1 12 41 http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/7272697a3206d0c68b0d81d6b29ea9eb.pdf 136c118f7c9b4e2e57207fad2ed81967 PDF Text Text �Colli<' IllS S . \IIC Sldlf Oirooor: M IO CO)'UQUOO Olflce Manager: Daniela Spiwak o evelopmcm COOrdinator: Kimberty Rosa.., Volunteer COOrdinator: Rosa Alegria I'\.CC()Ul1lirlg: C.A.A,B.S. Board ol Edl1 SAtiC OO<Ird ol OlrCCiors ors: Edi!OCS:COnstanza C3:StrO. oaniCJa Spiwa.\ OCSign & U).\'OUt: Alfonso Jamtnmo SAitC 603rd of Directors Edituri~•l Editorial .............................................................. ............................................3 If Encounter of ............ ..4 Gina Pacaldo ~San carl05 ~leMa) Nllo cayvQtteO(Mapuci»Argentt!\(1) Ct "\1'10$ Malbelh (MI$.\;JI()-!\ Camgua) 1 w aro Akk::rete ((;a.lchaqui-Ngenlina) Xihuanel Huetta (ChiCantndia) ~:~f:~r:::~:~ Waste Buried in Brazilian Amazon ........................................... 7 Wichi Hunger Strike for Human Rights......... ................. ............................... S Wave of Guarani Suicides Continues.............................................................8 Chilean Governmc:nl Obstructs Mapuche Participation in Dec. Elections ..... 9 Aymara Elected as Vice-President of Bolivia ............... ................................. 9 Venezuelan Government Blames TNCs of Yanomami Massacre......... ........ 9 I nll'I'U:IIinn:tl WorldConferenceon Human R ights: Few Real Actions to Redress Injuries ... lO U.N. Declares Decade of Indigenous Peoples ................................ .............. II Gene Genic and Science's Thirst for Information with Indigenous Olood ... 12 Free Trade's Assault on Indigenous Rights.................................................. IS · and the 16 O il Companies ....... 19 Alliances Formed Against Colombia's Plan Pacifico................... ................'2l Logging Threatens First Nations in British Columbia................... ..............22 I Determination and Territory I Constitutional revision in Brazil: A Threat to Indigenous Rights ............... .23 The New Peruvian Constitution and lndi enous Communities................... 24 Women's Ri hiS Indigenous Women in Bolivia Set Example for Aby-a Yala......................... 25 Interview with Mauricia Otstro........ ........................ .......... ..........................26 Health I Epidemic Hits Communities of San Lorenzo, Peru .............. ................ ........ 29 PAHO Adopts Initiative on lndi cnous Heahh .... ......... ........ .......................29 Human Rights Violence Against Indigenous Peoples in Peru: The Ashaninka Massacrc...30 ONIC Denounces Wave of Murders ....................... ......................................32 Indigenous Activist Held in G uatcmala ... ............... .......... ....... .....................33 On-Going Violence Against Macuxi .............. ..............................................33 Dinch Against Peabody Coal Continues........... ............................. 34 I C uillelmo Delgado (Quect-...,·BoiMa) AJejandfO Nnaru Argt lmedo (Quechua·Peru) Abya Yala 1'\ews (ISSN 1071·3 182) lS availabJe roc oo ao- nuaJ s 1s personal memberSh!p. S2S organizational me,rn. l:>elshif). or S3 at CC~taln OC\\'SStan<IS. FOI canada or MexJco add ss. for au orher tnlemaliO<lOI membership s. add s 1o. We wek:ome Sc.tbmlssions of ank:les. le ners. photographs ard rele\"Mt lnf()f'f'r\&tlon. Lcners and ank:k:s may be edited for length bt1t not ror contezlt If you 1\a\'C occcss to a computtt. please send ) 'Otlf anic~ on ~rand on an Apple ~tlble 3 tl21nch diSK. Send au cocrespondcnce to: SAUC P.O. Box 28703 Qakland, CA 04604, USA Phone: (51 0)834-+263 Fax: (5 10)834-+26+ peacener ~II: saiie@igc.apc.org w e would like to thank the fouowu-.g tnc~IS and ocgani?.ations for their genetOUS assistanCe 10 SAIIC: Alberto AretWlS. RodrigO OeH lncourt. Aroocli Butgueue. MaMna Bustanlante . BeiCO Cordovez. Ellsa oennls. Giorgio del Bcnl. Fidel OOIOriel. Marcela 00}1et ReediC Durst. KriSt lna Egan. Pllil~ ()Obrlet. Felix Cillo. Delh HudSOn. SCiene .raram\110. Jerry Manocr. M.. JOSe Mt•noz. DavkJ Rk:k. JOhn 'VIa Spalding. C!en SWitkeS. Kalla Torelli. Bill'}' R. T'rk:eJr.. Angela w arshz. Ofganl7lUiO!lS: Rainforest Action r.;erwork (USJ\). AJnerindia (Spain). 00 Cip (S\\1zer1and.). Nork lndiansk r"()(en!ng (Nor· 'va>?. SOl >' U.•na o~~o(wa}'). PubliCatiOnS: Oj.."l.r..\Sea (MexiCO). Mujeles (l.JS,o\), Unitas (80IMa). Shaman's Dn•m (USA) lnter·Amcrican Encounter on Indigenous Rig hts and Common Law .... ...... 3S Indigenous Biodiversity Nctwork ................. ....... ......................................... 36 Peoples of the Rainforest Hold Global Confcrenoe..... ......... ....................... 36 AIPIN..................................... ........... .................................... ....... ................ 37 Radio Waves for Women .............................................................................37 In Defense. of Indigenous Migrant Wo rkers ............... ................. ................ 37 Wings for the Young.. ........................ ................ ......... ......... ........ ................ 37 Calendar of Events........... ............... ........................ ................. ......... .........38 Le!ters............ ................................. ...... .................... .............. .....................39 l!ems Available from SAIIC ................................ .......... ......................... ...40 TI\Cinks 1 1 followi ng !<>ttndatlons !or their generous 0 he St•Pf)Of1:n)l} John o. and C:'ltherlne T. Mac Anhur Foofl(la. tiOn. General SCrVICe r'OUndatiOn. F'Undi"S E.xd\ange, sev. cnth Gencmtion f\II')(IT'kJCS r'OU1 XIati0n. FOt•fldat100 for oeep EcolOgy. SAJJ Repcesentallon atxoact: Juan SCbas!lan t.ara(Spa.ln}. C Rafael ArgunlCdo (GermanY). Amerlndial (Spain). AlejandrO Argumcdo and Su san o ·oone ll (Can ada). Marcos YOC(Ciuatemala COITCSf)Or'W.Senl}. �D I TORI AL. The year 1993 (Gregorian year) is behind us. ln different ways and for different neasons, great expoetations were created because it was said that this yw would be beneficial for Indigenous people. ln the fmt place, the United Nations declared 1993 the "Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples". The yw was conceived to provide a platform so that consciousness, sensibility, and human rights to favor Indigenous Peoples would be created throughout tbe world. Nation-stales reacted positively to tbis call, but ~e.-repairs to oppression and discrimination have seldom benefited o~r peoples. In truth, we can affirm that no signifiCallt fact o~c rep3!l! i5>n is concrete. If this would be true, there would have been some advances in J Indigenous legislation, commitrnents o CSJabl· h di~ alit fuJ1.he~ (o~ogicil conservation and economic implementationon z Indigenous Territories. ;AI \~ ? ' ~ The World Bank and the Intern Development Bank, after sgonsoring <tceadc{bf ~ironmental destruction, accompanied by genocide and ethnoeide, have only receatly decided to invite lndif~ representativefui \~ dial~es. These banks have offered some " economic support and technical ~bu ~ ere is noguarantte lhat'illey;vill stop fundingde&liuctivc ~je<:ts on Indian areas. The United t' =~~eloproentProg13111prOmised~j;,rtproje<:~~~i?,nofbiodive:~teiJCC)tualrightsoflndigenouspeoples' Indeed, aU of these can be ~"'{ ~e. How er, thM·~~teeJ!!!!.!W ,s: ag;kmeo~ proposals, and proje<:ts wiU be implemented under conditions of "!luality ~d !1'.