1 12 4 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/d17f7ce2cabcd3c46dc8217f617b25e1.pdf b44882c6402906dfbefa2aacc6be051e PDF Text Text Page 4 GUATEMALA THE WIDOWS OF WAR ~G~~ In September 1988, the National Coordinating Committee of Widows of Guatemala (CONAVIGUA) held its first assembly. According to Native activist Rigoberta Menchu, "CONAVIGUA is the hope of so many widows in our country-it is bringing together a great force." The following is a statement issued by CONAVIGUA: "We held our assembly in order to make our voices heard, and to exercise our legitimate rights. The cruel history of repression which our people have suffered for the last five centuries has left many thousands of Guatemalans kidnapped, disappeared, tortured, assassinated, and massacred. Many others have died of illnesses formerly unknown, from pesticides which come from the United States and Europe, spread on large farms where coffee, sugar cane, and cotton are produced. (See following article.) Thousands of women have lost their husbands, and when we return home to eat tortillas with salt and herbs it hurts and moves us to hear the cries of our children from so much suffering, seeing them with stomach aches, fevers, backaches, bellies swollen with malnutrition, and without the ability to buy them even an aspirinThese injustices and the love of our husbands who have been taken away from us by the repression and illness. For these reasons, we have begun to talk among ourselves, uniting to think of what we will do, to look for solutions to alleviate our problems because each day our situation gets worse". �Action which took place last October, these widows took the podium to denounce the violent acts of which they are victims: •'' in the town of Chucaman, in the state of Quiche, Manuel Us and Crispin Gomez, through innumerable threats, forced the dissolution of the Coordinating Committee of CONAVIGUA, declaring their actions illegal; • in the town of Canto Carrizal in Quiche, the military chief, Sebastian Calel, is accusing the widows of being spokeswomen for the guerrillas, and · · · · them to not hold · .-·h''.. "i~.:.~:..'\. •·. . . is persec:utingj.J women and girls 8, 9, and 10 years old, and going to· the cornfields and eating their com, in order to .. frighten the people; • in the Tululche hacienda, Chiche-Quiche, administrator is intimidating people at meetings, saying that they are "acting against the .·· >-. ·~.s.~"' -~g The Widows of Guatemala call for "international and national solidarity at this critical moment, ./~~~ 1 ::::::: . '"' and support in writing letters, so that people will know about the Committee-CONAVIGUA-its struggles and its fighting, and if possible to join with us to find solutions for our situation." ;::...... . ® � 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. 4, Nos. 2&amp;3 (Fall 1988 &amp; Winter 1989) Zotero Volume 4 Language English Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Widows of War (Guatemala) 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 Fall 1988 & Winter 1989 Zotero Title The Widows of War (Guatemala) Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 4, nos. 2 &3 (4-5).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Issue 2 & 3 Language English Volume 4 Abstract Note 500 years of fighting have caused many women to lose their husbands to kidnappers, disappearances, torture, assassination, and massacre, in addition to diseases caused by pesticides funded by the US and Europe. Pages 4-5 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter assassination Disease Fall 1988 Guatemala Massacre pesticides torture Widows of War Winter 1989 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/702e80f4fdf97a36a4cc23b6c8867801.pdf 19d74c01fd6343d75021caa2c76f7700 PDF Text Text Flu Threatens to Annihilate the Nukak (Colombia) One of Colombia's last nomadic peoples, the Nukak, are being decimated by outside diseases. 1lleir numbers have already been brought danger· ously low by continual attacks from colonists and coca grower$. Over 100 Nukak have died from flu over the last three years. Now their children are threatened by cerebral malaria • which is usually fatal. As one of Colombia's last nomadic tnbal peoples, the Nukalc's future depends on their land being legally recogJiizcd and colonization halted. But the Colombian Government has not recognized 90% of their land, and taltcn no steps to protect the Nukak from hostile invasions. 