptop{e\ Heahh Pro;.rt (AIPHPJ. The aul~r hos da<umtnled the epidtmics of m eosles, acute ttspiJotaty iU nesSfs, c~teto, and malaria offocl· ingthe UtatirNJ. His ptt-riCHJs trip ;, May, 1997, found ar10 of the Jhtet VHW~ deod hom malotio, ond wide· sprtad malaria in rht enlite (bombtro basin. This wos the firsllrip aflttlhs oil Jrilling storied, ond all of the Urarina communiti~ wtre lroumotized 6y Jbe incursion of htt!Y'( tquipmenl into lhtir rireJ. Tire ptttussis epi· demk if'l Jilt commMilies DrOQnd lbt ail driH silt wos ing docome.nttd. wM the oil worktJS/;ktly inltoductd. ch Sen n Uratino had ditd of ptJMsn in t~se riffcgts ol""' sinrt ftbruory 1997. avthot is th• only ptr· san (domtstic at fottign} to work with Ihe Urctino 10 Jocume.nl fffld Jrtol theit mtdico/ p1a6kms. Tht avlbots ore cumnlly iworking on m<~lor;a p1ojects i, lqvitos , ftJrJ, n.. 19 � 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. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) 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 Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ritchie Witzig Massiel Ascencios Language A language of the resource English English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Zotero Title Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies Item Type Journal Article Author Ritchie Witzig Massiel Ascencios Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 17-19 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Language English Abstract Note The Kacha people are increasingly being exploited for their natural resources. Oil companies are spreading disease and ruining environments, with a negative impact on Indigenous life. Attachment Title Urarina_Survival_Update_Continued_Resource_Exportation_and_Disease_Importation_by_Foreigners_and_Newly_Initiated_by_Multinational_Oil_Companies.pdf Urarina_Survival_Update_Continued_Resource_Exportation_and_Disease_Importation_by_Foreigners_and_Newly_Initiated_by_Multinational_Oil_Companies.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] [No URL] Disease Kacha Urarina https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/bd3ffbc0c4f790c0085b5f74769ee5c6.pdf 5b7341f908390f87f36673132f1c8d35 PDF Text Text C 0 N F R 0 N T_:_.!:.....:~_.::,_,'-"- T U R A L :..._: I N G C u L-' E X T I N C T I ., N' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0'---'-' New and Old Disease Threats in the Peruvian Amazon: The Case of the Urarina by Ritchie Witzig An estimated 90% of Indigenous people in the Americas died after exposure to novel infectious diseases brought by Europeans- and over half the Indigenous groups once present in the Americas have become extinct. Biological extinction mandates cultural extinction, although in the modem era cultural loss may preclude physical extinction. Isolated Amazonian peoples that have managed to keep their culture and language intact remain at risk of biological and cultural extinction. The Urarina of the Peruvian Amazon are one group still struggling with increasing threats to their physical survival as a people. he Umrina have lived in the Chambim and Urituyacu river basins for at least half a millennium. The word ·umrina" is thought to be derived from the Quechua root words of "people" and "below"-meaning the "people from below." The)' call themselves "KacM," meaning "the people." The Umrina have remained relatively isolated due to the remoteness of their settlements and by choice. The blackwater river basins where the)' live are supplied by a giant T Rircltie IVitzig is an irifeuious diseases physician currently direc1ing medical projects in 1he Amazon and Andean regions of Peru. 6 aguajal. or swamp, providing insulation from an)• incursions from the nonh. east. and west. The Umrina are ecologically flexible, able lO live both on the low-nutritional blackwater rivers or in the rainforest. They have resisted missionary influ. ence and cultuml integmtion (from colonists). All these facwrs may be the reason the Umrina speak a unique language, and have survived as a distinct people. However, in the present their traditional territory has been invaded, and they have yet to affiliate with any Indigenous rights group. Not surprisingly. the Peruvian government has not officially registered their lands. Incursions of "foreigners" (non-Urarinas) intO Urarina traditional lands are currently from river Abya Y News ala �CONFRONTING traders. loggers. colonistS. oil explorntion teams. and recently. "drug· voyeur· tounsts. All of these groups ha'-e brought s•gn•fic:~nt dlS<asc pressure on the Uranna that threatens thear way of life and Sul'\ival. Rl\'er trnders. loggers. and colomStS commg from lqunos to explon tht Ur.mn• and thear land for natural resources are known to ha"e transport· ed two measles ep1dem1cs m the latt 1980s and 1991. They cenamly brought the cholera ep1dem1c of September 1991 and October 1993 upri"er from tqu1tos. as well as dengue r.