\'tualrcspoe~ i.e.witb-i~_:9.'Uprticipati01f~f J.!)digenous peoples in the decision making or implementation process. There is alSo no gueie<: Indigenous TerritOries and natural r~ees within bose territories will be respected. that The Indigenous fund, created by the ~e ents of Bolivia and MexiOO has only~n.,rntified byfi~e or six governments even though it has beenwidely publicized. What isev~worsc, is h~paii";CI~tionby-au~~~njZaltons in thedecision-maki.ngprocess and not one Indigenous women's orga$ization h~ invited even thoug,. there man~~')/ Re<:ently, the United Nati<>ns has~ t~of Indigenous P!'OPICS, from 1994-2004 to beip, among other things, to disseminate information (education) regarding Indi~ us P~~ resolutio~ bowev~, does not rellect" the full participation of the Indigenous Peoples in the activities of the Decade. It ~~Ued · ew P~ec;M>"-tbat bad ibeOretically begun in 1992 has already ended, ~ for it has not been mentioned anywhere. ~ '~ ~ !} Despite cunrent processes of dernocra tion in Jftin Ameri~ assacres, ~ression, assassinations of Indigenous representatives, and endless waiting for territorial demarcation ~laws, ~ntinued to the end of tbe Year t e w id~ndigenous Peoples. We must print for the record, tbe massacre of the Yanomami in ~· theK ~aninka ~e in t~o'!>eruvian~n, tlie assassination ofa Macuxi leader in Brazil and several Indigenous peoples of theF i'Itures fOUifd in Gua~m~a. ~inations ~ve also ~en place in Colombia and repression in Ecuador and Panama does not escapeoy eo.lbm: In~qilc, 11w{Mapuche ~pie were tmp~ 1,and continue to be prOS<X:uted. Similarly, ' when it comes to Territorial Demarcatk>n, t'U'USI pqjnt out the Macu~ ~I) o~tbe ~ea Ra~.Serra do Sol and the military strategies used to intimidate them, as well asJhe ~~~~ilizatiqn of 125 Mocovi lndi~'\Qusl,o~nities against the "Law of Indigenous c Communities" approved by the gove.OOr ~santa" 1;''9, 1\r~ntina.pe liSt <jf eount~es that.have -qolated, intimidated and refuted the rights of Indigenous peoples continues to grow1All ~hJ dei1)o~trilles tha~ in ~raetiec, !be& oontiDues to'be violations and denial of ancestral Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The publicized WOdj q>n!ere.l& Human Rights of t.berUoited Nations in Vienna (1993), bad no significant ' anainments. "'-. I II! 4 It is important to emphasize, as a positiveoutcomeof]hisco~tintiOOS continentafand world struggle oflndigenous Peoples, that we have advanced nationally, regionally, continentally, and globally. The Second Continental Encounter of Indigenous Peoples organized by CONIC, ' ~! , tbe "Coordinadora de Naciones, Pueblos y Organizaciones lndfge®S ije\ Continente", last October, marked a historical milestone in the consolidation of continental unity, organization, self~riticis"j:. and P/?~itional political position. The hopes and yearning for a 1rue year of justice, peace, and hannony l' r our people is the wish of the entire Continental Indigenous o Community. With thesegoals in mind, we are building community, IoJkiDg to ibe future, and taking ftnn steps to voice our continental demands. are 1 1 'f tn • Peace, JUStice, and Harmony with Mother Earth SAIIC Board ofDireclors VO L 7 NO.3 3 �II Co~T I ~E~TAL ENcot:~TEH oF I ~D I GENO L ; s PEOP L ES, NATIONS A~n 0H.GA~ I ZATIONS CON I C lh the participation of more lban 300 Indigenous delegates, sup porters, and observers, the II Continenl.11 Encounter of Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and Organizations took place at the OtomiCoremoniaiConteroftheNathoNahnu people, in Ternoaya, Mexico, from the 8th through lhe 13th of October. The Encounter was organized by lhe Coordinating Comnnissionof Indigenous Nations and Organizations of the Continent (CONiq. Th.s Encounter i was a follow up to the First Continenl.11 Encounter of Indigenous Peoples, which took place in Quito, Ecuador in July of 1990. Its goal was 10 consolidate an autonomous and unified Indigenous movement throughout the Abya Yala continent A Provisional Council, responsible for pu«ing together the Third Encounter that will take place in Guatemala between the months of September and November of 1994, was fonned. During the Third Continental Encounter, CONIC will he fonnaUy oonslitutedand regional workshops will he organized around the various issues that Indigenous Peoples are faced with. The first meeting of lhe Provisional Council will lake place in Bolivia in February 1994, organized by the Coordinadora de Mujeres lndigenas de Bolivia. The following are members of the Provisional Council: Conscjo de Todas las Tierras (Mapuche, Chile); Coordinadora de Mujeres lndigenas de Bolivia; Confederaeion de Nacionalidades lndigenas del Ecuador- W 4 I. Spirihmlit~ and Tntditiun CONAlE; Consejo deOrganizaciones Mayas de Guatemala; Kunas Unidos por Napguana Panama); Frenle lndependienle de Pueblos The spirituality of our cultures and the many Indios, Mexico and Consejo lndigena de traditional forms in wllich lhal spirituality is Guerrero,Mexico,TONATIERRAandSAIIC expressod, are the deep essence of our identity. The Great Spirit that shellers aU of Abya of USA Yala unites us, protects us, and offers us the co:-;1c llrdaralion ofTemoa)a. 199.1 means to bridge our differences with mutual respoet. We conclude that a basic condition 501 years after the European invasion, the for maintaining the spirituality and traditions Peoples and Original Nations of Abya Yala of our Peoples is the recovery ofou.r territories gather together. Their song has causod the and lhe healing and renewal of ou.r Sacred heart of the Earth 10 vibrnte, given Strength to Morhe.r Earth, returning her green cover and our voices and illuminated our thoughts, nourishing her with organic life rather than strengthening the wannth of the sacred fire. with the chemicals that poison and profane her. We agree that it is vil.1lto foster, develop, and strengthen the roorsofour identity; therefore it is offundamenl.11 importance to work for the recovery of ou.r own fonns of living with and relating to ou.r Father Sun, our MOibe.r Earth, ou.r G.raodfalbcr Fire, and our Grandmother Moon We demand of lhe NationStates the recognition of ou.r religious practices and ouruse of traditional andceremonial medicines, as well as the decriminalization of Thus, every morning, we greeted our Fa- coca, peyole, mushrooms and other plants of lher Sun and welcomed the new day. His sacred and healing value... energy has united us and given us strength to II. :\loth('r E:.ulh. Tt·rl'ilor.