12 12 1190 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/4078730a1c2d1d90e11de45ffbc63df1.pdf 7ebf33a6797a8926e6930c81337b6642 PDF Text Text IN unsafe to eat. In addition. the construction would diven tributaries from the Moisle river, reducing Oows by up to 42% of one oft he world's most important salmon rivers. This could further endanger the Atlantic salmon. Reportedly. one million cubic meters of forest would also be clearcut for the reservoir and access roads. Quebec hopes to sell power generated b)• the projects to utilities in the nonheastem US. B RI EF the rights of the Indigenous communities precede scientific interest in these remains. lnacayallived his last days in the capital city, where he was brought with his family by the researcher Francisco Moreno to live on his esl3.te of•Pase:o del Bosque' . On September 24. 1888 the chief died of sadness. Coalition Pour Nitassirum, 182 de l'Eglise, Mani-Utenam, QC, Canada C4R4K2, Tel: 418-927-2102 Continental Indigenous Foundation Formed Mapuche Exert Rights over Cultural Heritage Indigenous leaders from throughout the continent came to Oakland, California on April 16 for the founding meeting of the first foundation formed and led by lndJgenous people from South and Central America. SAIIC hosted this meeting fort he Abya Yala Fund during which the various leaders decided the foundation's strategies and goals. The foundation aims to fund projects developed by lndig- On Febn•ary 20. remains of human skeletOns, pieces of Valdivian St)•le ceramics. and a stone pipe were discovered at a construction site in the city of San Martin de Los Andes, Argentina. Representatives of the three Mapuche communities in the region. the Curruhuinca. Vera, and Cayun, demanded immediate return of the ani facts. stating, •we cannot accept any manipulation of these remains be it for scientific or other reasons. There is no doubt that these remains we re found on ancestral Mapuche territory where our ancestors rest and this is S3cred to us! The three communities. members of the Mapuche Organization ofTain Kine Getuam held a series of public demonstrations and meetings with municipal authorities, from which they ob· tained a promise that the artifacts would be retumed to their "rightful heirs". The Mapuche remain concerned that this commitment " "" be kept. The discovery. also brought to light the lack of legislation for protection of such artifacts. The Mapuche enouscommunities in South and Central America and Mexico. Areas of interest will be territory. environment, training. selfdevelopment. women's issues. health, education. organizing. scholarships. and exchanges between Indigenous peoples. Another of the foundation's goals will be to support training in international communication. for example the improvement of communities' access to other foundations. The Abya Yala Fund also plans administrative training and assistance in elaboration of grant propos.1ls. The meeting participants noted that it is time that the Indigenous communities have direct access to foundations and other fonns of financial and technical support for their development effonsaimed at improving living conditions. In addition they observed that hundreds or non-indigenous intermediary groups have been receiving funds to work with representatives noted that protection oftheircultural heritage was indigenous people or in the name of indigenous people, and the 'most fundamental human right' of their people. that many of these fund have been wasted in administration. Intermediaries have at tirncs also imposed their political conditions on Indigenous connnunities. or have not been responsive to the communities' own interests. First Restitution of Indigenous Remains in Argentina One hundred and six years after his death, the remains of the 19th century hero of Indian resistance. Cacique lnacayal. will be moved from the Museum of La Plata in the province of Buenos Aires, to the community ofTecka in Chubut . This is the first such restitution in Argentina. which recognizes that Voi.8No.l &2 The Ab)'ll Yala Fund currently has an office in Oakland, Californ~1. and aims to fom1 regional offices in Central and South America. The fund is sponsored by the Tides Foundation until it obtains legal status. Donations are ta.' deductible. and computers. fax machines, printers and other office equipment are greatly needed. Abya Yala Fund c/o Tides Foundation 1388 Sutter St, 19th Floor, San Francisco. CA 94109. 5 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 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 Continental Indigenous Foundation Formed Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors 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 Continental Indigenous Foundation Formed Item Type Journal Article Volume 8 Issue 1&2 Pages 5 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note Indigenous leaders met to discuss development issues and ways to fund projects dedicated to solving them. Attachment Title abya yala p5.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Indigenous Conference saiic Tides Foundation https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/d40888bb31c55adf6f03f8d5642247b3.pdf 399e8738333cbed2be8355f827cf14af PDF Text Text IN BRIE F Indigenous Leaders Awarded Goldman Environmental Prize Indigenous Groups in Argentina Push for Rights Under New Constitution OnApril18. 1994. Luis Macas president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAl E) and Mathew Coon Come. grand chief of the Cree were awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in San Francisco, California. The prize includes a no-strings attached $60,000 grant. Macas was recognized for his role in the 1990 Levantamiento lndigena (Indigenous uprising) in Ecuador which forced the government to seriously negotiate the conditions for oil drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon. He was also praised for his role in the negotiations between CONAIE and the Ecuadorian govemmem which resulted in a sweeping settlement giving Indigenous nations title to three million hectares of rainforest in the Amazon. Coon Come has worked for decades to oppose the Quebec government's monumental plans for hydroelectric dam building in James Bay. Both these struggles put Indigenous and environmemal organizations against some or the world's most powerful forces. With these awnrds, the Goldman foundation has helped give world attention and stature to these leader's struggles. Following is Luis Mac.1s' statement at the cercmO· The fifteen Indigenous nations in Argetnina arc car');ng out a country-wide mobilization in response to the opening of a process for constitutional revision. lncligcnous groups are pressuring the national congress to finally include an article nies. arrival of wescem civilization tl1e plundering of natural resources was initiated as was the ta,~eover and destr'UCrion of our moeIter earth and the exploitation of our p<ople. This fntensivt and irralional exploitation of natural rtsmuces ca«sed not only impoverishment of Ute earth liUI has gener(l(ed poverty and the viola!ion of human rights among our t>eople in the South. nte culture ofcapitalism and avarice has forced i!Self on natur'c to achieve its goals no nuwer what the ~tcrifice. As <l reSilh, we: arc now experiendng an accelerated process of tnle globed collapse. st~ning their rights under the constitution . Indigenous orga- nizations held two assemblies regarding the issue of constitutional refonn and have drafted a proposal for rights to be included in the new constitution. The proposal's most important points were recognition that Indigenous peoples ex.isted before the creation of the National state and birth of the provinces; the recognition of the Argentinian Republicasa pluri-ethnicand pluri-cuhuralstate: the inclusion of rights to communal land ownership as well as control of all natural resources found in these lands: the right to educate their children in their own language and culture; and finally, the deletion of pan 15 of article 67oft he current <.:Onstitution whlch states lhm the govenment should •main' taina peaceful relationship with the Indians and promote their conversion to Catholicism•. After drafting these propos.1ls. rtpiXSCntatives of alithe Indigenous communities presented a declaration to the national congress to urge inclusion of these changes in the new constitution. .. .1Vitl1 tilt As inhabitancs of this planet, ft is vital and w~e111 to scop these crimes against nature mullife and worl: tort incegmteourselves wich the natuml world so as to rtdirea our p<Uit tOw(ir'd a more respectf«l and harmonious relarionship with i1. Tltt.s.: beliefs motivate us to defend our motl1tr ear·t11 and resist her des! ruction with her. Therefore it is important that wegain tille lo terrilmies which will guarmtlee !heir protection, nor only for «s, bwfor che benefit ofalllife... IVe have co oppose dtw'Uction and death with justice. sustainable developmen! and life. 4 lnnu Activists Blockade Hydro-Quebec Roads lnnu from the Coalition for Nitassinan (their traditional lands) supponed by observers set up camp on Mal' 29. blocking the access ro.•d which Hydro·Qucbec intends to use for construction of the massive Sainte-Marguerite Ill (SM Ill) hydroelectric project. Hydro-Quebec officials have rcportedlysoughtan official injunction against the blockade in ordc.r to remove the protesters. TheSM Ill project would be built in lnnuterritoryalongthe north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. It would flood over 450 square km. and, possibly contaminate this area with the toxin methyl mercury. lnnu fear this (ontamination will render the region's fish, one of their main food sources, · �IN BRIEF uns.1fe to eat. In addition, the construction would divert tribUiaries from the Moisle river. reducing nows by up lO 42% of one of the world's most important salmon rivers. This could furtherendanger the Atlantic salmon. Reportedly, one million cubic meters of forest would also be c1earcut for the reservoir and access roads. Quebec hopes to sell power generated b)• the projects to utilities in the nonheastern US. Coalition Pour Nicassinan, 182 de l'Eglise, Mani·UConam. QC, Canada C4R4K2. Tel: 41.8·927·2102 Mapuche Exert Rights over Cultural Heritage On February 20. remains of human skeletons, pieces of Valdivian St)'le ceramics. a.nd a stone pipe were discovered at a construction site in the city of San Martin de Los Andes. Argentina. Representatives of the three Mapuche communi· lies in the region. the Curnohuinca. Vera, and Cayun. de· manded immediate return of the artifacts. stating. •\vc cannot accept any manipulation of these remains be il for scientific or other reasons. There is no doubt that these remains were found on ancestral Mapuche territory where oul:' ancestors rest and this is S3.Cred