36 12 1190 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/52a5bb6cc018c4bee57a0bfbab130c1f.pdf 78bd0af72a8ded0c4c18123e1f4ec32c PDF Text Text N E WS L E T T E R P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, California 94707 - USA Phone 415-521-2779 Dear Sisters and Brothers, Once again, thank you for your support. We have received many letters with positive comments which we greatly appreciate as they stimulate us to continue with our task of offering information concerning Indian peoples of the Americas. Phillip Deere and Dan Bamberry have left us and returned to Mather Earth, who receives them with open arms. As sons of the oppressed, and as Indian people, they have fought for our ancestral rights. Their spirits and memories will continue to live among us, crossing the four winds, and living in each person who fights for Indian liberation. These are crucial times. Due to the lack of social responsibility on the part of those who would colonize others, all humanity is in danger. Nuclear arms multiply, oppressing all life on earth with the threat that they may be used as they w~re 1, 1945 in Japan. If the is to reach peace, all of us who love Mother Earth and all that she stands for should be to support her. But this must not be a peace of the dead or one that maintains the status quo of oppression which the colonialists have practiced for centuries in our America, For us, peace means the elimination forever of the systems of exploitation brought primarily from Europe and imposed by force on indigenous people and maintained through fire and blood by the United States of North America. Peace means to acknowledge ancestral land rights, and no matter how small these lands may be, to respect self determination now and for future generations. Traditional people, those who have always lived on this continent, must be an active force in seeking peace. Every day there are increasing numbers of people who rebel against oppression, struggling in different ways for justice and a better future. SAIIC tries to contribute our grain of sand by informing people of the existence of many millions of Vol. 2, no. l. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. @SAIIC Page l �indigenous representing hundreds of nat ions who are for their liberation. For these not to be small and isolated ones, we must know and understand each other's efforts, and know that although cultures and the fundamental are similar. Understanding and strength are achieved respect and the right of all to be different and to develop fully. SAIIC relies on the contributions of its members and friends. Your support is needed and to assist us in continuing our newsletter, , radio program, and in sponsoring the visits of South American Indians. All contributions, which are tax deductible, will go directly to furthering SAIIC s work. Checks should be made out to the American Friends Service Committee/SAIIC and sent to P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA 94707. For more information about SAl IC 's work and the projects we are planning, please write us or call: (415) 521-2779 or 527-5687. Sincerely, Nilo Cayuqueo and the SAIIC Committee UNITED NATIONS WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS, July 29-August 2, 1985 Preparatory Meeting In preparation for the 4th session of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations, a meeting of indigenous representatives from throughout the world was held in Geneva, Switzerland, the week before the Working Group session. The five days of preparatory ,,, .. etings brought together more than 100 indigenous representatives who exchanged idea,;, C'.afted and endorsed a new Declaration of Principles on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted other joint proposals and achieved an unprecedented level of unity in relation to the Working Group. Among those participating in the preparatory meeting were the Union of Indigenous Nations (UNI) of Brazil; AIDESEP of Peru; CONFENI.l\E of Ecuador; CIDOB of Bolivia; Centro Chitakolla of Bolivia; The National Federation of Land Councils of Australia; The Center for Tribal Conscientization of India; Confederation Campesina del Peru; the South American Ifldian Council (CISA); CORPI (Central America); Movemiento de la Juventud Kuna of Panama; MISURASATA of Nicaragua; Coalition of first Nations, the Dine Nation, the Union of Ontario Indians, the Conne R-iver Micmacs and many others of Canada; the World Council of Indigenous Peoples, and many more. The sponsoring organizations were the Vol. 2, no. l. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ~SAIIC Page 2 �Indian Law Resource Center, Inuit Circumpolar Conference, International Indian Treaty Council, National Indian Youth Council, Four Directions Council, and National Aboriginal and Islander legal Serivces. To prepare for the Working Group session the representatives decided to develop a draft declaration of principles to assist the Working Group in carrying out its mandate of developing new standards. The draft Declaration of Principles was endorsed by six indigenous NGOs (non-government representatives to the United Nations) and more than 17 other indigenous organizations and groups. It is expected that future discussion of standards will focus on this draft and the changes and additions which are expected. In addition to adopting the Declaration of Principles, the participants in the meeting adopted two other proposals to be made to the Working Group. The first recommended that the members of the Working Group prepare a draft text of just two principles which would synthesize the proposals and drafts that had been submitted thus far. The principles would be those dealing with (1) land rights and (2) rights to culture, religion, education and language. The second recommendation asked the Working Group to take the necessary measures to have the U.N. Secretariate prepare an analytical compilation of the documents and other information received concerning indigenous peoples in various regions. The success of this year's preparatory meeting is encouraging because a very diverse group of indigenous organizations and individuals were able to develop unified proposals and act together in presenting them to the Working Group. The meetings proved to be an effective way to develop and implement a united strategy based upon the broadly shared human rights concerns of indigenous peoples. The experience gained this year and the relationships that have developed will permit even broader participation and greater unity next year. Working Group When the Working Group began its session on Monday, July 29th, well over two hundred people filled the meeting room, one of the largest available at U.N. facilities. Attendance was more than double that of last year and was predominantly made up of indigenous representatives. In addition, twenty countries and the Vatican had official observer delegations. Numerous non-indigenous support groups, human rights experts and non-government organizations were also present. This enormous show of interest is practically unprecedented for a working group and constitutes a strong political statement about the importance and urgency of the issues being considered by the Working Group. According to the Working Group's plan of action, the Group was to consider this year the right of indigenous populations to develop their own culture, traditions, langu13ges and way of life, including the rights to freedom of religion and traditional religious practices. These matters were Vol. z, no. 1. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 3 �given consideration but as indigenous speakers focused primary attention on the of self-determination and land Again this year, many speakers were interrupted by the Chair when the Chair regarded statements as country. The Group is sensitive because many nations will try to put an end. to the Working about allowing Group if it becomes a "chamber of • " On the other hand it is difficult to without giving the impression of making • It is discuss human rights generally agreed that Indian must continue to explain to the Group that such statements are not but are discussions of developments affecting the human rights of indigenous peoples. International Indian Treaty Council feel that the primary benefits of the Working Group are indigenous peoples coming together to speak for themselves with their united strength, advocating for positive • In the past, it was governments which caused and perpetuated the intolerable conditions under which nous live who had a voice in the U.N. Since the first session of the Working Group many important paints have been to world-wide attention. from materials sent to SAIIC the Indian Law Resource Center and the International Indian Council.) DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES 1. Indigenous nations and peoples have, in common with all the to life and to freedom from oppression, discrimination, and aggression. 2. All indigenous nations and peoples have the right to self-determination, virtue of which they have the right to whatever degree of autonomy or This includes the right to own economic, social, and cultural determine their own membership and/or citizenship, without external interference. 3. No State shall assert any jurisdiction over an indigenous nation or people, or its territory, except in accordance with the freely expressed wishes of the nation or concerned. 4. Indigenous nations and peoples are entitled to the permanent control and enjoyment of their aboriginal ancestral..-historical territories. This inc hAdes surface and subsurface rights, inland and coastal waters, renewable and nonrenewable resources, and the economies based on these resour~es. 5. Rights to share and use land, subject to the and inalienable title of the indigenous nation or people, may be granted by their free end informed consent, as evi- Vol. 2, no. l. >all, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 4 �danced in a valid treaty or agreement. of terra nullius and unila6. , conquest settlement on a teral legislation are never bases for States to claim or retain the territories of indigenous nations or 7. In cases where lands taken in violation of these have been settled, the indigenous nation or people concerned is entitled to immediate restitution. 8. No State shall participate of indigenous their territory. 