\ , ;md progress in ou.r work. We conclude five days llarmon inus De\ l'lopmcnl of work towards agreements and consensusof dialogues and debate. With pain and with hope, wilhjoyandwithangcr, we havereached One of theprinciple agreements reached althe the following agreements and conclusions fo.r Earth Summit that took place in Brazil in the future: 1992, was the warning call that united all of Abya Yala News �lbecounuies and social sectors oflbe wo~d in face of lbe gteal dangers that confront our Planet. In add.ition, fuU recognition was given to lbe sustainable and SUstaining technologies lbat have been practiced by the Original Nations for thousands of ycaiS. For our Peoples, ecology is not a fashion statement nor a recent development. This islbewayourelderstaught us: "If you are going to cut down some trees in order to plant the seeds of your nourishment, you need to ask permissionoflbespiritsofthe forest and study lbecyclesofrencwal in order to help regenerate what you bave altered. You must ask permission and give offerings to the Earth Mother before opening any wounds in her body witb the sharpened steel of your tools. You must study the agricultural calendar for the weD-being of the other living beings who acoompany you in this life. In order to eliminate the root of the plunder and genocide suffered by our Peoj>les, it is necessary to undertake a profou'l.d territorial reorgani2ation at a continent4levellhat bas as its objective lbe redefinition and the recognition of autonomous territories. As Original Peoples, we denounce the neoliberal econontic model which continues to generate more povt(ly, buoger, and environmental degradation. We are convinced of the need to establish alliances with lbe different sectors of society in order to join our efforts and work together towards the creation of alternative ecooontic models which will 001 be based upon consumption and coltinuing ecological degradation. R<':\olutions Peoples of Honduras addressing the plenary 4) Their adverse impact on Sclf-Oetennina- 1HE F1JU. EXERCISE OF OUR SELFtion and Indigenous rights. DETERMINATION." This self-detennina5} Their elimination of smaiJ-scale agricul- tion must • ...be expressed as fuU recognition. ture in favor of multi-national agribusiness. 6) Their po!ential for aUowing the exploita· tion of child labor. 7) The lack of access our chil~n have to the basic education that wouJd allow lbem to compete intcmationaUy. We protest and express our consternation and dismay at the proposal to collect human genes on lbc pan of'ProjectHurnan Genome Diversity Project (seearticle,(l'!ge 12) We demand that tbe HGD Project cease and desist in its attempt to coUect human genes from Indigenous peoples, and that the United States government withdraw its application to patent the genes of a Guaymi woman, and any other similar applications. We also demand that GA1T not approve any Agreement about the Patenting of Human Genes or other forms of life. A) Witb the purpose of promoting a harmonious, sustainable, and community-based deIll. Sclf·l><'lrrmination. l.l•J.:.i'lation. velopment, we strongly denounce and oppose :.1nd lndi~<'llOUs Ri;:,ht-; GA1T and NAFTA for tbe following rcasons: The First Contioeotal Encounter in Quito in 1990constitutes a significant reference point I) Their adverse impact on Nature. in the actual struggles waged by the Original 2) Their exploitation of the Indigenous work Peoples of Abya Yala. In lbat occasion, we force. produccdtheQuito Declarationwhich in 1993 3) Their violation of lnd.igenous inteUectual is still very relevant We said: "We are now property rights with respoct to Indigenous fully aware that our definitive liberation CAN Oora and fauna. ONLY BE EXPRESSED BY MEANS OF VOl. 7 NO. 3 &4 TElOUROWNINDlGENOUSSELF-GOVERNMENT AND CONTROL OF OUR OWNlERRITORIES."!nordertomakereal this objective, we maintained: •rr IS NECESSARY TO HAVB A COMPLETE AND THOROUGH TRANSFORMATION OF lHESTAlEANDNATIONALSOCIETY. We ratify the understanding of ourselves as Peoples, as the Original Peoples and F'U$1 lnbabitantsof this continent Were vindicate our right to be recognized as such by the international community, and the United Nations. The opposition,of the national States to the acknowledgment of our rights has its principal origin in the very configuration of the Nation-States, wbieb by their very nature exclude our Pooples. 11 is not enough for them to declare themselves "multi-cultural" or "multi-ethnic", as these declarations do 001 modify them in the least. 11 is necessary 10 BUILD MULTINATIONAL STATES tbat will recognize the coexistence of multiple Peoples within one State. CONIC needs to work towards gnarantceing the panicipatioo of Indigenous Peoples in tbe different meetings that the UN carries out in regard to our rights and request that it consider a proposal to re-structure itself in order to include Indigenous Nations as full members. 5 �detcnnination. However, there have also been aggressions against our people as the vora· cious neolibcral appetite for our territories From remote times, our Peoples established We consider it necessary to promote the es- and resources continues. thefamilyastbcbasicunitofsocialorganiza- tablishment of an educational system in acWe must make an effort to de-colonize lion. The roles of men and women, of youth cordance with the philosophy and world view ourrelves, to recover our capacity to be indigand elders, were different in their functions, of our Peoples. The formation of one's iden- nant over any attack and any injustice combutequalintbeirim- . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . , mined against a fellow portance. The hisPeople. We need to estabtoric situation of our lish more effective lines of peoples bas laid a communication between great burden of reTo the UN Secretary General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali the continental Indigenous sponsibilities on movement and the womcn,buttbanksto We, the members of CONIC are writing to express the following: grassroots communities ourstrengtbandconandorganizations. We also viet ion much of our At the opening ceremony of lbe International Year of Indigenous Peoples, need to be more effective traditions and cusat the UN in New York, CONIC made an effort to invite 231ndigenous in the handling of national tomswerekeptalive. delegates from aU over the world, in order to support the UN initiative in and international laws. Women play an imdeclaring 1993 the Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples. During the Anocberoftbeadvanccs portant roleasaprinffitcials expressed their which webaveacbicved in inauguration, government representatives and UNo the last three years as ciple leaders and desire for a new partnership with Indigenous Peoples. counsclorswithspiriCONIC is the relationship tuality being the thatbasgrownbetweentbe Today, ten months later, this new relationship has not yet materialized, organizations of the North source of our strength. The world regarding participation and dialogue. For this reao;on, we are requesting to and the South of the contiview of Indigenous have a meeting between CONIC members and other Indigenous Peoples nent. This brings us much women is not one of the world with the UN... joy because it also signifies which divides and the fulfillment of a propbseparatcs, but is inWritten attbe Otomi Ceremonial Center, Temoaya, October 12 1993. ecyofourancestors, lhcrcstcad a holistic one. encounter of the Eagle and the Condor. We are thus The importance of the role of women in the continuity of our tity is a fundamental part of children's and creating the basis for a true continental indigculture was higltligbted. The need to educate young people's educational process. That enous unity. our children within the family, in our own identity begins at home, but it must be reinTo this end, we must higltligbtthat this U Encounter has bad as a distinctive sign the culture and mocbcr tongue was insisted upon. forced and strengthened at school. permanent spiritual presence that accompaIt is recommended that we build even closer