to us." The three communities, members of the Mapuche Organiza. tion ofTain Kine Cetuam held a series of public demonstrations and meetings with municipal authorities, from which they obtained a promise that the artifacts would be retumed 10 their "rightful heirs". The Mapuche remain concerned that this commitment will be kept. The discovery, also brought to light the lack of legislation (or protection of such ani facts. The Mapuche representatives n(){ed that protection oftheircullural heritage was the "most fundamental human right' of their people. First Restitution of Indigenous Remains in Argentina One hundred and six years after his death, the remains of the 19th century hero of Indian resistance, Cacique lnacayal, will be moved from the Museum of La Plata in the province of Buenos Aires, to the community ofTecka in Chubul . This is the first such restitution in Argemina. which recognizes that Voi.8No.l &2 the rights of the Indigenous communities precede scientific interest in these remains. lnacayallived his last days in the capital city, where he was brought with his family by the researcher FranciS<::o Moreno to Uve on his estate of•Paseo del Bosque'. On September 24, 1888 the chief died of sadness. Continental Indigenous Foundation Formed Indigenous leaders from throughout the continent came to Oakland, California on. April 16 for the founding meeting of the first foundation fonned and led by Indigenous people from South and Cemral America. SAIIC hosted this meeting for the Ab)•a Yala Fund during which the various leaders decided the foundation's strategies and goals. The foundation aims to ftmd projects developed by lndig· enouscommunities in South and Ccml'al America and Mexico. Areas of interest will be territory. environment, trainjng, selfdevelopment, women's issues. health, education. organizing. scholarships. and exchanges between Indigenous peoples. Anotherofthc foundation's goals will be to support I raining in lmen1ational communicalion. for example the improvement of communities' access to other foundations. The Abya \'ala fund ;'liso plans administrative training and assistance in elaboration of gram propos.,ls. The meeting pa.nicipams noted that it is time that the Indigenous communities have direct access to foundations and other fonns of financial and technical support for their development efforts aimed at improvi1\g living conditions. In addition they observed that hundreds of non-indigenous intermediary groups have been receiving funds to work with indigenous people or in the name of indigenous people, and that man}' of these fund have been wasted in administration. Intermediaries have at times also imposcd their political conditions on Indigenous communities. or have not been responsive to the communities' own interests. The Abya Yala Fund currently has an office in Oakland, Califor· nia. and aims to fom• regional offices in Central and South America, The fund is sponsored by the Tides Foundation umil it obtains legal stalliS. Donations are,.., deductible, and compu1ers. f.-.x machines. primers and other office equipment are grea.tly needed. Abya l'ala Fund c/o Tides Foundation 1388 Sutcer St, J9rh Floor, San Francisco, CA 94109. 5 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 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 Innu Activists Blockade Hydro-Quebec Roads Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors 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 Innu Activists Blockade Hydro-Quebec Roads Item Type Journal Article Volume 8 Issue 1&2 Pages 4-5 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note Indigenous people block the construction of a hydroelectric project on their lands that could contaminate water sources and food supply. Attachment Title abya yala p4-5.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Hydroelectric protest Innu land rights Sainte-Mauregrite III https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/b6971d95a794158df5f2bc1080c154d5.pdf 124bd5a7404aec4b605aded70247c631 PDF Text Text IN BRIEF Indigenous Leaders Awarded Goldman Environmental Prize Indigenous Groups in Argentina Push for Rights Under New Constitution On April IS, 1994. Luis Macas president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAl E) and Mathew Coon Come. grand chief of the Cree were awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in San Francisco, California. The prize includes a no-strings attached $60,000 grant. Macas was recognized for his role in the 1990 Le''llntamiento lndigena (Indigenous uprising) in Ecuador which forced the government to seriously negotiate the conditions for oil drill- The fifteen Indigenous nations in Argentina are ean;ing out a country-wide mobilization in response to the opening of ing in the Ecuadorian Amazon. He was also praised for his role in the negotiations between CONAIE and the Ecuadorian government which resu1ted in a sweeping settlement giving Indigenous nations title to three million hectares of rainforest in the Amazon. Coon Come has worked fordeeades to oppose the Quebec government's monumental plans for hydroelectric dam building in James Bay. Both these struggles put Indigenous and environmental organizations against some or the world's most powerful forces. With these a"'llrds, the Goldman foundation has helped give world attention and Stature to these leader's struggles. Following is Luis Macas' statement at the ceremo· nies. a process for constitutional revision. Indigenous groups are pressuring the national congress to finally include an article stating their rights under the constitution. Indigenous organizations held two assemblies regarding the issue of constitutional refom1 and have drafted a proposal for rights to be included in the new constitution. The proposal's most important points were recognition that Indigenous peoples existed before the creation of the National state and birth of the provinces; the recognition of the Argentinian Republic asa pluri-ethnic and pluri-cultural state; the inclusion of rights to communal land ownership as well as control of all natural resources found in these lands: the right to educate their children in their own language and culture~ and finally, the deletion of pan 15 of article 67 of the current constitution which states that the govenment should •main· tain a peaceful relationship with the lndiansand promote their conversion to Catholidsm•. After drafting these proposals. representatives of all the Indig- enous communities presented a declaration to the national con· gress to urge inclusion of these changes in the new constitution. ...1Virl1 the arrival of western civilization the plundering of natural rtsourGes was init'iatcd as ·was the taheove:r and destmclion of our mother earth and the exploitation of our people. This imcnsive and irrational exploitation of nmural resources ca11sed nor only impoverishment of the earth but has generated poverry and the violation of human rights among our 1>tople in the South. The culture ofcapitalism and avarice has forced itself on nature to achieve its goals no matter what the sacrifice. As a result, we an: 110w experiencing an accelerated process of true global collapse. As inhabitants of this planer, it is viral and urgem to stop these crimes against nature and life and worh tore huegrate ourselves with the natural world so as to redirec.rour path toward a more respectful and harmonious relationship wirh it. These beliefs motivate us to defend ourmotherea,.th and resist hcrdcstntction with her. Therefore it is important that we gain title to territories which will gtwrantee their proteaion, not only for us, but for the benefit of all life... We have to oppose destruction and death with justice. s11stainable development and life. 4 lnnu Activists Blockade Hydro-Quebec Roads lnnu from the Coalition for Nitassinan (their traditional lands) supported by observers set up camp on Ma)' 29. blocking the access ro.~d which Hydro-Quebec intends to use for construction of the massive Sainte-Marguerite Ill (SM Ill) hydroelectric project. Hydro-Quebec officials have reportedly sought an official injunction against the blockade in order to remove the protesters. The SM Ill project would be built in lnnu territory along the nonh shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. It would flood over 450 square km. and, possibly contaminate this area with the toxin methyl mercury. lnnu fear this contamination will render the region's fish, one of their main food sources. · 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. 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 Indigenous Groups in Argentina Push for Rights Under New Constitution Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors 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 Zotero Title Indigenous Groups in Argentina Push for Rights Under New Constitution Item Type Journal Article Volume 8 Issue 1&2 Pages 4 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Abstract Note Indigenous groups in Argentina pressed the congress for the acknowledgement of their rights under a changing constitution. Attachment Title abya yala p4.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Argentine Constitution Indigenous Rights https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/15a562dd4f594697242813caed533d73.pdf f203c0dc20e3fa784747ff151637d881 PDF Text Text EDITORIAL n january first, 1994, much of the world was shocked with the news of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas. Mexico internationally recognized as a stable. peaceful and democmtic country, proud of its government and admired by others. finally stood revealed. The uprising showed the world what many of us already knew: the extreme exploitation, oppression, discrimin:uion and misery of the close to fifteen million Indigenous people that live there. We also know that the same conditions exist in the maJonty of the countries on this comment. We hope that the eventS in Chtapas cause to renect not only governmentS but also the so-c~lled national societies which ha,·e generall>• remained indifferent to lndtgenous demands--so that this indifference is recogmzed as complicit)' with injustice. GovernmentS and societies ill general cannot commuc to ignore the clamor for justice being made by our people. In the meantime. Indigenous people are creating the necessary strateg)' and ideology to see more clearly our road to liberation . and to avoid confusion in the sense that Indigenous aspirations are reduced only 10 cia~ or economic demands. We want to clarify that Indigenous demands arc not just for a bcuer salary, or a piece of land, rather they oriented towards reconstructing our communities and cultures. In the last edition of Abya Yala News. we noted that even though some anent ion had been given to Indigenous problems by governments, institutions, and non-governmental organizations. little justice was actuallr achieved. Nonetheless, and despite everything. there are positive signs which hold out hope for a beuer future. We can affirm that Indigenous peoples continue to develop and communicate their objectives and policies wuh increasing clarit)' and unity. The International Year of Indigenous Peoples declared by the United Nations m 1993 created many expectations. But with few exccpuons, and despite the good intcnuons of some international agencies and go"ernments such as those of Norway, Canada and Australia,linle has changed. Not onl)•do Indigenous demands continue to be demcd. but the S)>Stematic violation of our peoples' human rights continues. Repression, murders. forced displacements and indiscriminate natural resource exploitation are the continuation of work begun five hundred years t~go. The United Nations has now declared this the decade of Indigenous Peoples. It is likely that governments with use this declaration todivett anent ion from existing problems, with the usual paternalistic propaganda. The difference is that now, Indigenous peoples scrutinize government policies. We are beuer organized and have more experien~e. The current challenge for Indigenous organizations is create the necessary strategies for change and a solid continental unity. O SAIIC Board of Darcctors Vol. 6 No. 1 &. 