1lle Nukak have had little non-Indian contact. What contact they have had has proved devastating. With a population of around 1100, the tribe cannot afford more losses. In 1987 approximately20Nukak were attacked and killed by colonists in the north of their territory. 1lle survivors of the massacre fled to the south. deep into the heart of their rainforest lands. At the same time, another group had been attacked by coca growers. 1lle survivors of these two groups joined up and emerged out of the forest on the outskirts of the town of Calamar. However any Nukak who had lived in the area were killed off by colonists during the 1940's rubber boom. It seems that other Nukak had been shot at by the Colombian army from the air; they were mistaken for coca growers or left-wing guerillas. Meanwhile 20 Nukak children had been stolen by colorusts to work as unpa;d laborers. 1lle disoriented survivors of the 1987 massacre· mostly women and children • only spoke Nukak. so could not speak with the townspeople about the attacks. 1lley were unused to life outside the rainforest and became depressed and sick. A missionary from the extremist USbased organization, New Tribes Mission (NTM), arrived, claiming to speak Nukak.lt then emerged that N1M (whose activities amongst tribal people worldwide have done untold damage) had had a base in the north of the Nukak lands for at least 12 years. 18 1lle Colombian goverruncnt's response to the Nukak's plight has been totally unacceptable. Despite protests, the government new some of the Nukak back to the New Tribes Mission base.1lley were already infected with the flu virus after living in Calamar. 1lle Nukak have no resistance to this new disease and no way of treating it. At least 109Nukak have died as it has spread through their territory. 1lley were returned from the NTM base to their forest homes with no medical care and no protection from further attacks. As well as the fust cases of CErebral malaria in children living near the NTM base, cholera has also appeared in the region. 1lle Nukak traditionally live In the headwaters of the lnfrlda and Papunaua rivers and the southern basin of the River Cuaviare. 1lle Nukak will only survive If their rights to all their lands are fuUy recognized and properly enforced. 1lle Colombian government must also initiate a health project for the Nukak. Please write courteous letters urging the Colombian government to tiUe aU of the Nukak's lands to them. an area of approximately 1 million hectares in Cuaviare province. The government must ensure that there is no further colonization ofNukak lands. A properly funded health project must be initiated, to allow small medical teams to treat the Nukak before more of them die. Every effort must be made to recover those Nukak children who have been captured by colonists. Source: Survit>U lnJ.tmal'iDiriZI Pleose send your leHers lo: Seilor Dr Cesar Govirio, Presidenle de lo Republica Coso de Noriiio, Carrera 8 No 7·26, Bogot6, COLOMBIA and lo: Dr Femondo Cotroles Cruz Centro Administrotivo Nocional , EcSficio INCORA Gerencia General, Bogot6, COlOMBIA SAIIC Newsletter � 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. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) 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 Flu Threatens to Annihilate the Nukak Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Survival International Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Flu Threatens to Annihilate the Nukak Item Type Journal Article Contributor Survival International Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 18 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note The Nukak fight for survival against outside diseases such as the flu. Attachment Title abyayala_v06n01_02_p018.