9. The laws and customs of indigenous nations and must be recognized by States' legislative, administrative and judicial institutions and, in case of conflicts with State laws, shall take precedence. 10. No State shall deny an indigenous nation, community, or people residing within its borders the right to participate in the life of the State in whatever manner and to whatever degree they may choose. ll. Indigenous nations and peoples continue to own and control their material cultut'e, including Bt'cheological, historical and sacred sites, artifacts, designs, knowledge, and works of art. 12. Indigenous nations and peoples have the right to be educated and conduct business with States in their own languages, and to establish their own educational institutions. l3. No technical, scienti fie or social investigations, including archeological excavations, shall take place in relation to indigenous nations or peoples, or their lands, without their prior authorization, and their continuing ownership and control. 14. The. religious practices of indigenous nations and peoples shall be fully respected and protected by the laws of States and by international law. 15. Indigenous nations and peoples are subjects of international law. 16. Treaties and other agreements freely made with indigenous nations or peoples shall be recognized and applied in the same manner and according to the same international laws and principles as treaties and agreements entered into with other States. 17. Disputes regarding the jurisdiction, terri tor ies and institutions of an indigenous nation or people are a proper concern of internet ional law, and must be resolved by mutual agreement or valid treaty. 18. Indigenous nations and peoples may engage in self -defense against State actions in conflict with their right to self-detet'mination. 19. Indigenous nations and peoples have the right to travel freely, and to maintain economic, social, cultural and religious relations with each other across State borders. 20. In addition to these rights, indigenous nations and peoples are entitled to the enjoyment of all the human rights and fundamental freedoms enumerated in the international Bill of Rights and other United Nations instruments. Vol. Z, no. l. fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 5 �THE KUNA: THE BENEFITS OF INDIAN AUTONOMY The between Indian people and the political and economic structures of the non-Indian societies around them remains an important issue today, nearly 500 years after the European invasion of the New World began. In Chile, where the Mapuche are struggling to maintain communal land rights in the face of a privatization campaign by the Pinochet government, in Brazil, where Indians are demanding the right to elect their own representatives to the assembly which will write Brazil's new constitution, and in Nicaragua, where the goals of the Miskitu, Sumu, and Rama people have been complicated by the United States government's efforts to end the Sandinista revolution, Indian people are promoting their rights as autonomous entities within non-Indian states. To better understand this concept, it is useful to examine the of the Kuna people of Panama, whose resistance to outside domination over the centuries has resulted in a legally-sanctioned, independent status which affords them considerable self-determination in their and economic affairs. The Kuna include 30,000 who live in some 60 villages in the Comarca of San Blas, a strip of land about 10 miles wide which runs about 130 miles along the Caribbean coast of eastern Panama (see map). Today most Kuna live on a string of small coral islands located a mile or so off the coast, but during the colonial period their villages were located on the isolated upper reaches of the mountain rivers of the Darien isthmus. Secure in the rugged mountain terrain, the Kuna successfully resisted all Spanish efforts to settle in the region. Although they traded regularly with French, English, and other European rivals of the Spanish whose commercial interests brought them to the Darien coast, the Kuna never lost control of their land and were never subjected to European political authority. With the independence of the Spanish colonies early in the 19th century, Dar.ien was formally governed from distant Bogota, Colombia, and_ the diminished threat from Spanishspeaking authority combined with increased British commercial activity to encourage a gradual migration of Kuna out of the mountains to the healthier coastal islands where they cultivated coconuts for sale to British ships. Panama's secession from Colombia early in the 20th century made Kuna territory a disputed frontier between the two nat ions, and Panama sent police into the area to secure Panamanian authority. Missionaries settled permanently among the Kuna for the first time, and the development of the Panama Canal brought industrial technology and its cultural values to the Kuna front door. Conflict between Kuna who encouraged adaptation of new ways and those who l resisted change erupted in a rebellion by the traditionalists in 1925. They Vol. 2, no. 1. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 6 �Panamanian authorities and were former United States 1953 the San Blas reserve the area. The benefits on them to maintain community communities makes it home to seek elsewhere the which is often difficult work in urban areas. has meant that local community assemblies have as the Political authority among the Kuna. Each holds secular or relialmost every • Leaders are elected to serve as heads, secretaries, policemen, managers of communal tasks and rituals, and in other , but the community assembly exercizes ultimate on all substantial issues. The assembly functions, social services, and communal work , such as coconut farms and house construction, resolves members, establishes for relations with outsiders, and monitors travel of community members. leaders travel frequently to communities to discuss common issues, and three local leaders ly. Each is not such that decisions on local communities. from all Kuna communities in semi-annual congresses, but there is of the Kuna nation. The government of Panama appoints a non-Kuna of the Comarca of San Blas, but his authority does not extend to the internal affairs of Kuna communities. The Kuna choose three representatives to the Panamanian national institutions do not eliminate the numerous Autonomous economic and problems that develop from the clash of traditional Indian cultures with the indus- Vol. 2, no. 1. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 7 �trialized, non-Indian societies which surround them. But they a means of selfdetermination which Indian communities can reach accommodations with the outside world on Indian terms. In the case of the Kuna, community autonomy also provides a model of participatory democracy which non-Indian communities would do well to heed. '· "' " Hammer MEXICO Alvaro Vasquez, representative of the Assembly of Zapotec and Chinantec Peoples of the Oaxaca Sierra (Asamblea del Pueblo Zapoteca y Chinanteca de las Sierras de Oaxaca), was in the San francisco Bay Area to organize an exposition of Zapotec-Chinantec lithographs and to show videos about his people. For information regarding the Zapotec-Chinantec newspaper write: Topil, c/o Miguel Cabrera, 351-1 C.P., Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico. 0 ..Cl 0 ....J u1 ., 0 +J 0 COLOMBIA ..c: c.. Alvaro Vasquez speaking On June 29th the Colombian army bombed the municipality on SAIIC's radio show. of Caldono, destroying 16 houses and many crops. In other land-based operations the army searched homes, stealing cattle, chickens and household items. Similar violations took place in the Indian community of Pueblo Nuevo on July l. Prior to that, the village of Tacueyo had been bornbarded twice, and the villages of Corinto and Jambalo once each. The army changed its tactics against alleged rural guerrilla forces from bombarding the mountains to directly bombarding the areas occupied by Indian villages, which have suffered constant hostilities due to the militarization of the Cauca region. The worsening situation of Indian communities is also demonstrated by the death of Maximiliano Quiguanas, the president of a local cooperative, who was killed while working. (From Unidad Indigene, Colombia) ECUADOR Ecuador, along with Bolivia and Peru, is one of the countries in South America with the highest Indian population. It is estimated that 50% of Ecuador's 7 million inhabitants are Indian. The thirteen Indian nations in Ecuador are in three distinct regions: the Andean region (Quichua), the Pacific coast region, and the Amazon jungle region. The Vol. 2, no. 1. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 8 �4122 Quito, materials caused extensive contamination Indian communities are affected these as their fish, a major food supply are killed. Also new illnesses between the coastal and mountain where the an illness that causes blindness. companies are backed the Ecuadorean such as the Summer Institute of Linbanned a decree written by Roldos. Roldos explosion which some believe was the CIA due to his his death, Roldos' successor did not the SIL was still a contract between SIL and the Ecuadorean conservative Leon Febres Cordero won election. the 's the was sworn in, he established the National Office of Nacional de Poblaciones , DNPI) with the stated and for Indian In response, the Indian Nacional de Coordinacion de las wrote a document on June 5, 1985 intent of also accuse the Indian to create appointing "Indian puppets," and of to effectively deal with any of the problems thus far before the agency by Indian The document continues that while the makes false our natural resources lumber, minerals, " The and Ampam document was signed by Manual Imbaquingo (CONACNIE), Bolivar Karakras (Shuar Federation). the rivers water becomes have been on Chachi Indians Often these government with The SIL Vol. 2, no. l. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 9 �"(In Guatemala) • • • a lethal counterinsurgency • . . has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Maya Indians. The majority of victims • . • have been unarmed, non-partisan villagers, some of whom have met their deaths in the most bestial and barbarous ~lays imaginable." (George lovell, "From Conquest to Counterinsurgency," Cultural Survival Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 2, 1985, p. 48. To subscribe, send $20 to Cultural Survival Quarterly, ll Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138.) PERU Micaela Bastidas Women's Organization (Comunidad Femenina Micaela Bastidas, Tarata 211, Lima 100, Peru) sends the following information: "We are an organization of Indian women who seek alternative solutions to the problems that face Peruvian society, knowing that it is women and men who are responsible for socio-economic, political and religious transformation. "Indian philosophy explains the universe as an ongoing transformation of two opposite but necessary and complementary elements represented by men and women. Micaela Bastidas, wife of Tupac Amaru, was the outstanding Indian heroine in this part of the continent. She was her husband's principal political advisor in their struggle for the liberty of our people. We see the role of Micaela as a symbol and model in our work. Our efforts are focused currently on four projects: legal and workers rights for women, workshop in art and culture, publications, and a nutrition and food resource project." BOLIVIA Boletin Chitakolla (subscription $10; Casilla 20214, Correa Central, La Paz, Bolivia) reports that the Summer Institute of Linguistics officially concluded 30 years of missionary work in Bolivia on September 4, 1985. Increased Indian disputes with SIL had led to their leaving many areas, often in spite of support by state governments. Vol. 2, no. l. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 10 �CHILE The on-going conflict between the inhuman dictatorship of General Pinochet and grassroots organizations continues to effect the Mapuche. On September 3, in Temuco, 300 miles south of Santiago, paramilitary commandos fired at the office of the Mapuche organization AD-MAPU. There were no casualties. As a result of international pressure the Mapuche leader Jose Santos Millao was released after several months of internal exile. Also the Painemal brothers who had been accused of having explosives were set free. BRAZIL Sixty leaders of 32 Indian nations met under the auspices of the Union of Indigenous Nations (Uniao das Nacoes Indigenas--UNI) in Goiania, capital of the central state of Goias, from June 9-13. According to Poratim (subscription $15; send a bank order to CIMI/PORATIM, Edificio Venancio III, Sala 310, Caixa Postal 11-1159, CEP 70084, Brasilia, DF, Brasil), the main issues discussed were: (1) The Indian policies of the civilian federal government which took office earlier this year after 21 years of military rule. The feeling of Indian leaders was summarized by Paulo Nonda of the Xavante community of Sangradouro in Mato Grosso, who said, "Nothing is going to change. (President) Sarney is very weak. He's afraid of the big landowners and the military." The meeting specifically rejected a plan to shift responsibility for the administration of economic policy toward Indian communities from federal to state governments. (2) The form of Indian participation in elections to the assembly which will constitution for BraziL The meeting reiterated that Indian nations should elect their own representatives to the assembly rather than participate in a process dominated by non-Indian political parties. (3) Agrarian reform and demarcation of Indian land. "Agrarian reform must be accomplished, but not at the expense of the land of Indian communities." It was agr~ed that Indians should work with landless non-Indians to develop a plan which provides land to the latter, expels non-Indian settlers from Indian land, and fixes legal, permanent boundaries for Indian communities. Independently of govern ment progress on these issues, Indian communities must proceed with self-demarcation, not only to promote recognition by outsiders of Indian rights but also to develop consciousness of self-determination within Indian communities. ( 4) The structure of UNI. Sixteen Indian nations have joined UNI, raising membership to 60 of the 180 Indian nations in Brazil. Five regional councils were created to facilitate internal activity. The non-authoritarian nature of UNI's relationship with Vol. 2, no. 1. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 11 �UNI sup- nations was the ~ "Indians of Brazil Latin America of lfle must the combat 3,000 Indians three states blockaded a in southwestern Parana, the next state south of Sao Paulo, for days in early June and settler families from Indian land, the most recent incidents in a the reserve to by and Guarani communities land. The blockade ended with an agreement that the communities will receive financial for land taken by a a hydroelectric electric line on the reserve and that there courts of a by a firm. reserve dates from the 19th century, when Indian communities were land as • In 1903, .a reduced area of about 18,000 hectares was by the after invasions by non-Indian and lumber interests. In 1949, 9 of the 18,000 hectares were by the federal of a scheme to encourage non-Indian settlement in the area. In 1961, the government sold the land to a firm whom the Indians have blockade was lifted, and Guarani Indians continue have to initiate new blockades if a favorable the case is not announced soon. SAIIC has received news from Brazil from Rosaines Bay Area residents who are currently research work for a film they to make on Amazonia. Glenn of the film "The Four Corners: A National Sacrifice They write, "FUNAI (the government agency in charge of Indian affairs) is especially interesting, since the 'colonels' are now gone. There are a number of activists working there who are truly interested in redefining FUNAI's inaction Vol. 2, no. 1. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 12 �and on Indian • Of course, the people at the are still very vulnerable to outside pressures (from the Minister of Interior or even the President)." Also, "Recently the Brazilian authorities have exposed an illegal scheme to occupy and the resources of the Rio Mequens Indian reserve in Rondonia. Officials charge that a consortium of wealthy landholders from the south of Brazil drew up a plan to divide the land of the Makurap and Sakurap people, and to expand a logging operation that is already responsible for the exploitation of millions of dollars in rare tropical hardwoods from the reserve. The loggers have cut a network of roads through the area, including one through the middle of an Indian village and another through a cemetery. "Federal police also ordered the closing of a sawmill belonging to Lavrama, Brazil's second largest exporter of lumber. The police confiscated $40,000 worth of mahogany and other hardwoods and plan further legal action against Lavrama which has illegally operated the sawmill within the boundaries of the Indian area since 1981. These woods command extravagant prices from consumers in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. "The Indians of the Mequens reserve were first contacted by rubber traders during the 1940's, and today they gather and sell rubber in order to obtain products such as cooking oil, salt, and rifles and ammunition for hunting. The logging companies have destroyed thousands of rubber trees on the reserve. "The police action coordinated by FUNAI is one of the strongest measures yet taken to enforce the demarcation of Indian lands in Brazil." SAIIC hosts "The South American Indian Update" the first Friday of each month at 8:00 P.M. on KPFA (FM94.1) in northern California. The program includes interviews with South American Indians regarding current issues, an update of recent events in South America from an Indian perspective, and traditional and modern South American Indian music. Listen in. If you are beyond our range, you can order a cassette of the latest program from SAIIC by sending $8.00 to: American Friends Service Committee/ SAIIC, P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA 94707. Vol. 2, no. l. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 13 �PHILLIP DEERE AND DAN BOMBERRY saddened his neck have eyes this and leaders Deere and the tha Dan found a clothes. Around of the Indian of the Indian that can see Deere and Mario Jaruna ) at the Russell Tribunal. Photo: Int'l Indian Treaty Council The young boy will into the sun. With the clear of warm air and we will hear the winds "From the south reeds and bamboos. The connecthe forest tion that we have our brothers from the south is also connected with the countries the whole universe. We felt that warm air, we felt that wind from the south, all over the world we have felt that warm air, this time, it is now time that we hear the winds through the forest of Brazil. It is time that we hear the winds the reeds and bamboos, that is music, that has a sound that has a rhythm that has been handed down for thousands and thousands of years. We are that are made and placed here for a purpose. Through many , through many years of and sufferings, we refuse to die. Thank you." (Phillip Deere, Closing Address at the Fourth Russell Tribunal, Rotterdam, 1980.) Vol. 2, no. 1. Fall, 1985, Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 14 �Dan Bomberry, who was Cayuga Indian, became a national leader among American Indian activists seeking economic and political soveriegnty and founded the country's first entirely Indianoperated foundation. He died of cancer on Friday, August 16, in San Francisco at the age of 40. The Tribal Soveriegnty Program, now called the Seventh Generation Fund, is named after the Iroquois principle by which all decisions must be made on behalf of the seventh generation of unborn to insure that the future is not irreparably harmed by present action. The Seventh Generation Fund is unique among foundations for concentrating on several critical areas: preservation of Indian ownership of land and resources; development of indigenous economic self-sufficiency projects which are free of the corporate world; programs to revitalize traditional forms of Indian governments; and support of native women's organizations and the strengthening of Indian families, Much emphasis in the Seventh Generation Fund is also to traditional Indian spiritual activities which are seen as of the fabric of traditional Indian economic and life. also founded a national newspaper, Native edited by Victoria Bomberry, which articulates the need for models of economic and the maintenance of Indian land Dan was also a national leader of to struggles of faced with government or corporate of the world, in Guatemala and Nicaragua, Dan a rare gift of warmth and vision for the future for Indian people and all communities. And he was a supporter and