relationships with our children, in order to \"1. Organi1.ation - CO:>;JC nied us during all oftbedaysof the Encounter. The presence of many gf.mdpareniS, elders, transmit our spiritual strength to tbem and prevent alienation and distancing form their One of the most important achievementS of and spiritual guides made it possible for us to original cultures. To this end, it c~ considered these three years that have transpired since the have great energies to dedicate to our work, important that in tbe forthcoming year of first Continental Encounter in Quito in 1990, and contributed to the successful completion 1994, which has been declared by tbe United is the consolidation oft be Indigenous struggles of our task... A complete Report of the Second EncounNations as the "Year of the Family", funds be in each of our countries. channeled specifically for the purpose of Currently, the international community bas terwill be published in tbe next Couple months. strengthening Indigenous families. We need begun to recognize the just nature of our If you wish to receive a copy oft be Report you to promote women'sorganizations incoordi· claims, and we can affirm that we have gained can write to SAIIC, also to: TONATIERRA. nation with family and community. importantallies in support ofour right to self- P 0 Box 24009. PbeeniJ<, AZ 85074. USA. IV. \\"omen. Famil) and Communi!) 6 V. Education. Culture and Youth Aby a Yala News �BRIEF . INO I G EN ..___,,'LJ TRIUMPH I BRAZILIAN COURTS E historic decision of the Bmzilian mber exploitation in the yterewa and Trinchera Bacaja, in state of Pari, bas been strictly proltibited. The Court upheld the appeal made by the lndigcroou!;l_!tighiS Core(NDI),aBmzilianNGO,again.stthetimbercompaniesParaehi, Maginco and lmpar. These companies were illegally extracting mabogany (rom those regions. Tbe three indigenous areas are contiguous and are found in one of the richest areas in mahogany wood of the states of Pam and of Amazonas. 6J%of the mahogany exported by Bmzil comes from 80% of the Indigenous areas. Despite thiS, the Court has pemtined Parachi to temporarily maintain a contingent of employees in a smal.l pan of the Apytarewa Reserve, where Parachi claims to have property titles. The NDI is currently preparing for the next baltle against the lumber companies in the Supreme Court of Brazil, whieh is likely to be less sensitive toward Indigenous and environmental topics. In other news, an NDIIawsuit aga.inSl a Mato Grosso logger recently came before the couns yielding positive rtS\!.'IS for' tbe Hahaintesu ponples of Guapore Valley in the western pan of the state. On September 6, 1993, Judge Maria Divina Viloria found Anilton Antonio Pompermayer guilty of illegal extraction of mahogany in the Habaintcsu Reserve. The logger will pay over US$ 200,000 for the extraction of 1,800 cubic meters of wood from the reserve. This is the second guilty verdiet for illegal logging in the state of Malo Grosso. International public opinion will play an important role in Brazilian State 10 uphold the righiS of Indigenous ~d the environment. We urge you ro send leners in of these decisions to: llxlma.Sro.Julza MariaDiY!na VIloria Di&nkbna ]u&.a Subotituta da ..xta Vara Fecl<nl DO Distrito Fedual Juslk:a F..S.ro! <k l'rirnmo ~ Secor <k Autarqulas Sul Quadra 4, Bloeo D, Lole 7 8rasilio D.F. 7007.000, Brasil Fax: (55) 61225-7116 E:dma. Sra. Ju&a Ellana Coimon Dl&n&.lma Presiclftlle da Quana Twma doTriboma!Reglooa!Fecleralda l 'Rec!io 585 Quadno :Z, EdilJdo AW114' Ancbr Brasilia D.F. 70070.100, Brazil RADIOACTIVE WASTE BURIED I N BRAZILIAN AMAZON ooordingtoreponsfromMovimentodeApoioaRe:sisteoeia aimiri!Attoari (MAREWA), the Paranapanema Co. is responsible for the burial of fivelhousaod tons of n.dioaetivc waste in tbc Pitinga River area of Amazonas, directly affecting the rcsideoiS of Presidente Figueredo and the Waimiri Attoati Reserve. State and local authorities have lakcn no aclioo oo this matter and tbc local population bas ye1tobe infofTOcd about the content and danger of the loads. . Since tbcmid..:ighties, rumors about the presence of radioactive waste have circulated in Pitinga, recounting sympiOtns sueb as tbe loss of teeth, general weak:ness, unexplained respiratory diseases, lossofbair,andleukemia. Even tough Tahoca MiningCo., anolbcr firm working in the region, bas verified tbeprcscoceof radioactive materials since the early eighties, tbc company bas always been VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 shielded by federal, state, and local govemmeots. Tbe resideniS of Presidente Figueredo request intematiooal support in tbeir demands that tbc Amazonas stale governtnent and FUNAI hold Paranapaoema and the otber mining companies in the' region, accountable for seriously tbreatcoing tbc hcaltb of tbc people and the enviroru:nent. For more infomlation, please contaCt: Movimiento de Apoio ~ Resistencia dos WoimirVAtroari (MAREWA) Prcsidcnte Figueredo, Brazil Source: Cullurnl SurviVlll, Summer 1993 7 �STRUGGLE I N ARGENTI NA: After a week of protesiS, President Carlos Menem stated be would meet with tbe Wichi representatives in one month. However, due to lhe public pressure tbat ensued, tbe President agreed to a sooner date. He also assured the prolesters tbat be would speed up the legal process for the proposal of land adjudication which has been approved by Congress but bas remained shelved for a year. The Wiclti also requested that the Governor "mediate a dialogue between the criollos (non-Indigenous) and Indigenous communities so that tbe appropriation ofland could bedonewithout conflict." The Wicbi, Iyojwaja, Nivacleand K Lee Nations have been om • fighting for rightful ownership since 1946; the first year they came n September 16, 1993 a delegation beaded by Octorina to the nation's Capil<ll to reclaim land titles. ·:zamora, president of the Wiclti Ka Puce Hi Cooperative launched a week long hunger strike to protest their lack of source: Agencia el Tribuno, Buenos Aires panicipation in a government Land Commission relegated to partition lands in Argentina. TJtis is the second hunger strike initiated by the Wichi community of lot 55 since last year. The territory in question spans 15,000 hectares and is located witbin the vast terrain of the San Manin de Tabacal sugar plantation. 