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Colombia Disease Nukak https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/bd3ffbc0c4f790c0085b5f74769ee5c6.pdf 5b7341f908390f87f36673132f1c8d35 PDF Text Text C 0 N F R 0 N T_:_.!:.....:~_.::,_,'-"- T U R A L :..._: I N G C u L-' E X T I N C T I ., N' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0'---'-' New and Old Disease Threats in the Peruvian Amazon: The Case of the Urarina by Ritchie Witzig An estimated 90% of Indigenous people in the Americas died after exposure to novel infectious diseases brought by Europeans- and over half the Indigenous groups once present in the Americas have become extinct. Biological extinction mandates cultural extinction, although in the modem era cultural loss may preclude physical extinction. Isolated Amazonian peoples that have managed to keep their culture and language intact remain at risk of biological and cultural extinction. The Urarina of the Peruvian Amazon are one group still struggling with increasing threats to their physical survival as a people. he Umrina have lived in the Chambim and Urituyacu river basins for at least half a millennium. The word ·umrina" is thought to be derived from the Quechua root words of "people" and "below"-meaning the "people from below." The)' call themselves "KacM," meaning "the people." The Umrina have remained relatively isolated due to the remoteness of their settlements and by choice. The blackwater river basins where the)' live are supplied by a giant T Rircltie IVitzig is an irifeuious diseases physician currently direc1ing medical projects in 1he Amazon and Andean regions of Peru. 6 aguajal. or swamp, providing insulation from an)• incursions from the nonh. east. and west. The Umrina are ecologically flexible, able lO live both on the low-nutritional blackwater rivers or in the rainforest. They have resisted missionary influ. ence and cultuml integmtion (from colonists). All these facwrs may be the reason the Umrina speak a unique language, and have survived as a distinct people. However, in the present their traditional territory has been invaded, and they have yet to affiliate with any Indigenous rights group. Not surprisingly. the Peruvian government has not officially registered their lands. Incursions of "foreigners" (non-Urarinas) intO Urarina traditional lands are currently from river Abya Y News ala �CONFRONTING traders. loggers. colonistS. oil explorntion teams. and recently. "drug· voyeur· tounsts. All of these groups ha'-e brought s•gn•fic:~nt dlS<asc pressure on the Uranna that threatens thear way of life and Sul'\ival. Rl\'er trnders. loggers. and colomStS commg from lqunos to explon tht Ur.mn• and thear land for natural resources are known to ha"e transport· ed two measles ep1dem1cs m the latt 1980s and 1991. They cenamly brought the cholera ep1dem1c of September 1991 and October 1993 upri"er from tqu1tos. as well as dengue r.-·er and different strams of g;~Strom­ testinal and respiratory d1seases to which the Urarina have had no preVIous immunological exposure. The traders and colonists also bnng m poor nutri· tiona! quality foods such as nee and sugar that arc altering the d1ct in some Urarina villages. The Urarina tr:Jditlonol diet is high in protein which prc"ents malnutrition. even under the stress of several infections. Once their diet includes more refined foods. malnutrition and consequently disease morbid ity (the rate of Incidence of a dl.sease) and mortality will prob.1bly increase. The oil explorntion and dnlling teams are from Petroperu facihtlcs bordering Urnrina territory. but their personnel arc imponed from \"Orious areas in Peru. An oil pipehne crosses under the Chambira nver JUSI before the connuence of the Tignllo. on llS way from Trompeteros on the Comentes to S:lramuro on the Maral\on. The p1pehne then coursts across the Andes to th< Pacific. The northern secuon of th1s pipehne crosses Uranna l•nd JUSI nonh of the agua)<JI (S\\"Omp) suppl)•ng the \Vater lOr thear nvers. Pcuoperu has planned a huge Chambu-a 011 drlihng project tn the center of Uranna land as soon as they rece1ve stanup moneys The cultural. b1olog>eal. and ccol<>g~col effectS on the Uranru~ '"II hkely be devastating. 