2 3 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 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 Editorial Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors 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 Editorial Item Type Journal Article Author SAIIC Board of Directors Volume 8 Issue 1&2 Pages 3 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note The Zapatista uprising in Chiapas unveiled México’s corruption to the world. Along with the UN’s declaration that 1993 be the International Year of Indigenous Peoples, this event brought light to the power and organization within indigenous communities throughout the world. Attachment Title abya yala p3.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Indigenous Organizing International Year of Indigenous Peoples https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/479eb3cab2cfcf79161d58c5c3ee404c.pdf 0561d5153e9558f337ebd13d034f2914 PDF Text Text P ERSPECTIVES ON C HIAPAS Chronology of Events Since the January I Uprising WruiCI()! l 1991. The Z:lpatista Nntlonal Liberation Anny (EZLN) forced Its way Into Mexico's political and military arena. and focused not just Mexrco's. but much of the world's auemton on the southern state of Chtnp.1S. In the tori) hours of the morning o( Oeccmbu 31.the EZL>'I dt'idtd tts anny tnto fi,< columns and rn Hoordltuttd 3Ction took control of aU major towns m Chup.b wnh the exception of the stat< capualTUXIb Gutierrez. The EZI.N stormod ojatl tnAltamiranoand ltbtr>ted 160 pnsontrs. most of whont wrr< Indians accused of llle~llond takeovers. cutting trees Mthout prmtits and other such crimes by 1=1 authoritits-·known res•onally as caciques. Front a captured radio station tn Ocosingo.the EZLN denounetd thecon0i<1 WliS caused by governmental repressron. corrupdon and Indigenous peoples' miserable li\ing eondutons From the bakony of the municip.1l bwlding in San Cristob-11 deb, Casas the Zapaus"ts rt':ld therr now famous deeb.ration of w1r encompassmg the fringe of the highlands a11d much oft he l.acandon foreSI fanuarj' 13. The government and EZLN agmd to a cease-fire. Followmg the cease fire. the ~ovemment's death toll counted 35 soldters .md 75 Zapattstas. lnde~dent sources put the nutn!xrat wello,-er200. Q\-er20,000peoplc mostlyToJOiabal llnd T:ttltollndians ha'-e also Red thetr Vlllages and are living m make.~htft refugee camps in lion Cristobal and other towns Wnuarv JJ .. J4. Indian and campesino orgamzntions in Chiapas corried out an unprecedented mob!llznuon in San Cristobal. Fh·c hundred and twenty delegmes from 280 lndogenous and campesmo organl%11tlons m thesta\< ofChiapas met to propose rosolutionsto the oonOict The dde~tes called for :mend to hum3n nghts abuses. a tOIJl cease fire. r«:ogJlition of the EZI.N as •lxlhgerent pany :mel ntgottattons to resoh-e the conOtct. They then \'Oied 10 form • State lanugo- 2 The EZL'I rttrtattd from lion Cri$tobal··the second Council ol lndrgenous and CamptS'tno Organu:anons of Chiapas largr:11 city rn Ot.rapas. Thc)•a!soO\'ttT.uu m3JOr mlluary bast in the (CEOIO. rutte and c:a!Tttd off tons ol cxplos11•ts and ammunition. The ad oil nt5t r:IUOn Of Carlos Salinas de Gorul ri denounced the Zap.1US13S fanumy 16·22. The State Coun<tl met for the first time to try and funherde\·elop their proposals for Ouap.1S. CONIC dele~tes from as forergners and outlaws. Non h. South ~nd C<ntrnl America panlcipated as mvited observers Wpunrv 3. The Mexican amly eoumcmnncked by land and air. in this meeting. Eight thousmtd soldiers were deployed In the Brst few days while the alr force bombed presumed Z.apatista pos11tons. lanuar)! 21 Mexkangovemm<nt negotiator Manutl Cam3choSolb .evemllndigtnous ,;!!ages. and even a group of Tzeltal g•rls acknowkdgtd tlw •we must ask forgh-eness from indigenousgroups and eommunuies lor all the sufftnng they hove undergone.···• and a press vehrcle. $13t<m<nt mdrca.ting m-.,;ol ol the \ltXlCall go.-emmtnt's tarlt<r /qOI!al)' j. The EZL'< abandontd the htghbnd towns. retrtaung to denunttauon of the Zapatist.as IS outbws. b.1ses m the l.acandon forest. SAne recetvod a call from lndrgenous actl\1stS 1nS.nCnst<>OOiv.11h the news thatthealr force w:ISbombmg lanuaO' 25. Prcsrdem liolrnas met wuh 42 rtpresentoU\"eSOfCEOIC Indian oommunuies, as well as ktdnappmg and ~illing civilians m the atpltal cuyoi1'U.\1la Guuerrez ~le was met with fiery speeches accused of supponlng the Zapntlstas. The SAIIC office launched a demundlng a definitive end to the repre;siQn. and ajust solution to campargn to denounce thes<: hum•n rights violatio> and apply th~ eonOI<t. ts pressure o11the Mexican regime. Human rights organizations all over the world began effons to ha.lt the repr~lon. fcbnuuy 6-8. Indian and campe.slno orgmizntions seized four The Coordinanng CommiSSion of lndrgenous N•tionsand Orga· town halls and held protests In at least a dozen other commu· nwnons of the Contioou (CONIC) through the coordinating office nltles to demand the remo,..Jol corrupt local (PRJ) authoriues. tn l'atUtn2 btl>:ldcas~ th<st t.\'tnts throughout the continent and deetdtd to send delegates to Chiapas m sohdanty \\ith the lnd.12n f'tbDIQQ' 21. With Bishop Samuel Ruructmgasmediatorthc. populouon. EZLN ond Mextcan go,·enunem, represented by ex-mayor of MeXIco Ctty Manuel Camacho Solls.lxgan negotiations in the tanual)' 6. The military sealed off the town of San Cristobal de las Ouhcdml of San Cristobill . Cas.1s nnd all the Other zones of conOict. preventing movement of jot>mallsts, humnn rightS monitors a11d IQC<ll civilians alike. M;ta:b l . The government and cZI.N announced an end to the first round of talks. The govcntmem announced its peace lgou«r)! 8. Reacting tointertutional outcry •ga•nst the anny repres- proposal which the EZLN promised tO present to their base sron tn Chupas. Ptesident Salinas proposed a cease fire. peace commumties for a final de<:islon ncgotlanons :mel a (eondttiOIUI) gtner:al omnesty1or those im'Oh'ed rn theconOICt. The EZL'I rtmarned tn<ontrolofaswathoft<mtory <Continued on page 42l Voi.8No.l82 15 �CHIAPAS CHRONOLOGY oF EvENTs <Continued from page 15) March 7. Over 70 Indigenous organizations single bullet wounds to 1he head was pub- Agua Campesino Org~mization was assas· sinated man ambush by a groupofheavil)' found in the Ocosingo market and. ac· armed men as he left his village of El cording to reports. were members of the Carmalito near Simojovel. His son was last group ofZapatistas to retreat from the also critically wounded in the auack. area. A delegation of fore nsic specialists Mariano Perez w$ a rcpresentati\'C of tht reponed 1hat this scene bore alii he signs of State Council of lndigenO\lS and an extra·judicial execution. Campesino Organizations of Chiapas. Many other represent3tives h3\'e received lanuao• 6, The Mexican anny detained 14 death thceats. including Margarito ~uiz of rnen from the lndigenouscommunhyofEI the Independent Indian People's Front. Chanal when the mayor accused them of being Zapatistas. They were beaten. tied In testill\OI'l}' before the US congress. Amby the hands and feet and t2ken first by nesty International documemcd •reports military vehicle and later by helicopter to of ttt least 9 extrajudicial exect.uions: 15 the military base of Teran in Tuxla arbitrary killings. indudingLhe killing of a Gutierrez. They were reported being tor· I 0 year old child: 3 coses o! ' dis.1ppeart\lfed by electric shock and beatings over ance• and serious concern about the pos~ the course of a week before being released. sible ""disappearance• of m least 6 others' and at least I 00 cases of torture and ill· lanuar;y 7. three Tzehal eldct'$ fron'l the treatment, including at least 2 cases of community of Morelia were tortured by possible raJ>e of women in detention. • All the am1y in the local church. while other 1hese violations were allegedly corried out men of the village were detained outside. by 1he Mexican army or police forces. In Thirty-one otherconnnunity members de- addition, 1hey conr.rmed the occurence of tained b)' the am'ly were rcponedly to r~ hundreds of arbitrary arrests. tured while in gov· cmment custody. met at a.n electoral convention in Mexico lished ~round the world . The bodies were City. :md passed n resolution criticizing the government's Chiapos peace proposal for failing to adequately address Indigenous rights under the constitution. March 21. PRl presidemial <:nndidate, Luis Donaldo Colosio. was assassinated at a campaign rally in 1'ijuani.1. The army repon· edly intensified a troop build-up in an attempt to surround EZtN positions p:trticularly in the areas of Las Margoritas. Ocosingo and Altamintno. The EZLN then suspended its consultation process, stating that it was forced to devote all resources to preparing for an auack. Throughout March. Indigenous and campesino organizations across the s~atc take over lands held by giant landowners. In comrast. the EZLN fo rbids takeovers in the region u nder their control. Ma):..i. C~n>acho Solis met with the EZLN Bishop Samuel Rub; lo discuss renew.. ing the dialogue. <tl'~d May 29- J I. The EZLN announced it had concluded consultations with base communities, and was beginning to count votes . .analyze opinions received and prepare a response. Looking for the Action? June 13. ZapatiSt3S' base communities re· jected the gove.mment's peace proposal . June 16. ManuelCamachoSolis resignedas goverment negotiator while criticizing PRJ presidential candidate Ernesto Zedillo. Bishop Samuel Ruiz also announced his resignation as mediator in the conflict. Human Rights Violations Following the l~Jnising, rhc Mexican anny. in collaboration with local caciques: and planl<l· lion owrwrs lmleashed a bntwl campaign of repression tend terror agairzst Indigenous and tampcsino orgar~izat ions a"d villages suspeaed of sympalhizing """' lht EZI..N. All hough 1he de1ails of many of1hese mrocilies may never be known. descripliOt!S of s-t:vcral CtlSes • such G-" those lisred btrow, were gather~d by Indigenous a11d lu(man r'ighrs organi_zations <1nd broadcast arountlrhc world. lanuary s 42 "Pcgf lot1'19'. 