-·er and different strams of g;~Strom­ testinal and respiratory d1seases to which the Urarina have had no preVIous immunological exposure. The traders and colonists also bnng m poor nutri· tiona! quality foods such as nee and sugar that arc altering the d1ct in some Urarina villages. The Urarina tr:Jditlonol diet is high in protein which prc"ents malnutrition. even under the stress of several infections. Once their diet includes more refined foods. malnutrition and consequently disease morbid ity (the rate of Incidence of a dl.sease) and mortality will prob.1bly increase. The oil explorntion and dnlling teams are from Petroperu facihtlcs bordering Urnrina territory. but their personnel arc imponed from \"Orious areas in Peru. An oil pipehne crosses under the Chambira nver JUSI before the connuence of the Tignllo. on llS way from Trompeteros on the Comentes to S:lramuro on the Maral\on. The p1pehne then coursts across the Andes to th< Pacific. The northern secuon of th1s pipehne crosses Uranna l•nd JUSI nonh of the agua)<JI (S\\"Omp) suppl)•ng the \Vater lOr thear nvers. Pcuoperu has planned a huge Chambu-a 011 drlihng project tn the center of Uranna land as soon as they rece1ve stanup moneys The cultural. b1olog>eal. and ccol<>g~col effectS on the Uranru~ '"II hkely be devastating. 01l dnlhng teams are renowned ror transportang new strams of malaria and sexually tr:msnuned diS· eases mto temtoncs they explon. The Urarina do not marry outside thear Vol. 10No. 2 CULTURAL EXTINCTION group and se><-ually transmitted diseases are not yet a problem among them. New StrainS or malart.1, however. are CUrrtnt· ly dcc1mat1ng the Urarina peoples. In the past twoyears.twoAmeric:~ns ha"e amnged "Jungle ecology tours· that mclude a two wetk trip up the ., Amazon and Marafton ri\'ers. and recently the lower Chamb1ra nver. Dunng the n'·er tour. a ·shaman· from tquuos manufactures the sacred halluCinog<niC ayahuasca (Banistcriop<is caapt) for the tounStS to dnnk and ·expcntnee the JUngle hke the ru~ti,-es." Fmally. they am"< m Uranna villages to "look at the lnd1ans" and take pictures Right after a tour mthe spring of 1995. most or the children m one ,;llage which had been "isned c:~me down with a rcs1>1ratory ailment requiring antibi- l 1 Petropcu operations on the Maral'lon. otics to recO\•cr. This infection was most likely SUI>phed by these "drug-voyeur" tourists rrom overseas. The Urarina are alanned at this invasion. especially as they know the tour operators arc anned with weapons and Hike drugs, effectively mocking the Urarina religious ceremonies. The affected ,;llages organized to write n compktint lO the P eruvian Ministries of the Interior and Tourism in lqunos. and the rlmericon Embassy in L1ma. demandmg that the indi\iduals respons1ble be barred from their lands. In August 1992. a medical sun-ey was IOHlally conducted in Urarina territory As the Urarina had pre\'iously ne\'er seen a ph)'Stcian, 1t took eight days before a four-year-old girl was brought forward 1n critic:~l condition suffenng from malaria. amotbic dysen· tery. and three l)'ptS of wonn mfect1ons. After she reco\'ered. commumty members were Interested m complementing thear 0\\11 soph1st1cated tthnobotanical med1c1nes to prc\'ent morbidity and monaht)' from""''' d1seases. These maJ. ad1es mcluded mostly recently introduced d1seases. such as the deadly cholera and ma.lana. Uranna communi· tits suffered gra"ely from the introduction of cholera into the Chambira river system m September 1991 (cholera \\'35 remtrodueed into South Americ:~ in january 1991). Some communities ... they arrive in Urarina villages to "look at the Indians" and take pictures. Right after a tour in the spring of 1995, most of the children in one village which had been visited came down with a respiratory ailment requiring antibiotics to recover. 7 �CONFRONTING CULTURA L Children are especially at risk of diseases like malaria. reported population losses of up to 20%, an incredibly high population mortality rate even rrom this well· known disease that can kill in less than 12 hours. A second epidemic of cholera in the Chambira with significantly less monality followed in October 1993 after village heahh workers had been trained to treat cholera. Urarina communities also suffer from endemic vi\'W: malaria. which still produces significant mol'bidity and contributes to mortality especially among children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Other important illnesses documented in Urarina cotnmunities in the initial 1992 survey were helminth infections. dysentery (amoebic and bacillary). and viral and bacterial respiratory infections. After the initial medical survey was performed, the Urarina communities elected 3 village health workers (VHWs) who were then trained to diagnose and treat the most common medical illnesses. The VHW communities were provided medical supplies for their village as well as any surrounding Urarina comrnunity in need. VH\oVs and the Urarina people are encouraged to con· tinue using and developing their own medical system for r nany ailments 8 EXTINCTION which it can ameliorate. further medical surveys from August to October 1993, February to April 1994, January to April 1995, and October to December 1995 revealed progressive disease threats. furt hered training of the VHWs. and replenished medical supplies. When the second wave of cholera came up the Chambira, the VHWs were ready to give oral rehydration solutions and tetracycline to the sick. Only one fatal case was reponed from the VHW villages after that outbreak. The most recent disease th reat to the Urarina has been the deadly Plasmodium falcipan~m malaria strain. Previously confined to small areas of Peru. in the last 5 years this strain has spread across most of northeastern Peru. h first appeared in the Urituyacu river system 2 years ago, and spread into the Chambira river from the Tigrillo river in 1995. The Urarina region has been the most affected. The malaria research lab in lquitos has identified a staggering 79% of all P. falciparum cases in July. August. and September 1995 to have originated rrom the r nain river systems in which