'WI CHI HUNGER STRIKE FOR LAND RIGHTS O ccording to the Iodianist Missionary Council (CJMI), six teen Guarani Indians have committed suicide tltis year, continuing the cycle of deaths in the State of Malo Grosso do Sui, in the Center-West region of Brazil (22 suicides were reponed in 1992 and 17 in 1991). Out of tbe 16, six were under twenty years of age. Deprived of their land and unable to Jive according to their traditional culture, despair and alienation run rampant within the Guarani P,Opulation. Many communities bave been expelled from tbeir territories leading 10 mass migrations and overpopulation. In tbe Dourados Indian Area, where most of the suicides have OO· curred, close to 9,000 people have been forced onto 3,530 hectares. Until land issues are resolved, the sense of helplessness that pervades throughout Indigenous communities will simply worsen. A 8 Abya Y a la N e ws �BRIEF. CHILEAN GOVERNMENT OBSTRUCTS MAPUCHE PARTICIPATION IN DECEMBER ELECTIONS apo.ocbe leader Auean Huileaman's bid to run for Con oppressiveactiontakenbythe0lileangovernroen~l44Mapuehes gress on behalf of Aukin Wallmapu Ngullam ( All find ourselves condemned for reclaiming our legal rights. This is Lands Council), was denied by the Qualifying Electom! one of many ways that the fundamental rights of the Mapo.ocbe arc Tribunal. His alleged ineligibility is due to a . - - - - - - - - . . violated, especially where their participation in pending ease in which be is accused of unlawful malcing deCisions that concern the country's fu. association and "illegal"land take-over. ture is concerned," Slated Huileaman after learn· The ease in question was initiated in 1991, ing of the Tribunal's nullifiCation of his earn· after 144 Mapo.oches occupied lands that areeur· paign. rentlyclainnedby privateowneJSaod the Chilean If the Mapo.oches are found guilty, the dcfcn· state. The group, under the auspices of Aukin dants plan to appeal to the Supreme Court, the Wallmapo.o Ngullam, bad legal documents that highest coun in Chile's judicial system. If not proved their rights to the lands. acquincd, they will take the case to the Inter· The Mapo.oches have initiated a strong move· American Justice Court in San Jo.se, Costa Rica. menttbrougbout the country to protest the decision, which they It is vitaltbattbe ease be resolved before the presidential elections consider a clear indication of tbe government's attempts to impede in December because the new administration could prove to be even their participation in the next elections. "Because of the clearly less favomble to the Mapuche's struggle. M AYMARA ELECTED AS VICE-PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA nJune7,1993, Victor HugoCardeoas,Aymarallnguislof lbe Tupac c.tari Revolutionary Movcmen~ was elected 10 lbe vice-presidency of Bolivia. Hundreds of people from di1fem~tlodigeGOUSeommunitiesgathered in La Paz to support biro on lbe day of his inauguration. Cardenas's speecb, prot10UIICed in Spanisb, Aymara, Guarani, and Quccbua ISSCrted thallbe current govemmcnt woold be guided by lbe four fuodamclltal principles of O VENEZl ' ELAN I ~rH,..,.Ns~i\.T t <>~ALs Vol. 7 No. 3&4 His election bas geoetatcd great expectations for Indigenous peoples of tbe Americas who hope Cardenas will further lbe cause of Bolivia's Indigenous populalion. Ci<>VEHN!\IE~T oF urioglbelastdaysofAugust,lbemassacreof16Yanomami at lbe hands of &azilian mine<S, Wa$ eoufirmcd to have taken place on Ven~lan tenritory. Tbe internatiollal community IICCUScd tbe Veoezuclan government of violating lbe Rio declaration under wbich policies of eoonomic development lliUSI bescnsibleaod respec::tfu1 of lbe ecosySicms and oo!Oll)unities they affect. However, in recent ycus, violenoe against lbeeovi!l)nment and Indigenous peoples has intensified. A montbafterthemassaae, Fernando Ochoa Aoticb, Veue211ela's MinisterofForcignAffairs,affirmcdduringasessionofthcGenenl Assembly of lbe United Nations, that the protection ofIndigenous peoples was out oflbegovernment'soootrol. He went on to dir<clly D lbeQriginaiAIIdeanpeoples:"Amasua,amallulla,amaklldla,and ama llunk'u" (do not steaL do oot be lazy, do not lie, and do not give &be praise). YAN<>:\tA!\11 BLAMES MAssAcHE iiOCOISO lbe gold and diamond multinational cotporatioos thai work in lbe area of promoting deforestation and the acu of violeooe againSl ~OOCIS CO!Oll)unitiCS. Aooording to Ochoa Aoticl!, lbeseoorporationsbuijdlaodingSltips and supply the minels with machinery and weapous. Tbe Minister Slated tbat only an open dialogue among lbe countries of tbe Amazon region eao po.ot an end to this aitical situation. He appealed 10 the mining tnnsnatiortals 10 undersUnd thai development did not mean destruction and pointed out that a$ long as poverty and igno181l<lC persisted among large segments of lbe population in Latin America, violence and environmental desuuaioo woold continue. . 9 �ven though Indigenous rights were a key topic on the agenda of the UN World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna this past June, the results were disappointing as the symbo~c anention of the International YearoflndigcnousPeoples failed to yield concrete actions. Hundreds of Indigenous representatives came to the conference with their concerns and demands which they presented to the 179 government delegates and thousands of nongovernmental observers. Aucan Huilcaman, a Mapuche activist representing the Continental Commission of Indigenous Nations (CONiq was cbosen to address the World Conference. Topping the list of recommendations were demands for recognition ofterritorial rights and therightto self-detennination. Huilcaman's speech emphasized Indigenous peoples' right to administer their legally recognized territory and to choose and implement a development policy according to their own cultural beliefs and values. In addition, the sutement called for states to ratify the International Labour Organization (ll.O) Covenant 169. Also called for by the Indigenous representatives was the recognition of Indigenous groups as distinct "peoples" rather than "people"whoareconsideredminoritieswitbin a national population. The cultural continuity E - 10 Au.con Huilcoman addresses representatb;es and thousands of observers in Vienno and historic claim to the land distinguishes Indigenous peoples from other minorities. The addition of the "s" which aims to emphasize Indigenous collective rights proved to be a point of controversy at the conference as many member governments fear that Indigenous gnoups will interpret and use these rights to CS!ablish independent states. Indigenous activists submined a rocommeoded text for the fmal declaration urging that "Indigenous peoples he recognized with inherent, distinctive, collective rights, including the right to self-detennination, self government and autonomy., However, tbe Vienna Declaration on human rights contains only one half page devoted to "indigenous poople" in which the issues mentioned above are not considered. Among the few points made by the World Conference is the recommendation that "ad· visory services and technical assistance programs within the UN system respond positively 10 requests by states for assistance which wouldbe ofdirect benefit to indigenous people." The conference also "urges Slates to ensure the full participation of indigenous people in all aspoctsof society..." Another key recommendation calls for the establishment of an International Decade of the World's lndig· enous People, to begin from January 1994, and the creationof a Voluntary Trust Fund for this purpose. F'mally, the establishment of a pennanent forum for Indigenous peoples at the UN is to be considered. Altbough Indigenous issues have gained international prominence in the course of 1993, the International Year of Indigenous Peoples, there bas been much frustration about the lack of real changes in the interactions between nation-Slates and Indigenous nations. The recommendations adopted in the Vienna Declaration represent, at bes1, a weak version of the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that does not address the fundamental rights to autonomy and self-dctennination. Aby a Y a l a N e ws �INTEH NATIONAL Hundreds of Indigtii()US people and supporters gaJher at the UN for the opening Year Indigenous Peoples, Dec. 1992 UNITED NATIONS A DECADE OF INDIGENOUS D DECLARES PEOPLES uring the United Nations World Con ferencc of Human