1Wr<l fo«tl"'iil< t.. iMtaJfii< ol lot~ it<-~ ol aD: c1.vt1 !Oill ooii:d trt~'--'"''ital,.,d!M' - bic Ab,l$oill ~ ""' CiJio9o Sdlcd olItt SUBSCRIBE TOORY! A photo of fh•e corpses with f>JJya 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 Chronology of Events Since the January 1 Uprising Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors 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 Chronology of Events Since the January 1 Uprising Item Type Journal Article Author SAIIC Board of Directors Volume 8 Issue 1&2 Pages 15,42 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note Timeline of events in the Zapatista uprising January 1, 1994 to June 16, 1994 and human rights related to the uprising by the Mexican army. Attachment Title abya yala p15,42.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Chiapas Human Rights Violations Zapatista Uprising https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/05b430babe62dc4f54c62ed17b032e5d.pdf 7ebf33a6797a8926e6930c81337b6642 PDF Text Text IN unsafe to eat. In addition. the construction would diven tributaries from the Moisle river, reducing Oows by up to 42% of one oft he world's most important salmon rivers. This could further endanger the Atlantic salmon. Reportedly. one million cubic meters of forest would also be clearcut for the reservoir and access roads. Quebec hopes to sell power generated b)• the projects to utilities in the nonheastem US. B RI EF the rights of the Indigenous communities precede scientific interest in these remains. lnacayallived his last days in the capital city, where he was brought with his family by the researcher Francisco Moreno to live on his esl3.te of•Pase:o del Bosque' . On September 24. 1888 the chief died of sadness. Coalition Pour Nitassirum, 182 de l'Eglise, Mani-Utenam, QC, Canada C4R4K2, Tel: 418-927-2102 Continental Indigenous Foundation Formed Mapuche Exert Rights over Cultural Heritage Indigenous leaders from throughout the continent came to Oakland, California on April 16 for the founding meeting of the first foundation formed and led by lndJgenous people from South and Central America. SAIIC hosted this meeting fort he Abya Yala Fund during which the various leaders decided the foundation's strategies and goals. The foundation aims to fund projects developed by lndig- On Febn•ary 20. remains of human skeletOns, pieces of Valdivian St)•le ceramics. and a stone pipe were discovered at a construction site in the city of San Martin de Los Andes, Argentina. Representatives of the three Mapuche communities in the region. the Curruhuinca. Vera, and Cayun, demanded immediate return of the ani facts. stating, •we cannot accept any manipulation of these remains be it for scientific or other reasons. There is no doubt that these remains we re found on ancestral Mapuche territory where our ancestors rest and this is S3cred to us! The three communities. members of the Mapuche Organization ofTain Kine Getuam held a series of public demonstrations and meetings with municipal authorities, from which they ob· tained a promise that the artifacts would be retumed to their "rightful heirs". The Mapuche remain concerned that this commitment " "" be kept. The discovery. also brought to light the lack of legislation for protection of such artifacts. The Mapuche enouscommunities in South and Central America and Mexico. Areas of interest will be territory. environment, training. selfdevelopment. women's issues. health, education. organizing. scholarships. and exchanges between Indigenous peoples. Another of the foundation's goals will be to support training in international communication. for example the improvement of communities' access to other foundations. The Abya Yala Fund also plans administrative training and assistance in elaboration of grant propos.1ls. The meeting participants noted that it is time that the Indigenous communities have direct access to foundations and other fonns of financial and technical support for their development effonsaimed at improving living conditions. In addition they observed that hundreds or non-indigenous intermediary groups have been receiving funds to work with representatives noted that protection oftheircultural heritage was indigenous people or in the name of indigenous people, and the 'most fundamental human right' of their people. that many of these fund have been wasted in administration. Intermediaries have at tirncs also imposed their political conditions on Indigenous connnunities. or have not been responsive to the communities' own interests. First Restitution of Indigenous Remains in Argentina One hundred and six years after his death, the remains of the 19th century hero of Indian resistance. Cacique lnacayal. will be moved from the Museum of La Plata in the province of Buenos Aires, to the community ofTecka in Chubut . This is the first such restitution in Argentina. which recognizes that Voi.8No.l &2 The Ab)'ll Yala Fund currently has an office in Oakland, Californ~1. and aims to fom1 regional offices in Central and South America. The fund is sponsored by the Tides Foundation until it obtains legal status. Donations are ta.' deductible. and computers. fax machines, printers and other office equipment are greatly needed. Abya Yala Fund c/o Tides Foundation 1388 Sutter St, 19th Floor, San Francisco. CA 94109. 5 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 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 First Restitution of Indigenous Remains in Argentina Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors 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 First Restitution of Indigenous Remains in Argentina Item Type Journal Article Author SAIIC Board of Directors Volume 8 Issue 1&2 Pages 5 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note The remains of important indigenous leader Cacique Inacayal were given back to the Tecka community, acknowledging indigenous rights over scientific interests. Attachment Title abya yala p5.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Cacique Inacayal Chubut Tecka https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/1a89e81d4925ec9c032ff67ecfcbda55.pdf 77430f53ef007cf10a7f55c57fdc9391 PDF Text Text SELF DETEHMI~ATION & TERRITORY Co~sTITUTIO~AL REVI S ION 1~ BIV\.ZIL: A Tt !HEAT TO I N DIGE="Ol'S RIGIITS BY e batUe for the rights of the over twO hundred Indigenous groups in Brazil seemed to have c.Jaimed a victory at the end of 1988. Bra:z.il 's newconstitution was drafted and approved that year, recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples, including the right to their lands. A five year deadline for the demarcation of these lands was established. After obtaining Indigenous territory status they would be proleeted by the government against invasions. Only the Indigenous peoples would be able 10determine the use for theirlands, including. if they so wished, mining and forestry. This deadline expired on October 5, 1993, and only 266 of the 532 territories officially rcoognizcd bad been demarcated. The 1988constitulion also included a clause for its revision at the end of five years. This period also expired in October. If this revision lalces plaoe, the rights granted could be revoked. The validity of the demarcation of Indigenous territories and the current restrictions on the use of these lands are highly questioned by many groups that support the constitutional revision. Invariably, these groups are part of the elites that have lost advantages and privileges. The three chapters central to the debate arc those concerning agrarian reform, the environmen~ and the rights oflndigenous peoples. II is feared tha~ if carried through, the revision could lead to changes toward the Nco-liberal policies supported by the majority of the Brazilian con· gress. Spocial interest groups lobbying in the Congress will have great influence over be results oftherevision. The political climate in the congress is actually dominated by these diversctboughgenerallyconscrvativegroups. The lack of complementary judicial tools that are also adequate and agile, added to tbe inoperative power of the executive are also seriously threatening the conquCSIS made for indigenous rights. T: VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 SLt.L;"o.:L .J. \.IC\~111.1.<> One of the most significant conquests was that over the Yanomami territory in May, 1992. The granting of 9.6 million hectares demarcated as Yanomami territory is now in danger of revision. Although the official recognition bas not kept gold prospec!ors away, some groups contend that this area is ~xeecd­ ingly large for the Yanomarni. Another argument is that demarcation in border areas threatens national sovereignty Minister of Justice recently declared that the demarcationwillonlyoontinucinareaswbere there are no conflicts, a requisite nearly impossible to fu1fill, and lbal effectively baits the process of demarcation until the revision issue is resolved. This process could take months or even years. The Minister of Justice also bad the power of prohibiting access 10 indigenous areas, but the Supreme Tribunal recently revoked Ibis power. This will have serious consequences for groups that are still isolated. Their limited numbers are threatened by the illness and violence that nearly always follow contact with outsiders. In the 500 years since the beginning of European invasions, the population of Indigenous peoples of Brazil bas been reduced from over 5million to less than 500,000. Their territories today are only IO%oflbeiroriginal size. The biggest obstacle to their survival is theattitudeofBra:zilian society. To the majority of the population, Indigenous rights and environmentalism are not social priorities.. Hunger and poverty are ranked first These economic pressures create great tension between the Indigenous peoples and the new colonistS, poor migrants trying to establish fanns in their territories. Indigenous people are thus the most widely discriminated group in Brazil, frcqucntl yviewed as sicl<, dirty, and carriers of the Cholera virus. The physical and cultural survival of Indigenous peoples is not considered their right, but rather an eeeenlricity of environmentalists. Many Brazilians