friend of SAIIC. We will miss him. --5. Lobo SAIIC welcomes our newest member, Rayen Cayuqueo Lowry, born August 17, and congratulates her parents, Peggy and Nilo. Vol. 2, no, l, Fall, 1985. Published quarterly, ®SAIIC Page 15 �James Muneta, who has been a frequent contributor of articles and illustrations to the SAIIC newsletter, as in our radio program, returned home of coordinator of programs for the Dine Center at Tsaile, Navajo Nation, Arizona. His perspective on international issues has broadened the understanding of all of us. He to continue as an active member of SAIIC with a southwestern perspective. He writes, "I miss my good friends in the Bay Area, but I must help my people. My clan is the red sand people and the earth here in Tsaile is red, which makes me feel very happy and peaceful. There are many sagebrush bushes and cedar trees here which are also sacred medicine herbs to the Dine." Photo: S. Lobo DAYS TO REMEMBER July l.t_ 1492 The Italian adventurer Christopher Columbus set sail from Puerto de Palos in Spain with three ships. He reached the American continent on October 12 of the same year. This voyage was the first of many negative events that affected Indian people during the following nearly five hundred years. August ~ 1532 The Inca leader Atahualpa was executed by order of Francisco Pizarro. In addition to the desecration of sacred temple and plundering, the death of Indian leaders were among the outrages the Indian people suffered during the Spanish conquest. August 26 ~ 'lJ...L 1780 Tupac Amaru, the Quechua leader in what is now Peru, and Tupac Katar i, leader in what is now Bolivia, initiated the liberation struggle against Spaniards occupying their land. Vol. 2, no. l. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 16 �of Victor Paz Estenssoro, under pressure from the Indian law and as a result, a Indian land was returned to them. Paz Estenssoro is back in power, the Second Conference of the World in Kiruna, Sweden, Council of At the United Nations in a conference Americas. , Switzerland, the Non-Governmental discrimination (NGO' s) of the southwestern Mexico. unclear, but SAIIC expresses its support of efforts in the As we prepare communities is and assistance. BRIEFS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Americanists professor of American Indian Studies and Anthropology at UCLA, attended the Americanists in Bogota, Colombia, July 1-7. She organized a symposium on and Its Consequences, and presented a paper on the effects of relocation for in the joint use area of Arizona. Her comments on the congress overall: "I didn't see that spirit I was looking for. Indigenous issues were sort of under the rug. Indians were only talked about as if were in the past, but the present was ignored." Why can't an international congress of Americanists do better than that? Video, and Photog£!!P.!:!Y A group of people working in film, video, and photography has meeting monthly in the San Francisco Bay Area. Indigenous concerns are a major focus of the group. If you are interested in attending, contact Leanna Wolfe, (415) 834-5740. Vol. 2, no. l, Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 17 �Delegation to Nicaragua Indian Health workers (non-medical included) are wanted for a trip to Nicaragua sponsored by Committee for Health Rights in Central America planned for the end of November. Partial scholarships are available. Contact Diane Williams at ( 415) 268-1627 for more information. 9th Inter-American Indian Congress The 9th Inter-American Indian Congress is planned for Santa Fe, New Mexico, from October 28 to November 1, 1985. The Congress is sponsored by the Inter-American Indian Institute with headquarters in Mexico City, and some 500 participants from throughout the hemisphere are expected to attend. Committees and working sessions will meet to consider a wide range of issues including Develop and Indian People, Cultural Policies and the Indian Community, Human Rights and the Indian World, and Indian Movements and Organizations in the Americas. for more information, write David Warren, United States Organizing Committee, 9th Inter-American Indian Congress, P.O. Box 519, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-0519. East ~ Green Alliance There is a working group of the East Bay Green Alliance that focuses on Native American issues. For more information, contact linda Joslin, (415) 654-6141. SAIIC welcomes the energy and ideas of volunteers. We are also in need of the following equipment: a computer, typewriter, tape recorder, and camera. Donations are tax deductible. If you can help in these ways, please call (415) 521-2779 or 527-5687. Thank you. Special thanks for production assistance to: The Vanguard Foundation, The American Friends Service Committee, Intertribal Friendship House, Bobsy Draper, Miguel Cavallin, Russ Irwin, Bill Coburn and the SAIIC Committee: Pete Hammer, Peggy lowry, Anna lugo, Maria Massolo, James Muneta, and Jo Tucker. Nilo Cayuqueo, SAIIC Coordinator Susan lobo, Publications Editor Vol. 2, no. 1. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 18 �NEWSLETTER for one year, and to remain on our receive the SAIIC of $5.00. Use the below. send a list, WORKING COMMISSION REPORTS send a donation of $3.00. TAPES OF RADIO SHOW One hour tapes are now available of the SAIIC radio program, on Indian Time: The South American Indian Update." Each program includes news, interviews, traditional music, and more. • 00 each. Number Cost Newsletter subscription, $5.00 per year Working Commission ~orts, $3.00 each Tapes of radio program, $8.00 each Donations Total enclosed Name -------------------------------Address -------------------------------City, State, Zip-------------------------------Please make out all checks, which are tax deductible, to: American Friends Service Committee/SAIIC, and mail to: South American Indian Information Center, P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA 94707, U.S.A. Vol. 2, no. l. Fall, 1985. Published quarterly. ®SAIIC Page 19 �South American Indian Information Center Intertribal House 523 E, 14th St. Oakland, CA 94606 � 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. 2, No. 1 (Fall 1985) 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. 2, No. 1 (Fall 1985) Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall 1985 Language A language of the resource Zotero Title Vol. 2, No. 1 (Fall 1985) Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Volume 2 No. 1.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 1 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Abstract Note Entire issue Pages 1-20 Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Dan Bomberry Ecuador Fall 19785 Mexico Peru Phillip Deere UNITED NATIONS WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/0f38e0264a3efaba38151859fb6060ef.pdf 235f6fefc4534a8baa779fb5c921c66c PDF Text Text Mariana Chuquin, who is Qui chua Indian from Otavalo, Ecuador, is now visiting the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, who are weavers. She extends the following message to readers of the SAIIC Newsletter: · "This is a message for everyone. We as Indian people must maintain unity through brotherhood and sisterhood across all communities and all continents, and understand deeply that we are Indian. To assure that our world unfolds in the best possible way, there must be unity and also an ending of egoism so that our culture and traditions are maintained, and so that we continue to strive forcefully, with all our strength and spirit, to assure the well-being of our Indian communitY:' Mariana spoke recently on the SAIIC radio program "South and Central American Indian Update," which is heard at 8:00p.m. the first Friday of each month on KPFA FM 94.1 in northern California. The program ineludes interviews, news reports, and music from Indian communities in South and Central America. Listen in. Rosa Andranjo, Rosita Checaeza, and Mariana Chuquin South American Indian Information Center PO. Box7550 Berkeley, CA 94707 USA ~ en ~ <E � 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. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Back Cover (Mariana Chuquin) Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Back Cover (Mariana Chuquin) Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (20).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 20 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/25193d54e51aa11b62cde3e437384b9a.pdf 89a21b599dc1eff5d3b967d5c045c1a4 PDF Text Text Maria Massolo, who has been an active and much appreciated member of SAIIC, participating in the radio program and preparation of the newsletter, will be in the Islas Malvinas for the next year with her husband, Wayne Bernardson. All of us at SAIIC will miss her and look forward to the insights she will bring us next year from the perspective of the Malvinas. SAIIC welcomes the energy and ideas of volunteers. We are also in need of the following equipment: a computer, a typewriter, and a camera. All donations are tax deductible. If you can help, please call us at (415) 658-9395, 527-5687, or 452-1235, or write us. Thanks. Special thanks for production assistance on this newsletter to the American Friends Service Committee, Intertribal Friendship House, Peoples Translation Service, Leanna Wolfe, Miguel Cavallin, Antonia Luisa, Wes Huss, Bobsey Draper, Bill Coburn, and the SAIIC Committee: Pete Hammer, Peggy Lowry, Rayen Cayuqueo, Anna Lugo Stephenson, Maria Massolo, James Muneta, and Jo Tucker. This issue co-edited by Pete Hammer. Nilo Cayuqueo, SAIIC Coordinator Susan Lobo, Publications Editor NEWSLETTER To receive the SAIIC Newsletter for one year, and to remain on our mailing list, please send a donation of $6 for addresses in the United States, Mexico, and Canada or $8 for addresses elsewhere. WORKING COMMISSION REPORTS To order a copy of the Working Commission Reports: Second Conference of Indian Nations and Organizations of South America. Tiwanaku, Bolivia, published by SAIIC, 1984, please send a donation of $3. TAPES OF RADIO SHOW One hour tapes are now available of the SAIIC radio program "South and Central American Indian Update." Each program includes news, interviews, traditional music, and more. $8 each. ORDER FORM Number Cost Newsletter subscription (See prices above) Working Commission Reports, $3 each Tapes of radio program, $8 each Donations _ _ _ __ Total enclosed ---'-----Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ City, State, Zip _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Please make out all checks, which are tax deductible, to American Friends Service Committee/SAIIC, and mail to South and Central American Indian Information Center, P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA 94707, USA. Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published quarterly by SAIIC © 1986. Page 19 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Subscription Information (Newsletter, Working Commission Reports, and Radio Show Tapes) Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Subscription Information (Newsletter, Working Commission Reports, and Radio Show Tapes) Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (19).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 19 Abstract Note Subscription Information and order form. https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/ff02452f2c2e53a4e964d180deffce5b.pdf e7a43a648a2c8231f17424f19ef0e7a4 PDF Text Text major strategy agreed on at the conference. The Rainforest Action Network is located at 466 Green St., Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94133, (415) 434-1403. -Pete Hammer FIRST LATIN AMERICAN FESTIVAL OF INDIAN PEOPLES FILMS The Brazilian monthly Porantim (Edificio Venancio III, Sala 310, Caixa Postal11-1159, CEP 70084, Brasilia, DF, Brasil) carried the following report written by Claudia Menezes, director of the Indian Museum in Rio de Janeiro, in its October issue: "Two weeks before the earthquake which partially destroyed Mexico City, the ancient Aztec capital hosted the First Latin American Festival of Indian Peoples Films. Organized by the Inter-American Indian Institute, the Film Society of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the National Institute of Anthropology and History, the festival ran from September 5 to 8 and presented nearly 100 films and videos from 15 countries . . . which exposed the tragic living conditions of Indian people throughout the Americas. "In addition to the film showings, several decisions were made, including (a) the creation of a Latin American Committee of Indian Peoples Film, with headquarters in Mexico City-Tenochtitlan, and four regional subcommittees; (b) plans to develop a catalog of Latin American films to serve as a base for an audiovisual archive; (c) promotion of the production and distribution of Indian films, especially projects directed by Indian communities; and (d) scheduling of the Second Latin American Festival of Indian Peoples Films for Rio de Janeiro in 1987 .... "The prizes in the categories of best film from Latin America, best film from outside Latin America, best ethnographic film, and best cinematography were awarded, respectively, to Nuestra voz de tierra, memoria y futuro [Our Voice of the Land, Memory and the Future], by Martha Rodriquez and Jorge Silva (Colombia); The Tree of Life, by Bruce Lane (United States); El pueblo Ona: vida y muerte en tierra del Fuego [The Ona: Lzfe and Death in Tierra del Fuego];, by Ana Montes and Annie Chapman (Argentina); and Los hieleros del Chimborazo [The Icemen of Chimborazo], by Gustavo Guayasamin (Ecuador)." Logo from the 1985 Indigenous Women's Network Gathering held in August, 1985. For information, contact Julie McCloud, Puyallup Tribe, P.O. Box 8279, Tacoma, W A 98408. "Working within the framework of the visions of our Elders" Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 18 �Maria Massolo, who has been an active and much appreciated member of SAIIC, participating in the radio program and preparation of the newsletter, will be in the Islas Malvinas for the next year with her husband, Wayne Bernardson. All of us at SAIIC will miss her and look forward to the insights she will bring us next year from the perspective of the Malvinas. SAIIC welcomes the energy and ideas of volunteers. We are also in need of the following equipment: a computer, a typewriter, and a camera. All donations are tax deductible. If you can help, please call us at (415) 658-9395, 527-5687, or 452-1235, or write us. Thanks. Special thanks for production assistance on this newsletter to the American Friends Service Committee, Intertribal Friendship House, Peoples Translation Service, Leanna Wolfe, Miguel Cavallin, Antonia Luisa, Wes Huss, Bobsey Draper, Bill Coburn, and the SAIIC Committee: Pete Hammer, Peggy Lowry, Rayen Cayuqueo, Anna Lugo Stephenson, Maria Massolo, James Muneta, and Jo Tucker. This issue co-edited by Pete Hammer. Nilo Cayuqueo, SAIIC Coordinator Susan Lobo, Publications Editor NEWSLETTER To receive the SAIIC Newsletter for one year, and to remain on our mailing list, please send a donation of $6 for addresses in the United States, Mexico, and Canada or $8 for addresses elsewhere. WORKING COMMISSION REPORTS To order a copy of the Working Commission Reports: Second Conference of Indian Nations and Organizations of South America. Tiwanaku, Bolivia, published by SAIIC, 1984, please send a donation of $3. TAPES OF RADIO SHOW One hour tapes are now available of the SAIIC radio program "South and Central American Indian Update." Each program includes news, interviews, traditional music, and more. $8 each. ORDER FORM Number Cost Newsletter subscription (See prices above) Working Commission Reports, $3 each Tapes of radio program, $8 each Donations _ _ _ __ Total enclosed ---'-----Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ City, State, Zip _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Please make out all checks, which are tax deductible, to American Friends Service Committee/SAIIC, and mail to South and Central American Indian Information Center, P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA 94707, USA. Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published quarterly by SAIIC © 1986. Page 19 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Latin American Festival of Indian Peoples Films and 1985 Indigenous Women's Network Gathering Contact Information Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title First Latin American Festival of Indian Peoples Films and 1985 Indigenous Women's Network Gathering Contact Information Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (18-19).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 18-19 Abstract Note First Latin American Festival of Indian Peoples Films. Aztec Mexico City PORANTIM University of Mexico https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/5c89cd4147ddd87eda6710245adf0558.pdf cfe080068e02dfb1331fedfa6d9c01e4 PDF Text Text GRASSROOTS RAINFOREST CONFERENCE On the weekend of November 15 through 17 SAIIC joined a wide range of environmental and indigenous peoples organizations for a Grassroots Rainforest Conference held near Sausalito, California. The conference was an educational and brainstorming session put together by the Rainforest Action Network of San Francisco in order to forge an international coalition of organizations to mount a campaign to stop the destruction of the world's rainforests. Environmental organizations which sent representatives included Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, Earth First, Greenpeace, Threshhold Foundation, and World Resources Institute. In addition to SAIIC, indigenous peoples organizations which participated in the conference included the International Indian Treaty Council, Akwasasne Notes, Hopi Traditions, the Indigenous Women's Network, Cultural Survival, and people from Hawaii, Mexico, Kenya, Indonesia, and Malaysia. A major inspiration for the conference was the successful effort early last year by environmental lobbyists in Washington, D.C., to temporarily halt World Bank funding for a major economic development project in the Amazon forest in Brazil. This was the first time that the World Bank acknowledged the ecological implications of a development project in its fundmg process. Two participants in the lobbying effort, Bruce Rich of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Barbara Bramble of the National Wildlife Federation, detailed the 18-month campaign. Interestingly, it was conservative Republican members of Congress who oppose U.S. foreign aid on ideological grounds who were most successful in confronting the Reagan Administration on the funding issue. The danger of continuing to work with such allies, the temporary duration of the funding halt, and the extent of damage to the rainforest already caused by the project under consideration were emphasized by Bruce and Barbara. They concluded that preservation of the rainforests depends on the political mobilization of people in countries where the forests exist and indicated that environmental groups in the United States will be increasing their efforts to coordinate activities with kindred organizations in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Discussions at the conference were permeated by recognition of the key role in rainforest preservation which is played by people whose culture is indigenous to the rainforest environment. Protection of the right of indigenous peoples to pursue their traditional ways of life was acknowledged as a primary goal of the coalition formed at the conference. The importance of seeking in the knowledge of indigenous cultures appropriate methods for utilizing rainforest resources without destroying the rainforest environment was emphasized by conference participants. The necessity of developing cooperative relations between environmental activists in industrialized countries and indigenous groups in rainforest areas was a Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 17 �major strategy agreed on at the conference. The Rainforest Action Network is located at 466 Green St., Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94133, (415) 434-1403. -Pete Hammer FIRST LATIN AMERICAN FESTIVAL OF INDIAN PEOPLES FILMS The Brazilian monthly Porantim (Edificio Venancio III, Sala 310, Caixa Postal11-1159, CEP 70084, Brasilia, DF, Brasil) carried the following report written by Claudia Menezes, director of the Indian Museum in Rio de Janeiro, in its October issue: "Two weeks before the earthquake which partially destroyed Mexico City, the ancient Aztec capital hosted the First Latin American Festival of Indian Peoples Films. Organized by the Inter-American Indian Institute, the Film Society of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the National Institute of Anthropology and History, the festival ran from September 5 to 8 and presented nearly 100 films and