Rights tbat took place in Vienna last June, many In· digen.ous Organizations including CONIC, proposed to tbe Conference to declare a UN Decade of Indigenous Peoples. Nobel laureate, Rigobena Mencbu bad also proposed the Decade in her speech. Several Indigenous representatives lobbied tbe government delegates trying to get suppun for the Decade. Rigohcrta Mencbu addressed tbe General Assembly of tbe UN. Atencio Lopez of tbe United Kunas for Napguana was representing CONIC, also Alejandro Argumedo, Quecbua from Peru and Board member of SAIIC was present. The General Assembly oftbe United Nations on its fony eighthsession approved the "International Decade of the World's Indigenous People". The Decade was proposed by the Austmliao Government and seconded by the governments of Canada, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, El Salvador, Grenada, Grcccc, Guatemala, Guyana, Marshall Islands, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Dontinican Republic, Surinam and Trinidad and Tobago. One of the Considemtions of the Resolutions read: "Recalling its resolution proclaiming 1993 as tbe Year of tbe World's Indigenous People, with a view to strcngthc.ning international coopcmtion for the solution of problems faced by Indigenous People in the areas of, human rights, the environment, development, education and health..." Proclaims: The International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, starting on December I0 of I994, and reserving the period between January 1st and December 9tb for Planning tbe Decade.. ." VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 The United Nations also suggested that before and during the sessions of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations that will take place in Geneva from July 25th to the 29th, 1994, Indigenous representativeswould b<lconsulted in order to plan the activities of the Decade. The United Nations bas established a Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations to provide financial assistance to representatives of Indigenous communities and organizations in order to enable them to paiticipate in the meeting of the Working Group. In 1993 over 30 panicipants were supponed by tbe Fund. .----------------. Furlber infon:nalloa and opplkatioa forms can be oblaiood by writing to: Volwrtary Fund for Indlgoooos Populolloas Unlt.d Nllion$, Polals des Nalloas CR-12JI GtotYa 20 Swltwlar>d I I �'7o rake human DNA and parent its p roducts, that t~iolares the integrity oflife itself. and our deepest sense of nwrality." Isidro Acosta, President of the Guaymi General Conguss. ''When a foreign govemment comes into a coumry, takes blood witlww explaining the real impUcarions to local peoples, and rhen tries to patent and p rofit from the cell line. that's wrong." P01 Mooney, RAFI Executive Dirtcror. you haven't heard about scientifiC en the method of execution to the exclusion of ally. From financial compensation to the deavors relating to the Human Genome, Native representatives in project discussions, potential for biologjcal warfare, it is essential yousoonwiU. Aswe plunge <leeper that all foreseeable consequences and into the decade, the bcxlfellows, bioimplicationsassociatedwitbtheHGD llnm.l!l Cit'nontt· = Hlo . c~oc~ gt'lk"'· tolll.lillin~...: .111 tcx:hnology and science, are having a Projcx:t he taken into account before indi\ idtldl.... t wn-dil. u\· inhu cn.llion. lnuod in.tll !llt· dircx:t impact upon Indigenous comfurther damage occurs. < dl' l 1! .1 llunt.Ul I )( 'ill}.!. munitieswitbovenidingrepercussioos I h u ll-111 <it ·notm · 1 llg.tniz.tlit ,,.., Ill " ;c 1 tl >. ~~ ·d in I .on< for humanity at large. In the previous 11.\CKGROt:\ll doll! r ill. lilt i.t\ ,IIIII ol (it"ltti!IK' (("'-('.lit ll- \\.lllt"l Abya Yala News joumal, we provided Bothun. I'H" ... idt 'l\1 ci .. UII'' C.Hl!OI. \"1' a sketch of the HumanGenome DiverGuided by tbe premise tbat the ge· sity Project. Since then, much more netic composition of different ethniC Jhul\.111 (it'llOillt' IJi\t'l'il\" Pwjn 1 d !Cil> t•rojn IIl 'lopo~ll lot ollt"( I ,l!ld '!lid\· gt'I"K'Iit 'Ill It 1111<' ol information has been made available groups may vary slightly , the project \ ·, niott... 1·f llllit group... . \ lot ....t • it Hl'n.,llit 111.11 t on.._. u · and patents applications on Native organizer.; aspire to gain a better litull ol ttJ11\t'1'11i<· ... ,tnd ...t it'llli' l' 1h.11 .tilltlo }.!.llhn peoples' eelllines bave been revealed. under.;tanding of why diseases vary blood. ).,tit .ttMIIlltlttih ..... uupk" ol l,ugt·lnl pop11l.1· The following article hopes to eluciso much in their geographic distribu· lion... t on... itk-t nllo he Oil lht· ""'-<"1}-!t"' o l c\littt lion date the various components and imlndi}-..'t.'lltttt-. gtottp... w lnu·d to . 1 · t...tl!.ttc... ••I Ill'· ... tioo and from there, try to find out if In t i(" hllt' lt"'l.- l"tilll.tl\" l'to jn I h llti.llot: l.tti;.:,i I.Utd plications assoc.iated with the Human such variation is caused by human ('d\" lh·...,!OI/•1. l'lnft·..,..,ot Lnlt"liltt... ol c;ctM'III' ,11 , Genome Diver.;ity Project, highlight· adaptation to local environments or Sl.lllhtttl ing its impacts on Indigenous Peoples changes in genetic make-up (5). around tbe world and course of action Through these findings, it is boped taken thus far. that new methods of dealing with While the potential benefits sbould not he are being seriously questioned by Indigenous fatal diseases, i.e. cancer, AIDS, etc. wiU he underestimated, all oftbe related issues, from organizationsandsupportg,oupsintemation· developed. I 12 . Abya Yala News �NATIONAL. INTEH \IETIIOII Through RAFI's research, it is known that 712 groups have b«n !Mgeted for sample collection. The following ootline provides a brief overview of the sampling and lab research process: ceU line has b«napproved how will compensation be determined? Wbat systems arc in place for assuring that Indigenous peoples will be appropriately compensated on all commercial gains? To date, these questions have not b«n answered. ing the instiMions that have waged an unbridledwarofopprcssionandgenocidcagainst Native peoples for the past 500 years. Ill. IIIOI.I)(;J('\1. II \lll-'.\llE l hll ii.UI (it 'll(IIIJ<' Prnwt I· I ·.s !.Collect blood, hair and mouth scrapings from selected population 2 Once gathered, samples rushed to lab(witbin48bourstiJm)wberewhite blood cells are to be "immortalized" a)wbite blood c:dls are cultured in the lab tben (men in liquid niuogco. Each cell contains a complete set of genetic DNA. This process allows the information in the genes to be preserved indefinitely for ful1Jrcsrudy. 3. Once in thi~ form, cells are l1Jmed intocelllincs( continuoosly dividing cells that can provide a theoretically infinite supply of genetic material). '4. DNA to be dcpooited and stored in scvenal "banks" around the world. Tbedcpooited material will be available for funhcr research. Results from resco.rch an then be patented tTIIt'W i' .t!'o \ lt•dit oll l k'-t.'oU< II ( 'tiUIIt ti1 \ IIH ~ l l un ~. 11 1 ( it'· nomt· .\l.lppul).! Prow< 1 11 1 Lnndot1• \ .... ~ l 1dltnn c llnrl \\I \I( II bq..~olll i ll I' lXX \\Jill lilt' )..:.11,11 ol IJI, IJI\IIIlg l"ottll til lh' l l • l.t il • l }.!!'Ill'' !CIIIJ)(j \\ tl illll t ltr~• lli'II....CII l iC '' .u~d "--'t[tln)lul;...:. 