arc of the opinion thattbe resources of the tropical forests can and should be exploited for economic bencfi.ts alone. These benefits rarely reach !bose actually affeCied by poverty. This attitude needs 10 change if the rights establL5hedin 1988 aretobeupbeld and if the fight for indigenous rights is to be continued. by creating practically independent stales. This argument does not take into account the fact that Indigenous territories have existed in border areas for years. Indigenous groups like the Kayapo and the Guarani are involved in legal batUes to prove their rights 10 establishing territories thai cover areas in different countries. Though it is true that the constiiUiional revision would not aller tbe present situation it can risk tbe loss of the judicial principle that pbilosophically supports the rights ?f indigenous people. Thus, the Yanomarni and the Kayapo could lose the legal basis to defend their autonomy and territories, as well as looiQg the power 10 resolve other issues still not legally defined, such as their rights over intellectual property and germ plasma. The appropriate compensatory mechanisms are yet to be CSISblished. Recent events justify the urgency of the possibility of constitutional revision. The Sources: Porantim, Revisao Constitucional 23 � 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 Constitutional Revision in Brazil: A Threat to Indigenous Rights Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Selene Jaramillo 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 Constitutional Revision in Brazil: A Threat to Indigenous Rights Item Type Journal Article Author Selene Jaramillo Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 23 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 The Brazilian 1988 constitution expired October 1993 and is due to be revised. If it is revised, negative public attitudes indicate that there is reason for indigenous populations to worry that they will lose rights granted to them under the 1988 constitution. Attachment Title Constitutional_Revision_In_Brazil_A_Threat_To_Indigenous_Rights.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Brazil Constitutional Revision Kayapo land rights Yanomami https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/1ccad2d0793de1cf667321be077d9826.pdf 7cc03e63486c3507ef0d596af5a18a79 PDF Text Text A Neoliberal State of Siege On April 18, 1995, a series of strikes organized by lndigenous peasants and urban teachers forced the central government to declare a state of siege that has lasted three months. The international press has marginally covered this event. A state of siege is a serious menace to the concept of democracy and reminiscent of authoritarian rule. It is the first state of siese that neoliberalism could not avoid. In what follows, sociolivera Cusicanqui interprets the reasons behind such measures and underlines the double moral standard of current politics in Bolivia. by Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui Democracy and violence are not incompatible terms or exclusionary in and of themselves. In Mexico, a solid clientelistic state structure serves as the base of the oldest electoral farce in America, while hundreds of thousands of rural Mexicans and Indigenous peoples die or flee from their country. In Colombia, democratic regimes elected according to various conventional norms have co-existed during more than a century with the most repressive and brutal military and paramilitary violence, and with the most varied forms of popular armed resistance. In the Bolivian Constitution, the "state of exception” permits a wide margin of arbitrary state power that remains partially within the legal bases of a legitimate republic. These are the "democratic fictions" that, historically, enabled the oscillation between democracy and dictatorship, and that in the present, lead to the consolidation of the “double moral standard” which is at the very heart of Bolivian democracy. Bolivia is a country where there is democracy for the few and dictatorship for the many. Vast rural regions of Bolivia are subject to the law of “survival of the fittest,” where open and concealed violence is a structural feature of modern daily life, exemplified by underdevelopment, displaced populations, extreme poverty, and a total loss of popular will. For more than a decade, untried killings and repression of Indigenous peoples in the Chapara region (the center of coca cultivation) abound, and no one has been able to enforce the constitutional laws of the state. For centuries, thousands of Indigenous peoples, mestizos, cholas, and bircholas (urbanized peasants) have filled the Bolivian prisons. They are always the unyielding enemies, the silent threats to this "pigmentocratic" system in which whites or q'aras rule through a mandate that seems inherited from the depths of history Teachers and Cocaleros Forty years ago, who would have thought that teachers and cocaleros (coca growers) would be the last remnants of the classic confrontation of Bolivian politics: a unionized sector--and here we know that unionization covers a wide range of sectors entrenched in a diverse Bolivian culture--and the formal country represented by political parties and the state. The gap between these sectors continues to grow, fed by constant violence. Here is why this last national strike and the call for th state of siege hides a vaster unease: the frustration of a people who voted hoping for change, and who now see more of the same misery and repression that has not changed in centuries of q'ara domination of the Bolivian state. The ingenious conception of the "blank slate" inherent in all reformism blinded the government to this phenomenon of collective frustration over the design of a "New Bolivia." a project that, as in other times, runs the risk of remaining a propagandistic slogan. Fundamentally, none of what was promised in the elections was accomplished, beginning with the promise of 250,000 jobs. Furthermore, Bolivia Jacks even the minimal maneuvering power necessary to defend its once buoyant "illegal" economy (not only narco-trafficking, but also contraband and industrial pirating) that enjoys a flourishing stability in the North. How useful, then, is educational reform and popular· participation if the pillar of the model promised (and discerned) by the ruling coalition is crumbling to pieces? Was it merely a calculation error? Or are we, as in other conjunctures, again witnessing the sad spectacle of an oligarchic blindness or myopia of the powerful, who lack the historic sense necessary to impose, among other things, a long-lasting legitimate rule because their language (and particularly their reformist language) has decayed into a parade of lies and linguistic run-arounds? Nevertheless, the problem of the double moral standard, and the fragile legitimacy it supports, is not only a ballast of the state and its leaders. I would say that it is a key feature of Bolivian political culture, and in this sense, constitutes us as actors and shapes our perceptions, behavior, and expectations. In this case, the lack of coherence in the actions and explicit demands of the COB (Bolivian Workers Union) and the teachers is evident. The teachers' resistance to yielding union acquired privileges speaks more to corporate entrenchment than to authentic revolutionary unionism. What's more, the teachers are the main actors and principle obstacles involved in the renovation of our antiquated educational system. But who are the teachers? They are a product of the 1956 educational reform and, in this sense, also reflect the government of 1952-the same clientelistic methods, spheres of influence, and corruption. And who is the MNR (the ruling governmental party) to clean up the corruption of the educational sector? Who can really do it? In the end, even the strike is inscribed in the double moral standard. While public schooling grinds to a halt, the same teachers who are striking continue to work diligently and profitably in the private educational institutions. So, are the Capitalists not the enemies of the Workers? Why doesn't the whole educational sector come to a stop? Tragically, the most affected are the children of the very workers--rural and urban--who are the only ones left who depend on the devastated public education services. The rest--including a strained blue-collar and popular sector-support the private schools. They live as though in a different country, going to classes and dutifully following their curriculum, while the rest of us are striking. Among other factors, the professional and union conduct of the education sector has contributed to this insurmountable gulf that separates the rural from the urban, the upper and middle from the lower classes, and schools of the first, second, and last category. Popular malaise and profound and legitimate collective frustration on one side, union members and politicians increasingly distant from the collective identity on the other- this all has contributed to the consolidation of a deeply conservative authoritarian political culture apparently totally resistant to change. The state of siege summarizes, therefore, the primary failure in the scheme of government reforms being carried out by the government, and at the least will leave it with the comfort of learning that no change is possible without the participation of the protagonist and affected majority Excerpt front a longer text published in HOY (La Paz, Bolivia). Silvia Rivera is professor of sociology at the Universidad Mayor de San Andres, Bolviia. She is a member of THOA (Andean Oral History Workshop), Chukiyawu, Kollasuyu (Bolivia). 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 A Neoliberal State of Siege Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui 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 A Neoliberal State of Siege Item Type Journal Article Author Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 20-21 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 On April 18, 1995, a series of strikes organized by indigenous peasants and urban teachers forced the central government of Bolivia to declare a state of siege that has lasted three months. Sociologist Silva Rivera Cusicanqui interprets the reasons behind such measures and underlines the double moral standard of current politics in Bolivia. Attachment Title A_Neoliberal_State_of_Siege.