01l dnlhng teams are renowned ror transportang new strams of malaria and sexually tr:msnuned diS· eases mto temtoncs they explon. The Urarina do not marry outside thear Vol. 10No. 2 CULTURAL EXTINCTION group and se><-ually transmitted diseases are not yet a problem among them. New StrainS or malart.1, however. are CUrrtnt· ly dcc1mat1ng the Urarina peoples. In the past twoyears.twoAmeric:~ns ha"e amnged "Jungle ecology tours· that mclude a two wetk trip up the ., Amazon and Marafton ri\'ers. and recently the lower Chamb1ra nver. Dunng the n'·er tour. a ·shaman· from tquuos manufactures the sacred halluCinog<niC ayahuasca (Banistcriop<is caapt) for the tounStS to dnnk and ·expcntnee the JUngle hke the ru~ti,-es." Fmally. they am"< m Uranna villages to "look at the lnd1ans" and take pictures Right after a tour mthe spring of 1995. most or the children m one ,;llage which had been "isned c:~me down with a rcs1>1ratory ailment requiring antibi- l 1 Petropcu operations on the Maral'lon. otics to recO\•cr. This infection was most likely SUI>phed by these "drug-voyeur" tourists rrom overseas. The Urarina are alanned at this invasion. especially as they know the tour operators arc anned with weapons and Hike drugs, effectively mocking the Urarina religious ceremonies. The affected ,;llages organized to write n compktint lO the P eruvian Ministries of the Interior and Tourism in lqunos. and the rlmericon Embassy in L1ma. demandmg that the indi\iduals respons1ble be barred from their lands. In August 1992. a medical sun-ey was IOHlally conducted in Urarina territory As the Urarina had pre\'iously ne\'er seen a ph)'Stcian, 1t took eight days before a four-year-old girl was brought forward 1n critic:~l condition suffenng from malaria. amotbic dysen· tery. and three l)'ptS of wonn mfect1ons. After she reco\'ered. commumty members were Interested m complementing thear 0\\11 soph1st1cated tthnobotanical med1c1nes to prc\'ent morbidity and monaht)' from""''' d1seases. These maJ. ad1es mcluded mostly recently introduced d1seases. such as the deadly cholera and ma.lana. Uranna communi· tits suffered gra"ely from the introduction of cholera into the Chambira river system m September 1991 (cholera \\'35 remtrodueed into South Americ:~ in january 1991). Some communities ... they arrive in Urarina villages to "look at the Indians" and take pictures. Right after a tour in the spring of 1995, most of the children in one village which had been visited came down with a respiratory ailment requiring antibiotics to recover. 7 �CONFRONTING CULTURA L Children are especially at risk of diseases like malaria. reported population losses of up to 20%, an incredibly high population mortality rate even rrom this well· known disease that can kill in less than 12 hours. A second epidemic of cholera in the Chambira with significantly less monality followed in October 1993 after village heahh workers had been trained to treat cholera. Urarina communities also suffer from endemic vi\'W: malaria. which still produces significant mol'bidity and contributes to mortality especially among children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Other important illnesses documented in Urarina cotnmunities in the initial 1992 survey were helminth infections. dysentery (amoebic and bacillary). and viral and bacterial respiratory infections. After the initial medical survey was performed, the Urarina communities elected 3 village health workers (VHWs) who were then trained to diagnose and treat the most common medical illnesses. The VHW communities were provided medical supplies for their village as well as any surrounding Urarina comrnunity in need. VH\oVs and the Urarina people are encouraged to con· tinue using and developing their own medical system for r nany ailments 8 EXTINCTION which it can ameliorate. further medical surveys from August to October 1993, February to April 1994, January to April 1995, and October to December 1995 revealed progressive disease threats. furt hered training of the VHWs. and replenished medical supplies. When the second wave of cholera came up the Chambira, the VHWs were ready to give oral rehydration solutions and tetracycline to the sick. Only one fatal case was reponed from the VHW villages after that outbreak. The most recent disease th reat to the Urarina has been the deadly Plasmodium falcipan~m malaria strain. Previously confined to small areas of Peru. in the last 5 years this strain has spread across most of northeastern Peru. h first appeared in the Urituyacu river system 2 years ago, and spread into the Chambira river from the Tigrillo river in 1995. The Urarina region has been the most affected. The malaria research lab in lquitos has identified a staggering 79% of all P. falciparum cases in July. August. and September 1995 to have originated rrom the r nain river systems in which the Urarina live (Chambira, Urituyacu. and Corricmes). However. these figures still underestimate the severity of the new