1lw nl- liw "'lft'ltll ol hn)(k·tl h\ •'1111 htull,\11 D' \ h\ !It~:• l , u ld li'lt ' l S ![)( ' \t'.l! .,!t l l'"; ,,111111\.1) ht...,!l:tUt ' ~•llh·.!~:1l S. llt'j).HitUt'lll o! l_u·rg\ 1DOI.• PI, 1\ ·c·r..., : I , , \lllt'fll olll 1\'J M.' ( :11Jit 1 ' ( CIJIC~ II~ Ill , l{t It )... \ 1llc' ft ~11). lhllthllg_ j)IIJI JI lei! olii i\'Jlt'' ul (~ l]]c •t IICll l: hO.OOI 1 r, m • llldlt 'I i,ll' II 0111 \ r, I ' I In I nn tl.IJ 1 t and pt.uu \ 'iHI"-''"" L\1. l.t•g,ll dt'J)(I...,i l t'IJ, lor li\·illg ™"' llldlt'lidl h\' l'.S. P.llt ' lll ollld TJcld t 'l llclfh..., I I[ !it l', :!. l'ti\,llt' hintt·t llnu!og~ · < tllll)lolllit'' :t \',Hioll' UIU\t'r...,i ltt '"' illt ht<IHlg: l 'CI .. \ . l'C Bcrhdt'\". Slctlllord. Yollt • In tcnnsoftbe ~nenal Agreement oo Tariffs and Trade (GATI), the United Sates is doing everything it an to make p<~tentingofall formsoflife a legal pall of tbc trade agreement Ifpassed as an intem>tional mandate, how will The fact that Indigenous representatives and organizations have not b«n consulted lndigenoos pcgple be able to hold governments, or included in the planningproecss thus(ar, instil1Jtions,corporationsaocountablewhensueh illustrntcs the patemalio;tic way in which tbc accountability will be regarded as a "barrier to projcct is being condUCled. Issues relating free trade?" to patentS, diversion of funds, access to II. STOR.\GE F.\('ll.ITIL~ gathered informalionandthe potentialtbreat ,\ \1 OIU.IIII \\1\ OF '11\.\' of biological warfare have yet to be addressed satisfactorily by project organizers. The idea is to create various "world banks" of DNA around the globe that woold include I. 0\1 WIN Ill' \\II P.\ TE\TS borh regional and natiortal storage facilities and It is a fact thai some products and pro- be accessible to government agencies, corporacesses f<'lated to extracted material will lions, foondatiom, and interested rescortbers. havesuhswllialcommercialvalue. Oncea In otbet words, tbc information will be made patent on material extr1aed from a buman available to an)'one who shows interest, ineludVOl. 7 NO. 3&4 In the context of genocide, marginalization, denial of traditional c:ulture practices, who is to say a govemmen~ with a history of awession toward Native populations and, in most ofthe eases, responsible for the it physical demise, will not take the readily accessible information and use it to eOOicate an "inuansigent" group or people? are sympathetic geneticists who fed that tbc feasibility of producing wgeted ethnic biological warfare makes the poosibility a long shot, but not oot of the question. Wbere are the controls? II. Ill\ l·. llSIO' 01- H \liS ' The exorbitant amoont of money necessary to imple~nt the project eoold be used to improve the present squalor that many of the targeted groups live in. In otbet "ords, tbe money eoold be spent oo helping the groups that are foc:ing "extinetioo"tooveteornC the various fortes that have placed them in this critical predicament so that tbcy an lead bcalthy, productive and self-directed lives now, rather than being recreated and "immonaliltd" in laboratories for future science projects. TilE Gl'.\ \'\Ill' \ '11-'\ 1'•.\ (;(.1\II'SE OF TilE Fl Tl llE (;0\E .\lillY \\OHSIII \RS( '0\11 I HL 'I· Despite tbe efforts of HGD Project organizers to make it appear be nip, equitable and absolutely necessary, the recent patent claim application on the cell line of a 26 year old Guayami woman from Panama, by U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Roo 13 �Brown, illustrates tiM> underlying dangers and At the recent Second Continental Encoun- fused and anonymous makes monitoring even potential for the projec:tto get out of eonlrol. ter of Indigenous Nations, Organizations and more difficult. Thccballengc, then, is to make Collec~ed under dubious eircumslanees, the Peoples (CONIC), representing over 2,500 sure that research of!his nature stays transparwoman'secllline isbeingstoredattbeAmcri· communities and organizations throughout ent and accountable. canTypeOiiturcCollection(ATCC). Inquir- the Abya Yala eon tinen~ issued a resolution However grave the situation may seem, ies made by Isidro Acosta, President of the denouncing gcnomerescarcbandtheGuaynni positive and effective action can be taken by GuayamiGeneraiCongrcss, and Pat Mooney, patent claim. As infonnation aboullbe projec~ individuals. International pressure demand· Executive Director of RAA, about the cell reaches Native communities, opposition until ing !hat all types of related genetic research be line being repatriated to !he Guaymi conducted wilh clear, structured and people, have been met with ambigudirect involvement oflndigcnous or( :o"f .n1d i'"ullding: I !( il l I 'r 1;n ; I: 11 i 1, 1: I1\ t '·\ t 'd!' t 'lit )J\ 1"' t '\.j )( 't ted ous responses and lillie action. Thus, ganizations so lhatlhey arc an integral to< o:-;1 l>cl\\ I.'Cll ..._:..? ~ .~:1d ·;_-, Jlli!lio!l dfl~:.~: ..... !hecell line remains in the bands of the part of tiN> decision-making process, is L\;x·< tn! 11 1 ..;.. l :il!J~t- lruln Hl_IU) · 1.-,_U){ I !l~i ­ United States government and the vital. As tbe possibility for "a small lll.lll ...!l<'t illlt'll'"' \\t'J,I~~t·tcl],l! ( tl..._l Jlt 'f ~Hiljl]t· ATCC against tiN> wishes of tbe origi· number of corporations, universities, t.l:t.'...:.t'"' !1<1:11 ~~.1•1 l~l ,1"' Ju~~i1 .1~ ~::~xJ c~ · nat "owner." and govcmmcnrs owning life's genetic Curren:!\ ~cdi.lll.'~ !ll:Hiu~;..:. ~olH<('~ tro:n :- ~~~\· On a broader level, if the U.S. code,"(1) turns into reality, tiN> time to t'rtl!lH'll! ,l:~t'l\1 H ' "' ,lJJt! Jl!l\-, l:t· l4lli:Jti,tl:ll!l~. government manages to make tbe mobilize is now! tu nt1~:1:~ \\illrn•J..,l ~i!--;.d\ t~Jrll<' tf1J:!l tlw :\,li:<J:t. tl patenting of human material legal Sc:t'!Ht·h~o~tr:cl,ltl<l:J II<JjX'j...,\<ICJ)J:.IJ:J ...rJ:IH'<Jt underGAlT,disputingapatentclaim \\II\ T YOl" C.\\ JlO: \ lit ' IIIIJ!lt'\ gt.Jtl\t 'ti ]IJ l)j{' l!lll t l, lll (;t•:I<Jl!H" and repatriation would become !bat J•H iit't\ much more difticull To make mat· fi nd out who is doing research in II. I hull; Ill (it ·nonw Projt "< I L '\J)( ·ned 11 1ldl t c1.._: ters worse. tbere are reports of otbcr your area and bow it is being moni· ~:~ IJ:)!tfll\Hl IUIW.._lllt' grd!ll!llo:Jt"\" u ... t!~l:J\ .1!· possible patent claims on Navajo cell tored. Urge that indigenous orga.nizalul!t"d tor ..,t Lt'lllil:l l"t ''""t'dH 11 Fund1:l~ t ro:ll :lw lines as well as prodigious cell line tions be consulted, informed, and in· :\!II dtlt I I)( II: collection going on in Colombia. (6) volved during every phase of tbe Along with !he Guaymi eommu· projec~. for more information contact nity,lndigenous peoples and organizations as Indigenous organizations are properly con- Professor Henry Greely, Head of tbe North well as a growing number of concerned scien- sulted, informed, and directly involved, bas American Ethles Comminee at the following tisrs areverbalizingtheiroutrage. There have been !he resounding response. address: beenvariousresolutionsdenouncingtheHGD Project by first Nations. The Mataatua CO\CI.l SIO\ \\ll C \I. I. TO \CTIO\ DeclarationonCullural and lntellec:tual Property Rigbrs of Indigenous Peoples in June, At this poin~ the HGO Projec~ bas not Professor Henry T. Greely 1993, stated the following: received the substantial funding it requires to Professor of Law Call for an irnmed.iate halt to the ongoing be carried out and therefore bas the potential Stanford Law School 'Human Genome Diversity Projec:t' until irs of being stopped. However, before breathing Crown Quadrangle Stanford University moral, ethical, socio-econonnic, physical and easier, it is important to take a look beyond tiM> Stanford, CA 94305-8610 political implications have been thoroughly immediate situation. lftheHGD Projec~ does fax: 415.725.0235 discussed, understood and approved by In· not materialize in irs grandiose form, tbe e-mail: digenous peoples. possibility of genome researeh bceonning dif· Henry.Greely@I'Qrsythc.Standford.EDU j I. RAF1 Prm 8.deas<, "lndig<nou< P"'91e Pro<"' U.S. Sccttlal)' or Coolmer« Pa1cn1 Oaim on Guaymi Indian Cell Unc," IM5fl3 l Sud>cl, Gabrielle "Wo.kl W">dc Gene Study May Re,·<al Human H~IOI)'· s..nroro Obo<Mr, Juty-AugUSI 1993 .J:.