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Bolivia self-determination teachers Territory https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/7e895dbaaae26fd8c80657276251dca9.pdf b37d8d3708fae8460d09bd42b40591a2 PDF Text Text LoGGI~G TIIHEATENS 1~ h~· BHJTISJJ NATIO~s CoLt : ML~IA Stl-..m O'Doncll International attention has focused on Oayoquot Sound, British Colum· bia, wbert the battle over clear-cut logging of an old·gl()wtb rain forest has resulted in hundreds of arrests in Canada and protests at Canadian em· bassies around the world. Indigenous peoples make up about half the population in the Oayoquot Sound area. The Firsl Nations oppose the Canadian government's decision to clear-<:ut tbe forest and want a solu· tion that both preserves their natural environment and creates jobs for their people. A November 1993 court decision stated that the government of British Columbia mUSI consider Indigenous land rights wben awarding loggjng contradS. AspokespersonfortheNuu· cbab-nultb Tribal Council said he bopod his people would now he given a share of the loggjng profits and a guaranteed peroentage of the forestry jobs. About 70% of the Indigenous people in the area are unemployed. Canada's new prime minister has said he would be willing to declare the Oayoquot Sound area a national park if the province and the Nuu-<:hab-nulth First Nations agree. However, many Indigenous people in tbe area have reasons to he suspi· cious of his offer. A similar fight over loggjng of traditional Haida land in the nearby Queen Cbarlone Islands ended about six years ago when the federal government created a new national park on Haida territory. The government promised that tourism generated by the park 22 FJHST Giam redw()()(/s such as this one on Meares Island are threare.ned by clear-cut logging would create jobs for Indigenous peoples in the area but, six years later, the only new jobs have been given 10 white bureaucrats and tbe tourists have not appeared. Instead, an army of government bureaucrats arrived 10 tell the Haida how to care for forests they had been looking after for time immemorial. "It's like a new set of missionaries have been steaming in here to save us," a Haida woman told a reponer. "Butwe'renotbeingconvened. We know how to take cart of our land." Many 01her First Nations across Canada - , arc fighting the destruction wrought by logging companies on their traditional lands. In most eases, the Firsl Nations are not seeking an end to logging but want sustainable logging practices and a share of the jobs created. First Nations haveal.ready won many court battles but still the logging continues. Canada has been called tbe "Brazil of the North" because of its destructive fores~ry poUcies and a comparison he· tween the two countries reveals many similarities. For example, trees cover about 40% of bOlb. Nearly 100,000 Indigenous people live in Canada's tern· perote and boreal forest, and about 170,000 Indigenous people live in the Amazonian min fores~. In Canada, an acre of forest is clear-<:ut every 12 sec· onds while in Brazil, an acre ls cut or burned every nine seconds. While the seale of devastation in both counllies is similar, an important difference exists in the human motivat.ion behind the destruction. In Brazil, a driving force-for miniCSI destruclion is tbe poverty of the loggers, while in Canada, the driving force is tbe greed of multinational corpora· tioos. For more infonnation contact tbe Nuu· chah-nulth Tribal Council, wbieb represents the 14 First Nations in the rogion: Nuu-dlab·nullh Tribal Coondl PO Box 1383, Port Albernl BC, Canada V9Y 7M2. Phone: (604) 724STS7 Fax: (604) 7234163 Abya Ya l a 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. 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 Logging Threatens First Nations in British Columbia Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Susan O'Donell 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 Logging Threatens First Nations in British Columbia Item Type Journal Article Author Susan O'Donell Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 22 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 The First Nations opposed the British Colombia government's decision to clear-cut the forests on their land. In 1993, courts mandated that the government must consult with the First Nations when making a decision regarding logging. The First Nations are now faced with the desire to preserve the natural environment while still wanting to create jobs for their community. Attachment Title Logging_Threatens_First_Nations_In_British_Columbia.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] British Columbia Canada First Nations Indigenous Peoples Logging https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/806de5081fc7de7036958cd8f24b758c.pdf 2b8209c1f862bf99a7fa1b06b6a636b4 PDF Text Text W 0 M E N A Cultural Exchange : Q uichua Potters From Ecuador Visit by Suzana Sawyer acha Gualinga Cuji and Leona Inmunda Nango, indigenous cosmology and l'8inforest sustainability. two Indigenous Quichua female elders from the The clay, ocher, and resin materials used in their work, tropical forest region of eastern Ecuador, building and decorating Indigenous ceramics reflect recounted the story of how Nunguli, the forest spirit the need to carefully extract and sustain resources in which lives below the earth, entrusted women with an uncontaminated envi1·onment. The cosmological clay to sculpt into pottery. Theil· Spanish bore the dis- itnagery used in decoratit1g the ceramics retell the tinctive lilt of those whose first language is Quichua. numerous stories of forest spirits, or powers, essential With hands knotted from working the earth neru·ly to protect and maintain harmony among aU forest daily for fifty years, Miquia Bacha and Miquia Leona beings, animate and inanitnate. Nw1guli, the spirit of molded nwcahuas (drinking bowls) and told the tales fecundity, protects all cultivated plants. Amazanga, from their mothers and grandmothers. They spoke the spirit of strength, protects aU forest animals. with pride of their culture, the J•••NOPIP Tsumi, the spirit of fluidity, conthreat of petroleum contamination trois the worlds of waters and its and the recent border wru· with lives. And there are many more. Peru. Cosmological beliefs around The Bay Area was Bacha these spirits-their temperament..~. inclinations, and prac· Gualinga and Leona lnmunda's sec· ond stop on a fow· city Quichua tices- guide sustait1able prac· Potte•>s Cultural Exchange tour tices used in agriculture, huntorganized by OPIP (Organization of ing, fishing, and forest and river Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza) and management. Miquia Bacha and Miquia Fundaci6n Jatari, a small foundaLeona's ancestral territory contion established in 1978. Since its inception, Fundaci6n Jatari has sists of a 2 million hectares of been dedicated to enhancing t he uninterrupted prima•y rain for· educational opportunities of est in the central Ecuadorian Amazon Province of Pastaza. Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Ecuado•~ Per u, and This is the last such exp8llse in Bolivia. The 1995 Cultural Ecuador and the only place where women maintain the Exchange Tour is the second consecutive year in which Quichua women age-old tradition of Quichua pothave come to shru-e theit· cultw·al tery. OPIP is the Indian federa· knowledge and build interchange tion and organizational structw-e with the Notth. Their visits to UUICn<Jll worren·s pottery represents the which bas been fighting to pro· Minneapolis, Albuquerque, and intimate connection between lndi~enous teet this ancestral territo•y ru1d Santa Fe have allowed them to forge cosmology and rain fe<est sustainabllity. maintain sustainable Indigenous networks and friendships with management techniques for 16 Native Americans in the US. years. Founded in 1979, OPIP 1-ep•-esents 20,000 Chosen by their rainfo•-est communities, Bacha Indigenous peoples, dispersed in 133 communities. Gualinga and Leona lnmunda came to the United While gains have been made, the future of this terri to· States as spokeswomen in defense of their rut form ry and its people is uncertait1. and ancestral territory. Quichua pottery is a millenni· In 1992, 2,000 Indigenous peoples from Pastaza al practice exclusive to Indian women. Through its del- embarked on a historic march from their rain forest icate hand-coil form and intricate designs, Quichua communities to Quito to demand legal title to their pottery rep•-esents the intimate connection between ancestral teJTitory (see Abya Yala News Vol. 6, No. 3). Miquia Bacha was a key player in this struggle. The Suzana Sawyer is a Ph.D. Candidate in only woman to add1-ess the P•-esident an'd his cabinet, Anthropology at Stanford University and has worked Bacha Gualinga condemned the government for failing extensively with OPIP in the Ecuadorian Anwzon. to legalize "the territo1y in which theit· ancestors have B Vol. 9No. 1 31 �W 0 MEN always lived." \"'hile Indians in Pastaza returned to the lowlands after 5 weeks of negotiation with their territory adjudicated, titles included only surface rights to land and its products. SubteJTanean righ ts remain solely in the hands of the state to exploit. For twenty years, petroleum development has indelibly changed the social and ecological reality of the northern portion of the Ecuadorian Amazon through the construction of a network of roads and towns and the contamination of water and soil systems_ If petroletun development is not controlled, this is the fate looming on the horizons of Indigenous territory in Pastaza. ARCO, the only oil corporation working in Pastaza, has discovered a sizeable reserve in Indigenous ter.-itory and hydrocarbon extraction is inuninent, if the local communities and international pressure groups a re not mobilized. The struggle for land and Indigenous rights in Pastaza is not simply the concern of a politicized Indigenous elite. Miquia Abigail and Miquia Leona came to tbe Bay Area in representation of their communities and OPIP to speak in their own voices about their peoples' historical struggle in defense of their culture, beliefs, language, and way of life in the Ecuado.-ian rain forest. Standing before the San Francisco audience, Bacha Gualinga spoke on the wisdom of the ages: "I don't know how to read or write. Not even sign my name. Yet, I have here, captw-ed within my head, years and years of history. I am here as a seed, as a root, as a tree. Look at me and learn." Tracing the intimate lin.k between Indigenous peoples and a landscape, she added, "'f Indians disappear, if our way of life is destroyed, what will happen to the world? Then there will not be forest. The jungle \vill not be green." In 1989, OPIP established a Women's Committee directed by and for Indigenous Quichua women to strengthen disappearing traditions and address women's needs. Female potters in the province of Pastaza cunently sell their ar tware to OPIP's Cooperative store, Yanapuma (Black Panther), in t he provincial capital of Puyo. Now, OPIP's Women's Committee 'vishes to explot·e possibilities for expanding the marketing oflndigenous ceramjcs. The US tour aims to provide Amazonian Quichua potters dii-ect access to international alternative trade markets in the United States. The Women's Committee seeks to develop alternative trade networks as empowering opportunities to re-enforce the cultural tradition of the more than 3,000 women potters in the t'egion and extend needed economic support. An example of grassroots organizing initiated and controlled by Indian women, the mru·keting of the Quichua ceramic tradition re-affirms the dignity their cultural identity by honoring indigenous female art and strengthening female voices. Organized during International Women's Month, the Quichua Potte•'s Exchange deepens a commitment fot· dialogue between women across the globe and expands international networks of mutual suppott and cooperation. '0' For more information, contact: Fwui<tci6n Jatari, P 0. Box 65195, Tucs011, AZ, 85728, Tell Fax: (520) 5773642; or the Organizati01t of Indigenous Peoples of Pa.staza (OPIP), Casilla 790, Puyo, Pastaza, Tell Fa.