malarial suain on the Urarina. since most of their cases ar c never reported . A further p roblem is that the new strain has grade II (two) drug resistance. While colonists on the lower Chambira and Tigrillo rivers arc seeking the most effective drug trcatrnent at medical posts on the Marat'\on and Amazon rivers, it is unavailable to the Urarina because of logistical and financial reasons. To illustrate the seriousness of the epidemic, the Urarina village of Tagual had 6 people (5 children and one pregnant woman) out of 80 die or the new strain the week before the last medical survey and supply trip arrived. All other Urarina communities experienced monalit)r from the new strain, ahhough at a lower rnte. What is to become of the Urarina? The most negative spin on the future must be confronted as a potential reali- ty. If the past is an)' measure regarding Indigenous peoples in Peru. the govern- ment will attempt to assimilate them into Peruvian society. Young Urarina men, for example, will be drafted to do their mandatory military service ror • fatherland" Peru. Colonists will continue invading Urarina territory. Petropent will drill in the Chambira oil field. Ecological destruction and introduced diseases will gradually decimate them. Urarina mao dying of cholera, treated for the d isease just in time. Many people do not survive this treatable illness. for the optimistic spin, the Urarina could remain where they are, in their own territory and self·sufficient. Since Peru is a signatory of the International Labor Organization Convention 169 which e£rectively advocates for the defense of Indigenous cultures, it could legally recognize their territory. This would lead to their self-detem>ination. and the control of their own destiny. Thankfully. a few optimistic signs have emerged for the Urarina. First, Peruvian anthropologists have succeed· ed in petitioning the Peruvian Department of Agricuhure on their Abya Yala News �CONFRONTING behalf to conduct a population survey, the first step necessary for land titling. The survey is being conducted by the Peruvian NGO CEDIA (Centro Para el Desarrollo del lndlgena Amaz6nico). The s11rvcy started in November 1995. with expected completion in late 1996 or early 1997. However. this is only a start. With the odds stacked against them, the Urarina will likely ne<!d political support from outside Peru or they will join the long line of extinct cultures and peoples left behind by the ongoing colonization of this continent. 1' CULTURAL EXT I NCTION Map showing Urarina territOI)' in the blackwater systems of the Chambira and Urituyacu. The rivers drain from a swamp to the north, helping to isolate the Ucarina. Thanks to Rafad M<za, !..dis Ri\•era Chdi'<Z, )ost Morosco. jotge Quintana Zurita. Luis Icomcna, and Massitl Astendos Linares for their comribulions ro Urarina stlf-dtttnnfnation and d1e Urarina medical project To call aw:ntion to and protctl d1t Urarina~ territorial iruc:grity: \\~tt the Pr'tZ.itlent of Ptnl, Alberto Fujimori, urging him to secur~ the Urarina and other Indigenous peoples' tenitorial rights and to stop destruaive~ invasive tourism into Indigenous peoples communities. Send your letters to Ministerio de Ia Presidencia, -1297 Paseo de lc! Repti.bliat, Uma 1, Peru. To proUGl Indigenous peoples from importtd diseases: If you ar< working with isolated lndigtiiOIIS peoples (aruhropologists. l1uman riglus workers. ttc.), please co>ifin" that bo<h you and your local guides ha\'t all tile ncU$Sar)' \'DC· cinations and prophylactic medications. A.ny ptfSCn panicipating in rlfe project who is curn:ntly Ill should dtl>er b< left lxfli,d, or the project should lx delayed until that person has r<eovcn:d. 8AAZil If you a•• engaging in e<Olowism, please do 1101 enroll in •exotic'" tou~ pmmising to mttl isolat<d p<oples. Then: is no advantage for them to meet you. Tl1e tour opemtors arc in business to makt money. Tour operators l1a\'e no incentive to P'~'·tnt diSCQS( or impto\'e httdth among thes< peoples. Please Inform local Indigenous organizations or 01hcr adequate cnririts of tour operacotS operating u.ndcr such co11ditions. Vol. 10 No.2 i i ·Map Areas oil operation contracts and areas d irectly operated by Petroleos del Peru: Blod< 8 falls directly on top of the Urarina's territOI)'. 