videos from 15 countries . . . which exposed the tragic living conditions of Indian people throughout the Americas. "In addition to the film showings, several decisions were made, including (a) the creation of a Latin American Committee of Indian Peoples Film, with headquarters in Mexico City-Tenochtitlan, and four regional subcommittees; (b) plans to develop a catalog of Latin American films to serve as a base for an audiovisual archive; (c) promotion of the production and distribution of Indian films, especially projects directed by Indian communities; and (d) scheduling of the Second Latin American Festival of Indian Peoples Films for Rio de Janeiro in 1987 .... "The prizes in the categories of best film from Latin America, best film from outside Latin America, best ethnographic film, and best cinematography were awarded, respectively, to Nuestra voz de tierra, memoria y futuro [Our Voice of the Land, Memory and the Future], by Martha Rodriquez and Jorge Silva (Colombia); The Tree of Life, by Bruce Lane (United States); El pueblo Ona: vida y muerte en tierra del Fuego [The Ona: Lzfe and Death in Tierra del Fuego];, by Ana Montes and Annie Chapman (Argentina); and Los hieleros del Chimborazo [The Icemen of Chimborazo], by Gustavo Guayasamin (Ecuador)." Logo from the 1985 Indigenous Women's Network Gathering held in August, 1985. For information, contact Julie McCloud, Puyallup Tribe, P.O. Box 8279, Tacoma, W A 98408. "Working within the framework of the visions of our Elders" Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 18 � 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. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Grassroots Rainforest Conference Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Grassroots Rainforest Conference Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (17-18).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 17-18 Abstract Note Grassroots Rainforest Conference held near Sausalito, California, was an educational and brainstorming session put together by the Rainforest Action Network of San Francisco in order to forge an international coalition of organizations to mount a campaign to stop the destruction of the world's rainforests. Brazil Grassroots Malaysia. saiic https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/772f3cdfe43c49ec402d20b6e342d7d5.pdf 914f80fc890ee6099939afc3c952313f PDF Text Text INDIGENOUS SEEDS The interrelationship of all living things is seen in the renewal of the seasons and through the cultivation of seeds ~~·.· that are nurtured. to becom~ plants, providing susten.ance for As--:. ~~~~-~~~ people and for ammals. Canng for the earth, for the gifts from ~~ the earth, and for one another is an interdependent pattern ~~'~- _ . . that h.as sustained life for gener~tions past and for thos~ t? c~· ••ff::-,.iii~;,;~~·.~ · c.·~~~~· !>S_Il>! ""- . .,'6!, come m the future. For many Ind1an people who have an mtl· mate reliance on and knowledge of plants, the cycle of ~ ·'~ renewal, based on spiritual principles and lived daily, is the ·· essence of survival of individuals, of communities, and of peoples. Genocide and ethnocide can come in many forms and in seemingly small or insignificant ways. In the Americas, prior to the European invasion, there were thousands of plant varieties, many cultivated, others wild, that were used for food, medicinal purposes, clothing, and in many other ways. These ancient varieties are open pollinating in contrast to modern hybrid varieties. Food crops raised for thousands of years by Indians in the Americas have qualities that are suited to the particular environment of an area, often including extremely high levels of tolerance to drought, heat, salinity, rodents, and diseases. Some varieties have very high protein and mineral contents, making them concentrated sources of nutrition. Population expansion, invasion, destruction of agricultural land, and more recently, the development and spread of the use of hybrid seeds have had a profound impact on Indian communities, as well as everyone living in this hemisphere. Hybrid seeds dependent on an artificial environment of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are often promoted by multinationals, nation states, and development projects. A system of planting hybrid seed may mean profit for these entities but disaster for the self-sufficient indigenous farmer. Hardy native varieties of seeds are replaced by hybrids often without the capacity to withstand local conditions and which produce plants with poor nutritional value. As indigenous varieties are not planted, they may cease to exist, and the resulting genetic uniformity invites catastrophe. Also, community self-sufficiency is lost through the development of a local dependency for survival on a national economy that creates the need to purchase seed, fertilizer, and pesticides. Because of these and other factors the cycle of renewal that is essential to sustain this earth and those on the earth becomes more difficult ... but always necessary. Some organizations have begun to search out, save, and encourage the replanting of indigenous seeds. Native Seeds (3950 West New York Drive, Tucson, AZ 85745) makes available indigenous seed samples to those who want to maintain diversity in their gardens. For example, 58 varieties of native corn from the Southwest are available. All proceeds from the sale of seeds go toward the conservation of native crops and their wild relatives. The Talavaya Center (P.O. Box 9289, Santa Fe, NM, 87504) also works to preserve genetic diversity through encouraging the cultivation of indigenous plants, including Hopi corn and South American grains such as amaranth and quinoa. -S. Lobo Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 16 � 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. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Seeds Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Indigenous Seeds Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (16).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 16 Abstract Note Many Indian peoples who have an intimate reliance on spiritual based principals that become the bases for there knowledge of plants and the daily life cycle fear genocide and ethnocentrism from the European oppressors. Community Indigenous Plants https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/2b48e354a1c524a3029e42dd3aad7422.pdf 85162169e22df739b0aaae2c86c35ef1 PDF Text Text "How women weave." (Reproduced from Educar:iio Popular: A/fabetizar:iio e primeiras contas, Cadernos do Centro Ecumenico de Documentaciiao e Informaciio, No. 13, Siio Paulo.) ARGENTINA Argentina has a population of 29 million people, including a large percentage of European ancestry, primarily Italian and Spanish. Following the "Independence from Spain" in 1816, the people of European ancestry took control of the government and took over the major part of Indian land. The last large armed Indian resistance ended in 1879 when the Argentine military defeated the Mapuche Confederation with the support of the United States, which sent Remington rifles to Argentina following the U.S. Civil War. Since that time Indian people in Argentina have faced a government campaign of annililation and the destruction of their culture. In spite of genocide and ethnocide, today there remain 13 Indian nations with a population of approximately 1. 5 million people. There are at least nine Indian organizations at the national level that petitioned the government of President Raul Alfonsin and the Congress to pass a law to validate the historic rights of Indian people vis-a-vis the national government. This past October 23, Congress approved the law regarding "Indian policies and support to aboriginal communities," in which, for the first time, Indian rights to constitute and live within communities are recognized. The issues of lands that have been taken and the need for bi-lingual and bi-cultural education are also addressed. The law's objectives include the statement, "It is declared in the national interest, as an act of historic reparation and of patrimonial restitution, that aboriginal communities demand attention and support for their defense and development as full participants in the socioeconomic and cultural process of the nation." It is worth adding that large segments of the general public, such as the rural and urban unions, as well as progressive artists and intellectuals who previously denied or gave no importance to Indian political participation, supported passage of the law. However, simply passing this law does not solve the problems faced by Indian people. Long-standing institutions of oppression remain intact, allowing large enterprises such as mining, lumbering and large landowning to continue to violate the human rights of Indians and poor campesinos. One Mapuche leader declared, "Unity of all affected segments of the society is necessary in order to oblige the government to comply with its promises." Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986 Page 15 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 "How Women Weave" and Argentina Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title "How Women Weave" and Argentina Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (15).