<: (593-3) 885-461. Indigenous People form an Alliance to counter the Vampire Project On February 18-19, 1995, a group of30 Indigenous delegates from the United States, Canada, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru met in Phoenix, A.-izona, to discuss an Indigenous response to the Human Genome Project. During the three days of discussion, the delegates decided to form an International Alliance to counter the Huntan Genome Biodiversity Project. Many Indigenous peoples call this "The Vampire Project" because its goal is to collect blood, t issues, and hair from about 700 Indigenous groups around the wodd. The Human Genome Project is a proposal to collect and study the genetic structw-es of va.-ious ethnic groups. They have targeted populations "on the verge of extinction:• a nd refer to Indigenous groups as "Isolates of Historical Interest." SAIIC and many other Indigenous organizations have taken a stand against this project because it is yet another example of t-esearch which Notth American and European scientists carry out on Indigenous peoples without their consent and without all of the t-elevant information being provided to them. This is a continuation of colonialism ofindigenous peoples which began 500 years ago. The delegates at the Phoenix confet-ence decided to make a plan of action to stop t.he Human Genome Project and its attempt against the biological, spiritual, physical, and psychological lives of Indigenous peoples. They formed a coordinating committee comprised of Indigenous people from North, Central, and South America. They are planning another meeting for next fall in northern California in order to continue tbis campaign. The En'owkin Centre and Okanagan Indians in British Columbia organized this conference which TonatietTa in Phoeni.x hosted. Debra Hany, a Paiute Indian from Nevada, is coordinator of this project. For mot-e informati<>n, contact: Debra, at PO Box 6, N~'Wn, Neuada 89424, Tel: (702) 574-0309, e-mail <Utarry@igc.apc.org; or the Ett'owkin Centre, 257 Brwu;wick St., Penticton, BC V2R 5P9, Canada, Tel: (604) 4937181 Fa.<: (604) 493-5302. ,.,.-- - - - - - - - - ------32 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. 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 A Cultural Exchange: Quichua Potters From Ecuador Visit Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Suzana Sawyer 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 A Cultural Exchange: Quichua Potters From Ecuador Visit Item Type Journal Article Author Suzana Sawyer Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 31 - 32 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 Quichua female elders visit several cities in the United States with the help of the Quichua Potter's Cultural Exchange tour organized by OPIP (Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza). This is part of an effort to expand alternate trade networks to create more opportunities to reinforce the cultural traditions of the Quichua. Attachment Title A_Cultural_Exchange_Quichua_Potters_From_Ecuador_Visit.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Pastaza pottery Quichua Territory Women https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/e6ebd6d0938dbd8d243e5e9a36483860.pdf c40d70cec870c586538e563cd8419353 PDF Text Text SELF DETERMINATION AND T ERRITORY Interview with Teofilo Lacayo Garifuna leader of the Honduran Northcoast organization lseri Lidawamari (New Dawn). Garifuna in the North coast region have carried out a cons1ant struggle to recover confisc.a ted lands T he Garifuna live in 46 coastal communities in Northern Hon duras, an area shared b)• Pech and Misquito peoples as well as ladino colonists. They draw their history back to a mixing of Caribbean islanders and escaped West African slaves, both of whom were displaced through British colonization efforts. lseri Udawamari is afftliated with CAH DEA (the NGO working wilh all the different lndig· enous groups in Honduras). The Ga1i funa traditional!)' lived from fishing and ctiltivatingyucca from Sarah England conducted this interview in April, 1994 as part of graduate research in <lllthropology at the University of C<llifomia, Davis. 24 which they makee.reba (cassava bread). Many Garifuna communities lost the majorit)' of their productive lands after the construction of roads through their regions--most households in lhesecommunities depend on reminances from relatives in the US for survival. Communities near the Mosquito coast are now also facing the loss of their lands. The Honduran government is currently pushing for massive tourist development on the entire Nonh Coast which would displace Garifuna cultivators and force them 10 take jobs as low-paid workers in the tourist industry. lse.ri Udawamari was founded in the community of limon both to recover communal land claimed by ladino landlordsand to increase Garifuna agricul- tural production and encourage economic autonomy. They are also struggling to prevent the takeover of their beaches b)' a powerful Honduran investor who plans to build a tourist resort there. What problems have the Garifuna experienced following the land invasions? ·Traditionally, theGarifuna lived in the.ir communities and respected the limits of each Others' lands. If a neigh· bor said, • rrom here. to that coconut palm is mine•, then no one else would enter where that man was \vorking. They would say to the neighbor: 'from there to there you can take'. On the other hand, you can observe now that concrete and wire fences are being N>ya Yala News �SELF DETERMINATION AND T ERRITORY 'The mother earth, withinthe philosophy of lseri Lidawamari. should not be sold. it should remain so that the generations that follow us have the space to be ableto develop themselves." raised in this community. Those did not exist here before. Those belong to cultures copied from the city, copied from idiOS)mCrasies external to the G<lrifuna. Of course, now we are also affected b)' this problem because ev· erybody is puuing up concrete or wire fences. The same is happening in the countryside. Before, we didn't put up even one thread ofwire. Now everyone has to put up wire because otherwise they will be encroached on. We were confident in those years in de -facto land ownership, and not in legal rights, so we never demanded titles. Now it is the same situation. Noweveryonewhogoesacquiringtheir piece of land also has the idea of putting up fencing because the)•know that without fencing it will be encroached on. Now also the people are procuring titles in ordeno prevent problems with the ladinos who are invading our communily. This invasion began in the 1970s. It was gradual. nevertheless, it has imensified because those who were already here announced in other regions that there were great expanses of land, and that they were empty. People have come exclusively to make ntoney off the land. I know families who have come, marked great extensions of land and are now enriching themselves selling it. The Gari fun a today, seeing this situation are also concerned with acquiring large areas of land to keep for their children. In general we don't have the inclination to sell land. What one has, Voi.8No. t &2 munityoflriona, in which the congress asked that the region's mayors not sell the ethnic groups lands, and in the cases where there were alread)• colonists in these areas, that the state itself ought to dean up the situation--that is recover the lands for the ethnic groups. Bmthey have not done this yet. Possibly there has been a lack of pressure on What is the major land problem that them from the communities. Limon is confronting? -The problem that the community What is l.seri Lidawamari's philosophy of Limon is confronting right now is is relation to the land? -I don't doubt that there are people that the former mayor shortsightedly sold 100 hectares of land , only a few who have taken up this idea of marketkilometers from here in Farallones , ing the earth. But in the case of lseri for 4,000 lempiras to the largest capi- Lidawamari it would be out of the talist in Honduras. This man (Miguel quest ion for our members to sell the Facussi) is now building a tourist re- lands. The mother earth, within the sort in Farallones. Not only is he philosophyoflseri Lidawamari ,should building there, he's also enclosing the not be sold, it should remain so that the beach which has been free for passage. generations that follow us' have the Near there we have the lagoon ofSalado. space to be able to develop themselves. and Farallones serves as an area of The cooperative "~II be marketing absorption for Salado. Once the forest products, but at the communal level. For of Farallones has been cut down, we us, the land's products should be marrun the risk that Salado will dry up, keted. not the land itself. These ideas that and this would be a serious proble-m I'm telling you are the orientation of lseri because Salado gives us food: in the Lidawamari because while I live, there will sense that we fish there, we get sea never be one inch ofland sold "~thin this food, we trap some animals, and we tenitO!)'that weare recovering.I would be the first to condemn such an action bealso farm at Salado. cause I am convinced that it would not Are there laws in Honduras that pro· benefit the people who are worki.ng for teet the lands of ethnic groups' development. How 'viii people live from -The past administration emiued the air? We know well that in any pan of an order in the national congress. This the world, if there is no land, there is no document covered the situation that life. We need theeanh for its ecology ,for was occurring in the municipalities of the 'vild animals, for everything. So, we Limon , Tela, Tn~illo, and in the com- should not sell the land.