9 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 10, no. 2 (Summer 1996) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New and Old Disease Threats in the Peruvian Amazon: The Case of Urarina Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ritchie Witzig Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1996 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title New and Old Disease Threats in the Peruvian Amazon: The Case of Urarina Item Type Journal Article Author Ritchie Witzig Volume 10 Issue 2 Pages 6-9 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1996 Language English Abstract Note Since the first Europeans came to the West, the Indigenous peoples have dwindled due to warfare, but more importantly, biological warfare. This article details the struggles of the Urarina people of Peru as the try to maintain their isolation from the outside world as to avoid biological deterioration, as well as cultural deterioration. Attachment Title New_and_Old_Disease_Threats_in_the_Peruvian_Amazon.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Cultural Extinction Disease Indigenous Peoples Peruvian Amazon https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/9f66d30ffc6d03104e545463fb2a9b6c.pdf 6f87d29300763c9565dd108613212f4f PDF Text Text _ _ _ _ _ _ __,:....:: O_- J U S T I C E E C~ _ T he Urarina, who call themselves "KachA· , meaning people,'" are a ~'lhe semi~nomadic Amazonian people who have inhabited the Chambira and UrilUyacu river basins north o£ the Maral)on river in Peru for at least 500 years. The Uraril\a al\d the Mayorunas (Matses) remain the largest umitle:d Amazonian Indigenous groups in Peru. However, the relati\'e: isolmion of the Urnrina has been imen1.1pted as their traditional territory has occn invodcd by colonists. loggers. river traders, and drug· Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies + by Ritchie Witzig and Massie/ Ascencios voyeur tourists. All of these groups have brought significam disease pressure on Resource Exploitation Update the Urarina that threatens their 'vay of life and survival as documented in the article published in Abya Yala News Vol. 10. Nllmber 2 (Sllrnrner 1996). Vol. 10 No. 3 The most rcccm and grave threat to Urarina su ,.;val is disease importation caused by the three multinational oil companies who entered their territory in late january 1997 to build an oil d rilling site ror I>ctrolcum c;~traction. The Urarina people live in a Oood zone that is projected to have signifi~m oil rescn•es. Three multinational oil com· panics ocgan drilling from the Chambira oil field located at Santa Martha on the Chambira river. Santa Martha is an old Urarina corrummity located in the heart 17 �Eco-Jusr 1 ce of Urarina land that was temporarily vacated due to the semi-nomadic naturt of Urarina cuhure. The Chambira oil fields arc pan of Block 3 owned by Petroperu. the Peruvian national oil company, but the rights to drill directly on the Chambira river were transferred to Enterprise Oil Co., of Great Britain in 1996. The rights were sold because Petroperu did not have the capital to initiate drilling. Against the " "shes of the public, the Peruvian government now wants to privatize Petrope:ru. The s."le of the oil rights to Enterprise had the effect of privatizing the entire Chambim oil field withOUl privatizing Petroperu. Enterprise subcontracted Parker Oil Drilling Co. of Tuls.,, Oklahoma, and the Santa Fe Petroleum Co. of Lima. to drill the Sama Manha well. Constnlction of the oil field staned in January, 1997 and by May I. Enterprise/Parkert'S.,nta Fe had drilled a complete well but fonunately did not encounter enough oil to warrant funhcr exploration. The latest news is that the company has moved to lot 32. which is just nonhwest of their original site and is still deep in Urarina territory. to pursue further exploration in the next two years with a go\'emmcm contract. Spills Before Drills Even before ther struck oil, there were ecological disasters. On April 30, 1997, the steel bouom of a barge bringing up supply oil w 3S punctured by a huge capirona (Calycophyllum sp.) tree 10 kilometers from the oil well, causing oil contamination of the entire Chambira river downstream. The barge was then towed upstream, moored at Sama Manha, and surrounded by pylons tO control the oil leak (sec Figure 1). One Urarina cacique (leader) in the Hormiga river off the Chambira c01nplained that