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 15 Abstract Note Indian people in Argentina have faced a government campaign of annihilation and the destruction of their culture. Argentina Indian resistance Raul Alfonsin https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/c7fcd95521f31576282f204db0e117ba.pdf 0d9e86d703ef172b206e3f13dc062452 PDF Text Text BRAZIL Filmmakers Monti Aguirre and Glenn Switkes have returned from a six-month research and filming trip in Brazil. Their film, Amazonia will analyze the occupation of the Amazon Basin, including the fight by Indian people to protect their lands. According to Monti and Glenn, "The situation of native people in the Brazilian Amazon is critical. Indians face invasions of their land by mining and lumber companies, large landowners, and landless peasants. The demarcation of Indian lands is a hot political issue, and Brazil's new civilian government has not yet made a commitment to protect these areas." Also they report: COLOMBIA Patax6 Just before dawn on November 22, 130 heavily armed military police violently attacked an encampment of 30 families of the Patax6 Ha-Ha-Hae in the state of Bahia. At least 30 people, including children, were wounded. Two days earlier the Patax6 had reoccupied their traditional lands which had been invaded by cattle ranchers and cacao growers. Xok6 The Xok6 people of the island of Sao Pedro in Sergipe in northeastern Brazil have been under constant harassment by ranchers who want their land. Xok6 people have been ambushed and leaders have been forced to flee under the threat of death. In November, ranchers threatened to bomb their village if the Xok6 did not abandon the area, forcing the Indians to flee into the forest. Upper Rio Negro Gold seekers continue to enter the Upper Rio Negro area despite the fact that many have already been expelled by police. Their influence has been so pervasive that there are now 8,000 Indians, including Tukanos, Baniwas, Tarianos, Desanos, and other groups from the area, who are also hunting for gold. However, the principal threat to the peoples of the Upper Rio Negro may be the arrival of mineral companies in search of gold, zinc, lead, and copper. In September, Brazil's National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM) issued a list of 127 authorizations for mineral exploration, almost all on Indian lands and thus prohibited by law. Five days later the director of DNPM revoked the approvals, stating that the companies would only have a "priority right ... should mineral activities be permitted in Indian areas." According to Gabriel Gentil, a Tukano and a member of the Association of Indian Communities of the Tiquie River, several mineral companies have Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986 Page 12 �already begun exploration in the area without waiting for official approval. The Brazilian giants Paranapanema and Brumadinho, the multinational Brascan/British Petroleum, and GoldAmazon, a company closely linked to the governor of Amazonas state, are some of the companies coveting the resources on Indian lands in the Upper Rio Negro. FUNAI Since September there have been two changes in the presidency of FUNAI, Brazil's Indian agency, but its basic structure, which excludes participation by Indians in critical decisions which affect their survival, remains the same under the new civilian government as under military rule. Gerson Alves gave way to Alvaro Villas-Boas, who has. since been replaced by Apoena Meirelles, a second-generation FUNAI functionary whose brutal style of contacting Indian groups in the early 1970s resulted in death and cultural disintegration in several communities. One of Meirelles' first official actions was to travel to the state of Rondonia to discuss the governor's demand that the demarcated area of the Uru-eu-uau-uau Indians be reduced. The 4.5 million acre reserve of the Uru-ea-uau-uau was created under pressure from the World Bank, which earlier this year temporarily halted funding of the Polonoroeste colonization program in Rondonia. (See article on Rainforest Conference on page 17.) UN! One of the more positive developments in the struggle of Brazilian Indians has been the emergence of the Union of Indian Nations (UNI) as a force in Indian affairs. UNI has coordinated regional conferences of Indian leaders, spoken out at international forums, and begun working with lawyers on legal issues affecting Indian law. (Photo Kim-Ir-Sen/AGIL; reproduced from Povos Ind{genas no Brasi/!83, Centro Ecumenico de Documentaciio e Informaciio, Sao Paulo.) Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 13 �A letter to SAIIC from Domingos Verissimo Marcos, Terena Indian representative of the Central Western regional office of UNI, says: "Within the current national debate concerning the reform of government institutions in Brazil, the Indian question has been raised by the Indian nations within Brazil and their leaders, as well as non-Indians who are aware that their own freedom and prosperity cannot be based on the oppression of other people. "Discussion among Indian people is based on how Indian nations want to be seen and treated by Brazilian society and the state. This debate involves three principal elements: citizenship, land, and Indian representation. "The current constitution does not deal with the citizenship of Indians. It only says that those who were born in Brazilian territory are Brazilian. Thus all Indians are subject to Brazilian laws. In our opinion, a new constitution must resolve the right of Indians to hold Brazilian citizenship without ceasing to be citizens of one of the more than 150 Indian nations that continue to survive in Brazil. "The question of citizenship . . . brings up another point that is just as important as nationality itself, the recognition of Indian land as a legally defined entity. Today Indian land is recognized in Brazil as public land, that is, land that is property of the state with uses designated for the public good. This has caused many problems." On the question of Indian representation, UNI has called for replacing FUNAI with a council on which Indians would have direct ~ representation, according to Ailton Krenak, director of publications for '"' "' UNI. UNI is also trying to negotiate Indian representation on the assembly which will draw up a new constitution for Brazil in 1987. UNI will press for Indians' rights as citizens of sovereign Indian nations, clearer definition of the "special status" of Indian reserves, and the right to representation in governmental affairs, possibly via UNI, which now includes more than 80 Brazilian Indian groups. Monti and Glenn have recorded interviews with Indian leaders in Brazil and will be reporting on the Brazilian Indian situation on "South and Central American Indian Update" the first Friday of each month at 8:00 p.m. on KPFA FM94.1 in northern California. More information regarding the film Amazonia may be obtained by contacting SAIIC. 0 Domingos Verlissimo Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 14 � 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. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Brazil Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Brazil Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (12-14).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 12-14 Abstract Note Filmmakers Monti Aguirre and Glenn Switkes have returned from a six-month research and filming trip in Brazil. Their film, Amazonia will analyze the occupation of the Amazon Basin, including the fight by Indian people to protect their lands. Brazil Pataxo Upper Rio Negro Xoko https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/5c47b4c39dedadbac43f84b75655ca3b.pdf 165c36e81f622d6757a0ef4348299bd0 PDF Text Text CHILE In August of 1985 Juan Francisco Fresno, Cardinal of Santiago, issued the "National Agreement for the Transition to a True Democracy" which called for reconciliation and a move toward democacy. This statement from the Catholic Church establishment has evoked responses from various sectors. From AD-MAPU, one of the Mapuche organizations: "In response to the Cardinal's call, we call for a new society that is just and democratic in which our people participate with equal rights in relation to other sectors of the country. We believe that a new democracy without the participation of the Mapuche people cannot be a democracy. . . . We struggle for autonomy and self-determination for our people so that we will be the prime movers in our own destiny. We urge participation in the development of a new constitution that acknowledges and guarantees our rights and cultural heritage in accordance with our identity.... We want it clearly understood that we will continue to struggle for a genuine consensus with all those who embrace an authentic and true democracy." The statement is signed by Jose Santos Millao, Maria L. Traipe, Aucan Huilcaman, Domingo Marileo, Domingo Jineo, Ana Maria Llao and Gabriel Chicabual. In Fortin Mapocho (Aug. 19, 1985), one of the workers unions (Comando Nacional de Trabajadores) lists a number of points seen as necessary for the future peaceful stabilization of the country. Among them: "For the Mapuche nation, we demand their recognition as such in any future constitution as well as a recognition of other ethnic groups. We also demand the immediate repeal of laws 2568 and 2750, which divide and subdivide Mapuche lands and leads to their expropriation and loss by the Mapuche to whom they rightfully belong." AD-MAPU also states: "The establishment of laws 2568 and 2750 have divided and subdivided our sacred communal lands. Article 1 of Law 2568 says, 'Once the community is divided and individual titles to land have been received, said lands cease to be Indian lands and the inhabitants cease to be Indian.' So in the eyes of this law our People would no longer exist." Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © ~CHILE ARGENTINA Mapuche ~ ~ ~ ~ .· · · · · · · · · · · · )~'.JI-.A- '-"'-"-1 1986. Page 11 � 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. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Chile Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Chile Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (11).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 11 Abstract Note In August of 1985 Juan Francisco Fresno, Cardinal of Santiago, issued the "National Agreement for the Transition to a True Democracy" which called for reconciliation and a move toward democacy. Chile Juan Francisco Fresno Mapuche https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/b7b6bac55d22d272b0621d0962e657af.pdf 91b4026d0c3292986043f10f02d64a12 PDF Text Text PERU Voz Indigena is published by AIDESEP (Asociaci6n Interetnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana, San Eugenio 981, Santa Catalina, Lima 13, Peru) and emphasizes current information regarding the jungle regions of Peru. The most recent issue includes articles on the following topics: @ Native communities and the new Peruvian government e Current situation and plans of the Indian organizations in the Peruvian jungle • Tenth Congress of AIDESEP • Santiago River: Native communities displace colonists and defend their lands e Update on OAAM (Aguaruna Organization of the Upper Mayo) • Interview with representatives of the Cocamilla communities The December, 1985, issue of Andean Focus (198 Broadway, Room 302, New York, NY 10038) includes the following comments on Peru: "Thousands of peasants have fled the war-torn countryside of Ayacucho and Huancavelica. They make their way to the jungle, the coast and other parts of the mountains. Many have gone north to the city of Huancayo, in the central Andes. Huancayo is a stopping off place for those who are headed to the mines of La Oroya, to the coffee fields of Chanchamayo or to seek work in Lima. There may be as many as 5,000 refugees in Huancayo today. "In the city, the refugees live in utter poverty. They have left behind their belongings and their land. Local customs are foreign, the climate is different and it is difficult to find housing and work. "The women who make up the National Association of Prisoners, Disappeared and Kidnapped are admirable. Most of them are Quechuaspeaking. They have lost a husband, a son, a brotheror all three. Month after month they make the rounds of police stations and judicial offices searching for news of their loved ones and· demanding justice." Another periodical published in English which SAHC recommends for upto-date information about South and Central America is Latinamerica Press, Apartado 5594, Lima 100, Peru. The October issue (V. 17, no. 40) is a special on indigenous people. Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 10 � 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. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Peru Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Peru Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (10).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 10 Abstract Note Voz Indigena is published by AIDESEP and emphasizes current information regarding the jungle regions of Peru. The most recent issue includes articles on the following topics: AIDESEP Peru Santiago River Voz Indigena https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/41c52f2318e14d6fe40f12d330b67ce0.pdf f3275b4d04a039e7d4eb5636010a6c14 PDF Text Text with the Indian people in Florida through letters to the authorities who are responsible for providing immediate solutions to these problems." The second ONIC press release concerns the murder of Indian activist Luis Antonio Perez Sanchez in the department of Meta, southeast of Bogota: "ONIC condemns before national and international public opinion the assassination of compafiero Luis Antonio Perez Sanchez, who worked since 1972 with UNAMA, the organization of the Sikuani and Piapocos peoples in eastern Colombia. His primary work was developing a program of Indian education which beginning in January, 1986, will include a boarding school run by UNAMA. "Luis' defense of Indian rights created many enemies for him and many difficulties in his life. At 12:45 a.m. on Sept. 25 he was shot in the back while visiting two women who witnessed his death. A member of the House of Representatives stated publicly in the departmental legislature in Villavicencio [capital of the department of Meta] that Luis had traveled to Villavicencio three days earlier solely for the purpose of informing the authorities that he had received a death threat from Luis Calistro Rondon Alvis, the mayor of Puerto Gaitan, who stated, 'I'm not leaving Puerto Gaitan until I've killed someone.' "Luis had also been threatened several times by the parish priest of Puerto Gaitan, who had said to Indian people at various times that he wants to take over the local Indian center. In February of this year the Indian center was burned along with four nearby houses that had been constructed by the Indian community." ECUADOR Survival International (29 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NT, England) has sent the following urgent action bulletin: "The invasion of Indian lands in Ecuadorian Amazonia has accelerated dramatically over recent months. In spite of the serious damage it is causing to the environment, the government is actively promoting oil palm cultivation on a massive scale, with financial backing from Belgium, Britain, and Germany. It has manipulated the use of conservation zones for its own commercial ends, and Indians are now being pushed off the lands they have lived on for centuries. In an attempt to resist this invasion, the Indians recently killed a colonist in a conflict over land." In September the Confederation of Indian Nations in the Ecuadorian Amazon, which represents the Shuar, Quichua, Cofan, Secoya, Siona, and Huaorani Indian nations, published Palma Ajricana y Etnocidio, which gives a detailed account of the effects of the spread of oil palm cultivation. For a copy, send a minimum donation of $5 to CONFENIAE, Av. 6 de Diciembre 159 y Pazmino, Oficina 408, Casilla 4180, Quito, Ecuador. Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 9 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Ecuador Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Ecuador Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (9).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 9 Abstract Note Survival International has sent the following urgent action bulletin: CONFENIAE Ecuador Survival International https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/ecf64ce7fd56f4de1c2407fb1ca7477e.pdf d9d683fd4a17ba5578aea066b69a38a9 PDF Text Text Photo from Como nos organizamos (How We Are Organized), an excellent 36-page document which SAIIC has received from the Cauca Regional Indian Council (Consejo Regional Indigena del Cauca, or CRIC, Apartado Aereo 516, Popayan, Cauca, Colombia). The booklet details the activities and discussions surrounding the formation of CRIC in the early 1970s and describes some of CRIC's successes in reclaiming Indian land. Please send $3 to SAIIC if you would like a photocopy. (Currently available only in Spanish.) COLOMBIA SAIIC has received two news releases from the Organizaci6n Nacional Indigena de Colombia (ONIC, National Indian Organization of Colombia, Carrera 3a. No. 15-48, A.A. 32395, Bogota, D.E., Colombia). The first concerns Indian communities in the Cauca Valley which have been disrupted by recent fighting between the Colombian army and guerrilla insurgents: "Nearly 1,500 Indians have taken refuge in the city of Florida [southwest of Cali in the department of Valle de Cauca; see map, page 11]. Many are ill, and the authorities have not responded appropriately to their problems. "The refugees normally reside in the surrounding countryside, which has been the scene of combat between the Colombian army and guerrillas of the M-19 and Ricardo Franco organizations since Monday, Sept. 16, when the army began bombing the zone. "The communities affected include La Diana, San Juanito, Los Calefios, Lomagorda, Salado, Guacas, Rivera, Granada and Cumbre. Indians have been forced to abandon their fields and their livestock to protect their lives. "We demand that the authorities move immediately to resolve these problems. The departmental government must intervene to permit the evacuation of the zone and to stop the bombing. We demand compensation for the damages which have been inflicted. "We ask that the Red Cross be mobilized to help those displaced by the fighting. We ask that community organizations, unions, and campesino organizations express their solidarity Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 8 �with the Indian people in Florida through letters to the authorities who are responsible for providing immediate solutions to these problems." The second ONIC press release concerns the murder of Indian activist Luis Antonio Perez Sanchez in the department of Meta, southeast of Bogota: "ONIC condemns before national and international public opinion the assassination of compafiero Luis Antonio Perez Sanchez, who worked since 1972 with UNAMA, the organization of the Sikuani and Piapocos peoples in eastern Colombia. His primary work was developing a program of Indian education which beginning in January, 1986, will include a boarding school run by UNAMA. "Luis' defense of Indian rights created many enemies for him and many difficulties in his life. At 12:45 a.m. on Sept. 25 he was shot in the back while visiting two women who witnessed his death. A member of the House of Representatives stated publicly in the departmental legislature in Villavicencio [capital of the department of Meta] that Luis had traveled to Villavicencio three days earlier solely for the purpose of informing the authorities that he had received a death threat from Luis Calistro Rondon Alvis, the mayor of Puerto Gaitan, who stated, 'I'm not leaving Puerto Gaitan until I've killed someone.' "Luis had also been threatened several times by the parish priest of Puerto Gaitan, who had said to Indian people at various times that he wants to take over the local Indian center. In February of this year the Indian center was burned along with four nearby houses that had been constructed by the Indian community." ECUADOR Survival International (29 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NT, England) has sent the following urgent action bulletin: "The invasion of Indian lands in Ecuadorian Amazonia has accelerated dramatically over recent months. In spite of the serious damage it is causing to the environment, the government is actively promoting oil palm cultivation on a massive scale, with financial backing from Belgium, Britain, and Germany. It has manipulated the use of conservation zones for its own commercial ends, and Indians are now being pushed off the lands they have lived on for centuries. In an attempt to resist this invasion, the Indians recently killed a colonist in a conflict over land." In September the Confederation of Indian Nations in the Ecuadorian Amazon, which represents the Shuar, Quichua, Cofan, Secoya, Siona, and Huaorani Indian nations, published Palma Ajricana y Etnocidio, which gives a detailed account of the effects of the spread of oil palm cultivation. For a copy, send a minimum donation of $5 to CONFENIAE, Av. 6 de Diciembre 159 y Pazmino, Oficina 408, Casilla 4180, Quito, Ecuador. Vol. 2, no. 2. Winter, 1986. Published by SAIIC © 1986. Page 9 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 2, No. 2 (Winter 1986) 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 Colombia and Photo from "Como Nos Organizamos" Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter 1986 Zotero Title Colombia and Photo from "Como Nos Organizamos" Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 2, no. 2 (8-9).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Issue 2 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 2 Date Winter 1986 Pages 8-9 Abstract Note SAIIC has received two news releases from the Organization National Indigena de Colombia. Carrera Cauca Valley Colombia ONIC