-,. one thinks of for one'schildren. Which is very different from the people who come from far way to take great extensions of land, and then at some time return to live in the cities. We don't think like that. und is owned so that it can be worked and so that your children can work. 25 � 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 No, Life without Land Interview with Teofilo Lacayo Garifuna leader of the Honduran Northcoast organization Iseri Lidawamari (New Dawn). Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Teofilo Lacayo Sarah England 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 No, Life without Land Interview with Teofilo Lacayo Garifuna leader of the Honduran Northcoast organization Iseri Lidawamari (New Dawn). Item Type Journal Article Author Teofilo Lacayo Sarah England Volume 8 Issue 1,2 Pages 24-25 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note Western influences and pushes for tourist development have pushed many Garifuna people off their lands and changed the relationship people have to each other and the land. The government has favored capitalist interests leading to hardships for many subsistence farmers in the area of Limon. The leader of Iseri Lidawamari denounces the commercialization of land and insists it is not in the best interest for his people to sell land and it will not be sold in their territory. Attachment Title abya yala p24-25.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Garifuna Honduras Iseri Lidawamari land rights Tourist development https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/68b1cbccc6c44ced106b959f97b60640.pdf 28432a89ade07190c2e0a9bb406311ee PDF Text Text PERSPECTIVES ON BIODIVERSITY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY "Development" Crop Diversity and Indigenous People in the Andes Indigenous farmers show over 3;000 varieties of seeds at a regional Hseed fair" in the Andes. by Tirso Gonzales T he northern countries have recently become concerned with losses in biodiversit)'· Among other things. this has included concern for the loss of native crop seed diversity. private industry in the North, if not for the fam1ers and Indigenous people of the ' Third World: Presently, Northern and Southern governments. U':lnsnational corpora· The main causes of this loss a.re external tions. and international developrnent to Indigenous populations, who have always considered the seeds of native plants part of their survi""l strategy and diet. These plants. which are described by scholars in the North as "under· exploited tropical plants with p romising economic value" or the "lost crops of the Incas," have through the growth of biotechnology industries been com·en· ed into a promising source of profi1s for and llnancial agencies link biodiversity in an almost natural way to biotechnol· ogy. and ignore the Indigenous peoples who inhabit the majority of the planet's regions richest in biodiversity. This absence of real interest in lndigenous peoples is consistent with the dominant practices of "'development"' and as well as lhose of conservation. Development Institutions and the Loss of Biodiversity n~ Gonz_alt'$ is completing a dL~I'lalion on Indigenous Knowledge and Biadh'trsuy in IIJ< Unfortunately, t11e Global Str:uegy Puuvfan Andes and Mc.xic.o bt the department for Biodiversity (G$8), one of the most of Rural Sociology at rhc Unh'usily of inOucmial recem policy frameworks Wisconsin . relating 10 conservation or biological Vol. 8 No.4 diversity. continues within the s..··nne modemizmionist vein. The GS6 \vas prepared by the World Resources lnstitme. the World Conservation Union. and the UN Environment Program in const~tation with the UN Food and AgricultUre O rganization. and included the work of more than 500 individuals O\'tr three years. It was designed for adoption by scientists, politicians. and governmental and nongovernmental organizations in both lhe Nonh and South. After three years of debate. only four of its 85 actions emphasize the role of Indigenous com· munities a.nd campcsinos in the protec· 11on of biodiversity. Many international agricultural insti· tutions also continue in the same mod· cmizationist tendency. T examples wo with panicular impact on Indigenous agriculture are the International Centers 21 �f'ERSPECTIV~S ON B IODIVERSI TY AND I NTELLECTUAL PROPERTY for Corn and \\'heat in Mexico. and the Jntcmalional Center for PotalO Research in Pen1. The so-called Green Re\•olution , associated with 18 such nuemational centers of agricltltural research and The culture or each and every one or these peoples -that is, the way they know things, their modes of being. and their modes or understanding the world MOUI'Id them-is shown in their rehuion backed by imemational de,·elopmem and Onance organizations like the \Vorld to crops. plants and other li'ong beings. Bank, the IMF and US AID. promoted a fom1 of agriculture very different from that of Indigenous campcsinos. The "'re\'Oiution" W;)S designed to use high inputs or chemicals and heavy machin· ery. and offers little of substance to Indigenous farn>ers. To the contrary, it An Alternative Project For the last two years, the Asociacion Bartolome Aripaylla (ABA), one of more than 20 groups associated with the Lima-based NGO Andean Project for Campesino Technologies (PRATEC). has btcn working to revive traditional has tried to transfonn them into modem Andean techniques and crops in the ramters. dependent not only on seeds Quechua comm\mity of Quispillacta, but also knowledge, tools. money and A)r acucho. The community's territory food. The. green revolution is a principal includes over 20.000 hectares of which cause of the loss of cultural and biologi- less than five percent have been brought cal diversity in the countryside. under cultivation . Uke man}' Andean Chemicals used in the "revolution.. ha\'e communities. Quispillacta is organized also COntributed tO contamination or air, at three levels: the Ayllu. the neighborwater. soils :.tnd living things in general. hood. and the community. Nuclear fam· ilies are brought together in the Ayllu Diversity in the Andes and strengthened through collective The Andes form a mountain chain work and ritual fiestas. The ABA is made that crosses territorie-s no\v known as up of community member$ who left to Colombi~. Ecu~dor, Peru and Bolivia. study in the city and fonncd an NGO The great diversity of Andean cultures there. This has converted them, as they developed close connections wilh the thetnselves recognize. into "'visitors" in eanh, the Pachamama. and the rest or the community. They had stopped fannthe living beings such as hills, water. ing their own plots for over thin.een animals. sun and moon. This regionS years, and depended on the city. After extraordinary abundance of crops. med- rcnecting on this problem . the members icinal plams. rnait lrees. animals and of the ABA decided to return to the commicro-organisms has eamed it designa- munity. "Correcting our errors. we tried tion as a. global ..meg:Hiiversi\y'"' center. to intensify our actions of strengthening As several scholars have noted. this the community. \Ve formed another diversity in itself is not so notable as the group in the communhy. grew plants manner in which it has occurred. The and worked in the fields like the other questions are: Why is there such high members of the Ayllus, and became pan biological diversity in the Andes? Who of the agricultural cycle of the commucreates. reproduces and cares for biodi· nity.'" vcrshy? How is 1his done? \Vhy is it The ABA works in the collection and done? inventory of local and regional seeds. The answer to these questions is communal and group planting. found in the imernction between the exchange of experiences. infonnation Quechuas, Aymams. Jibaros. :1nd seeds, and Andean pra.ctices for Chichimccas, Chinantecos. Chontal. exchanging and maimaining seeds. Aushiri, Quichua. Shuar. liuitotos. Aher these two years of work and Chichas, dozens of other Indigenous Sludy of genetic conscnrntion and ero· peoples. and the namral environment. sion. the enormO\lS differences between 22 the western and the Indigenous vision have become C\•idem. They have denominated these as "'the culture or hybrid seeds"' and the "culture of native seeds.· ABA held "Seed Fairs" in 1991 and 1993. These fairs have 1>rovided incen- tives to cullivate tlative seeds of many varieties, in comra.c;t to agricultur7tl fairs organized by the Ministry of Agriculture which promote "improved seeds: Among the objectives of the II Exposition of Andean Seeds were: to show the potential of native seeds that are raised in Quipillacta, to e..xchange seeds and knowledge. to demonstr.ue the role of subsistence fanners and increase phytogenctic variety, to promote and amplify the growth or diverse Andean seeds. and to show the. nutri· tiona! richness and the diversit)' of dish- es that can be made from Andean crops. Nearly half of the area's t\yllus partic- ipated in the second seed fair, presen,ing over 3.000 samples of twelve Andean crops. When crop diversity wns charted by region. it became evident that the greatest crop diversity was found in the Rio Papas watershed-especially in the areas of Pirhuamarca and Llaqtahuaran-whcre the development institutions have the least presence. This confinns-according to ABA-that crop diversity is greatly affected by projects that promote seed improvcmem. since they carry with them an established technological packet which tends tO dis- place the t'lative ecotypes and knowledge. Cases such as th" of the Asociacion Bartolome ;lripaylla sug,~est that the con- servation of seed diversity depends more than any~.hing on the conservation and strengthening of Andean cultures. Tnoe development in the Andes will never come. in the form of modernization. par· ticularly when this means--.s often stated in the past-the replacing of everything lndiar• with - modern," 'Western tech ~ niques. Rather, Indigenous agriculture will pia}' a critical role in any authentic process of Andean development. 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. 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 "Development" Crop Diversity and Indigenous People in the Andes Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tirso Gonzales 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 "Development" Crop Diversity and Indigenous People in the Andes Item Type Journal Article Author Tirso Gonzales Volume 8 Issue 4 Pages 21-22 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 There is emerging global concern for the loss of native crop seed diversity. Unfortunately, current efforts by prominent international organizations like the UN and World Bank ignore the role of Indigenous communities and campesinos in the protection of biodiversity. Attachment Title Development_crop_diversity.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Andes Asociacion Bartolome Aripaylla Biodiversity Conservationism Global Strategy for Biodiversity (GSB)