the Urarina live (Chambira, Urituyacu. and Corricmes). However. these figures still underestimate the severity of the new malarial suain on the Urarina. since most of their cases ar c never reported . A further p roblem is that the new strain has grade II (two) drug resistance. While colonists on the lower Chambira and Tigrillo rivers arc seeking the most effective drug trcatrnent at medical posts on the Marat'\on and Amazon rivers, it is unavailable to the Urarina because of logistical and financial reasons. To illustrate the seriousness of the epidemic, the Urarina village of Tagual had 6 people (5 children and one pregnant woman) out of 80 die or the new strain the week before the last medical survey and supply trip arrived. All other Urarina communities experienced monalit)r from the new strain, ahhough at a lower rnte. What is to become of the Urarina? The most negative spin on the future must be confronted as a potential reali- ty. If the past is an)' measure regarding Indigenous peoples in Peru. the govern- ment will attempt to assimilate them into Peruvian society. Young Urarina men, for example, will be drafted to do their mandatory military service ror • fatherland" Peru. Colonists will continue invading Urarina territory. Petropent will drill in the Chambira oil field. Ecological destruction and introduced diseases will gradually decimate them. Urarina mao dying of cholera, treated for the d isease just in time. Many people do not survive this treatable illness. for the optimistic spin, the Urarina could remain where they are, in their own territory and self·sufficient. Since Peru is a signatory of the International Labor Organization Convention 169 which e£rectively advocates for the defense of Indigenous cultures, it could legally recognize their territory. This would lead to their self-detem>ination. and the control of their own destiny. Thankfully. a few optimistic signs have emerged for the Urarina. First, Peruvian anthropologists have succeed· ed in petitioning the Peruvian Department of Agricuhure on their Abya Yala News �CONFRONTING behalf to conduct a population survey, the first step necessary for land titling. The survey is being conducted by the Peruvian NGO CEDIA (Centro Para el Desarrollo del lndlgena Amaz6nico). The s11rvcy started in November 1995. with expected completion in late 1996 or early 1997. However. this is only a start. With the odds stacked against them, the Urarina will likely ne<!d political support from outside Peru or they will join the long line of extinct cultures and peoples left behind by the ongoing colonization of this continent. 1' CULTURAL EXT I NCTION Map showing Urarina territOI)' in the blackwater systems of the Chambira and Urituyacu. The rivers drain from a swamp to the north, helping to isolate the Ucarina. Thanks to Rafad M<za, !..dis Ri\•era Chdi'<Z, )ost Morosco. jotge Quintana Zurita. Luis Icomcna, and Massitl Astendos Linares for their comribulions ro Urarina stlf-dtttnnfnation and d1e Urarina medical project To call aw:ntion to and protctl d1t Urarina~ territorial iruc:grity: \\~tt the Pr'tZ.itlent of Ptnl, Alberto Fujimori, urging him to secur~ the Urarina and other Indigenous peoples' tenitorial rights and to stop destruaive~ invasive tourism into Indigenous peoples communities. Send your letters to Ministerio de Ia Presidencia, -1297 Paseo de lc! Repti.bliat, Uma 1, Peru. To proUGl Indigenous peoples from importtd diseases: If you ar< working with isolated lndigtiiOIIS peoples (aruhropologists. l1uman riglus workers. ttc.), please co>ifin" that bo<h you and your local guides ha\'t all tile ncU$Sar)' \'DC· cinations and prophylactic medications. A.ny ptfSCn panicipating in rlfe project who is curn:ntly Ill should dtl>er b< left lxfli,d, or the project should lx delayed until that person has r<eovcn:d. 8AAZil If you a•• engaging in e<Olowism, please do 1101 enroll in •exotic'" tou~ pmmising to mttl isolat<d p<oples. Then: is no advantage for them to meet you. Tl1e tour opemtors arc in business to makt money. Tour operators l1a\'e no incentive to P'~'·tnt diSCQS( or impto\'e httdth among thes< peoples. Please Inform local Indigenous organizations or 01hcr adequate cnririts of tour operacotS operating u.ndcr such co11ditions. Vol. 10 No.2 i i ·Map Areas oil operation contracts and areas d irectly operated by Petroleos del Peru: Blod< 8 falls directly on top of the Urarina's territOI)'. 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. 2 (Summer 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 New and Old Disease Threats in the Peruvian Amazon: The Case of Urarina Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ritchie Witzig Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1996 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title New and Old Disease Threats in the Peruvian Amazon: The Case of Urarina Item Type Journal Article Author Ritchie Witzig Volume 10 Issue 2 Pages 6-9 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1996 Language English Abstract Note Since the first Europeans came to the West, the Indigenous peoples have dwindled due to warfare, but more importantly, biological warfare. This article details the struggles of the Urarina people of Peru as the try to maintain their isolation from the outside world as to avoid biological deterioration, as well as cultural deterioration. Attachment Title New_and_Old_Disease_Threats_in_the_Peruvian_Amazon.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Cultural Extinction Disease Indigenous Peoples Peruvian Amazon