the fish entering his grounds had been contaminated from the oil, and were swimming imo the Hormiga looking for fresh water. Amazonian river dolphins (lnia geoffrensis) which were numerous in the Chambira river basin ha,•e since noticed to be scarce from the main Chambira. This is certainly only the firsl of many barge leaks as this accident occur·red when the river level was at Oood Stage in the rainy season . The Chambira is a nar· attempting 18 row river. at times only 30 meters wide. In the dry season when the river is 10 meters lower there arc certain to be more accidents of this type. There are no stud· ies ongoing by the government , any NGO. or the oil companies of this impending ecological deStruction. SIL and Missionary Control an Urarina individual under the control of the SlL and living in Nueva Esperanza. This Urarina man who signed the docu· mems is not a leader of the Urarina, and only represents himself. The total "com· pensation'" to the Urarina nation from this ·agteemtnt'" was a speedboat and monthl)' promises of gasoline given to the impostor "leader'". The total effect was to give an extra St>eedboat to SIL Unfortunately, it is difficult to undo a fr:.mdulent '"cont~ct'" as described above quickly. and it enables the oil companies to establish thetnselves while the legal defense of the Urarina is being organized. As they have done elsewhere in the \Vestern Amazon. the SIL have again proven 'vith the Urarina that Indigenous self·detenninmion is e.~actly the opposite of their mission. The Summer Institute of Linguistics (Sil or l LV· lnstitmo Linguist ito de Verano) used an impostor Urarina ~Je,adcr" to help the oil compar'lics create an appearance of legitimacy in their inva· sion of Urarina land. The Sll is an evan· gclical organization of atnateur and pro~ fe.ssional linguists who attempt to influ. ence the societies in 'vhich they work by transl:.uing the Bible into native ian· g.•ages. SIL has had .-- -,...- - - - - --.v;;:- - - - - ---,---, ~ a represemati\'C , (Ronald Manus) liv''"""' ~ ing intenniltently in the Urarina commlk 5 nity of Nueva ~ Esper:mza for the §: past 30 years. The ! Urarina have retained their cui~ i turc and spirituality ~ despite SILS anctnpt l! to influence them. As the outside agency with the longest domicilial experience in Urarina territory, the SIL has never tried to empower the Urarina in any way to protect their lands. Colb)• and g t Dennen's recent book about oil exploitation in the Amazon, ..Thy \Viii be Done· has documented that the histOry of the SIL has been to help divide Indigenous peoples L ......______s~t,;;~!li;!!!o_____:~.j,~_ _j and even help oil companies enter 1M tom.'"'"' rrid"P'rrid ptito6rotiM of oil righn in Indigenous areas. When the oil compa· Peru. m. lot~ ha>o""ntly been <iloogod. OJ nies needed to gain entrance into Urarina uplo<otiM is ax"ntly tnl:iig p/o<e oo lot 32 (formerly lot land, they received 1he nceessary help 8) ;, Urorina tttrfiGI'(. from the SIL. SIL helped arrange a paper deal that ·allowed" the oil companies acce:ss to S.1nta Martha that was signed by At::fta Yala News �E co - J u sT I CE Disease Importation Mtdrinarional oil txploration = Malaria, pertussis. and cm·ironmcntal contaminalion Oil drilling teams are renowned for transporting new su-aii\S of disease into territories they exploit. The oil explo· rmion and drilling teams are based in the field with support offices in lquitos and Lima, but their personnel are imponed from various areas in Peru. the United States, and Europe. The Sama Fe lquitos office use the small Nanay ri\'er port com· munity of S."lnta Ckua to lo.1d all their equipment onto barges for transtxm to the Chambim. Santa Clara is currently suffering the most intense and drug resistant P. falciparum epidemic of any area in Peru. as well as an outbreak of penussis (whooping cough). Pcnussis appeared last February in the Chambira. after drilling had started- it was almost cenainly brought by the oil teams. At least seven persons died from the two villages around ~nta Manha. The Umrina have not received the DTP vaccine which prOtects from penussis, and penussis can be among the most lethal diseases in children with multiple infections. Over sixty percent of the P. falcipannn strains in Santa Clara ncar to lquitos are resistant to chloroquine and pyrimcthamine/stllf~doxine. the two cheapest and most \.IS.Cd drugs against P. faldp.annn in Peru. The P. falciparum strains in the Chambira river still respond to pyrimethamine /sulfadoxinc, but sup· plies are small and infrequent. There is a Vol. 10 No.3 real danger that resistant P. falciparum strnins are being transt>Orted to \'CI'}' the Charnbira by the oil workers loading the suppl)' 1>.1rges in Santa Clara. The Peruvian government has no health post in the entire Chambim river basin. The nearest health post is In Maypuco. more thai\ I week by canoe from Urarina territory. Colonists on the lower Chambim have access to boats and motors which can shuttle sick persons to Maypuco and on tO lquitos. The Urarina or oil workers will take away any hope controlling the P. faldpanun cpidtqliC that is currcmly decimating the Urarina people. hnplimcmation or Convention 169. of which Peru is a signatory nation (199'1) would help to protect the cultural rights of the Urarina as well as legall)' title their land. Legal recognition of their territorial boundaries would lead to self determination for the Urarina giving them some recourse to protect their ,...,ay of life. '\!) have no transponation except canoes. As of May 1997. the Peruvian non· governmental organization CEDIA (Centro Para el Des.1rrollo del lndigena Amazonico) had counted over 3.200 Urarina in the Chambira basin alone (there are also Urarina in the Uritiyacu river and in ;\ffiuems of the Corrientes river). The final number wiH likely include over 4.000 individuals. a large number for a rcn'lotc Amazonian J>eople. Even though it has only juSt begun, the oil exploitation in Urarina territory has resulted in both serious hcahh impacts and environmental degradation. If it continues at this pace, the cultural, biological, and ecological effects of oil exploration on the Umrina w'ill likely be irreversible. The Urarina do not marry outside their group and sexually trans· 1niued diseases including AlDS arc not yet a problem in the communities. Cultural breakdown from exposure to oil workers may alter this trend. New drug resistant Strains of malaria brought in by R. Witzig ltos ptJiormed mtdical surveys, Jiseose lttot· mtnl, suppfftd mtdlcin~. end lraintJ UJorino village htafth warkm fYHWJ in bc!ir medirof and pvbfir htofth on strM sepatote flips Ia the (hombiJa basin silut /992, with a Iota/of 13 months in the lit/d. This ron· lintring ptojut w#lic.h the outbar for~ndtd ;s Ihe Amazonian lndigtn<Jvs Ptop{e\ Heahh Pro;.rt (AIPHPJ. The aul~r hos da<umtnled the epidtmics of m eosles, acute ttspiJotaty iU nesSfs, c~teto, and malaria offocl· ingthe UtatirNJ. His ptt-riCHJs trip ;, May, 1997, found ar10 of the Jhtet VHW~ deod hom malotio, ond wide· sprtad malaria in rht enlite (bombtro basin. This wos the firsllrip aflttlhs oil Jrilling storied, ond all of the Urarina communiti~ wtre lroumotized 6y Jbe incursion of htt!Y'( tquipmenl into lhtir rireJ. Tire ptttussis epi· demk if'l Jilt commMilies DrOQnd lbt ail driH silt wos ing docome.nttd. wM the oil worktJS/;ktly inltoductd. ch Sen n Uratino had ditd of ptJMsn in t~se riffcgts ol""' sinrt ftbruory 1997. avthot is th• only ptr· san (domtstic at fottign} to work with Ihe Urctino 10 Jocume.nl fffld Jrtol theit mtdico/ p1a6kms. Tht avlbots ore cumnlly iworking on m<~lor;a p1ojects i, lqvitos , ftJrJ, n.. 19 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ritchie Witzig Massiel Ascencios Language A language of the resource English English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Zotero Title Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies Item Type Journal Article Author Ritchie Witzig Massiel Ascencios Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 17-19 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Language English Abstract Note The Kacha people are increasingly being exploited for their natural resources. Oil companies are spreading disease and ruining environments, with a negative impact on Indigenous life. Attachment Title Urarina_Survival_Update_Continued_Resource_Exportation_and_Disease_Importation_by_Foreigners_and_Newly_Initiated_by_Multinational_Oil_Companies.pdf Urarina_Survival_Update_Continued_Resource_Exportation_and_Disease_Importation_by_Foreigners_and_Newly_Initiated_by_Multinational_Oil_Companies.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] [No URL] Disease Kacha Urarina