-d., 3. RAF11bePanTh>l Feeds Us" ~ ~~ 4. RAF1 Coolmuniqut, "PaleniS, lndig<oous Peoples, and Human Groclie Oi,.rsily" M 1993 ay S. New Scicnlist, M 1993 ay l 6. RAFt COn<$(>ClCid<nc< wilh tsi<fto ACXIOU, S.pu:rnber 21, 1993 1. Wuelhrich. Btmi<» .,AJI Rjght:s Reserved, H lhe Gene·Patcnling Race is A.ffeding Sciertee,.. Scicnoe News, Vol 144- Septe--mber 4, 1993 ow 14 """)• Abya Yala News �I~TEH N A TIONAL . AJ,rerican Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), "Indigenous people are displaced and become environmtnlal and economic refugees in their own land... Tom Coldtooth, lndigtnOUS Environmental Network cspcctcrofNAFTAnolongerbovcrs The resource-rich Native homelands will for ln<ligenous lands in Mexico. Even lbe overAmerica,it hasmaterializcd.Thc be targeted by corporntions as bot spots for free-flow spirit of the trnde agreement does high-OyingrhctoricoflbeCiintonAd- development Without doub~ all Mexican not extend to communities split by national minislrntion will now translate into very real trnditional lands will be up for grabs. Spccu- borders. The border communities of tbc an frightening environmen"\! destruction lators in Cbiapas already forced some Mayas Mohawk, Salish-Kootenai, Colvilleand labor injustice. Despite tb~aution off lands in anticipation of NAFTA's ap- Okas_agan, Abcnaki, Cocopa, Kamia, these issues received in thc<poJel!u tumult proval! o·odlia1> ~Kickapoo will not be reunited NAFTA inspired, one important story went The future of Canadian and U.S. lndig- dcspite}cmassivemeldingofthethrcecoununrcported in the mainstream media: cnousgroups is also uncertain. With NAFTA tries' economic agendas. NAFTA's ambush on Indigeno~ rights. approved by <j~~ws that protect !he vMious Indigenous organizations have NAFTA 's central premise tbat govern- rights of Native 1\nieticans to live on and deoo.b;ccd thetrnde agreement The Contiment regulations interfere witl(frc;c trade utilize their lands may~longer protcctany:.___S" CommL&sion of Indigenous Nations, allows dcmocrntically created laws to be one'f[Omcorj)Ornte"aVidltT COmJl'\nies wili--c> iganizations and Peoples (CONIC), reprcoonsidcrcd trnde barriers, and thus made inop- a~ the best~~~ sources, and natu- scoring 26 various organizations that reprccrntivc. NAFfA sets up an independent rnlrcsourccs. lftbe ~ t.A tribu naldeemsa scotover2,500oommunitics,and1bcAmeritribunal dosed to public participation. The legal protoction ofancicntland righrfa barrier can Indian Movcmen~ havebothdccriedsueb tribunal decides if a native, state, or federal to trndc, the law may be struck dowo: Tribal an auack on Native land claims. lawoffendsfrcetrndewitbout any criteria for governments rna/no longer be able to reguThe ripples of NAFfA will exten<l far evaluating whether lbe trnde would offend late the sale o lands and, as a result, beyond North and MesoAmerica. The treaty ; the public. Such unaccountability in a tribu- privatization of land will likely proceed on a has established the largest free-trade.zone in nal has broad implications for the Native ma:t-•scale. thewo~d,scllingancxamplewbicbthrcatens Peoples of North and Meso America. Privat.ization ~ill hasten theoonversion of to presage a global elimination of democratic In the United States and Canada, Native oommons into oom~iti.cs. For example, laws that protcctthe land and its ponplcs. The Americans live on traditional lands endowed water will be bought aoosold, trnnsfenedand Genernl Agreement on Tariffs and Trndc withfortypercentofaUknownenergysourccs trnded, without rc~~ativc claims to (GAT!), the international trnde decision for each oountry, acoording to the Indian sucb an essential resource. NAFfA enootU- making body, is scheduled to soon resume its Treaty RightsCommiuccof Chicago. These ages projects similar to the James Bay Hydro; eighth roun<loftradetalks. Manyoftbeissues trnditionallaods fall into two categories, res- electric Project wbieh will send Canadian on the table, like investment and service barervation lands and private property. In both wate.rs down the MissL&sippi to consumers in Viers and Intellectual Property Rights, were cases, government laws have served tosome- he U.S. and Mcxioo. The dam has flooded the i'csolved under NAFfA. If NAFfA becomes what protect Native American decisions r~ Cree nation's traditional hunting grounds, GAIT's model, we face ble.11< profaning of garding the usc or sale of t.raditional lao<ls. decimating caribou populations and forciyg the Earth's environmental and culturnltreaHowever, in Mexico, lod.igenousponplesalso relocations and cultural upheavaL sures. Our aching and wearied land can not living on coonomically valuable land enjoy NAFfA, crnfted by Bush and 2000 of ihe support such assaults on its Native American signifocandy less legal protection. President largest American oorporntions, incorporn\ed caretakers. Salinas recently abolished even the meager no Indigenous pooples in the drafting of ihe Mexicanlawssafeguaroingancientlandrights. agreement. NAFfA includes no provision Sources: The Circle; Honors Digest T: .It a r VOl. 7 NO. 3 &4 I S �TN owhor. o Miltito from 1h~ North~m Aut(.WI.OmOUS R~gion ofNiaJrogua. is r C()()rdinor()r()/rh!C~nlrol ill oMSouth Amtrioo Projtdoftht lndiM Law RtS~X~ru Ctfllu. "washlngtM. D.C.; o non·pro/it. n.on·gowm· Nnzol <Jrgoniy;tionlhal hos (()'nSu!Joti~·~ SJOIUS with rAt U.N. &ont>mic and S«ial COWtcil. This ort!'cl~ op~ors in its full ltngrh a/(lflg with footnous ond OM«altdhibliogrophyin rM YoI~ JoumtJI ofIns~rna· ti<Jrlol Low, W'mttr 1993. Volum~ 18. Numbtr I. R(· prinud l'>ith ptrmission. s millions of dollan; poured into envi ronmental organizations during the past decade, hundreds of activists headed for Central and South America tosave threatened animals and to preserve the rain forests. Some activists arrived with naive and romantic notions about vugin forests. They had failed to accept the fact that the forests were already occupied, used, and "'developcd"by Indians. Theenvironmentalistssoon met and were sometilnes confronted by In· dian tribes and nations asscning their ownership of tbe same forests, lands, and resources that tbe environmentalists sought to protect. Envilonmcntal protection plans drawn up in Washington or in Latin American capitals are great!y complicated by the questions and demands of Indian communities. Wbat role should Indians play in decisions to establish a national park or protected area on lands tradi· tionally Indian? Wbo owns and who is entitled to make decisions about the valuable land involved, in proposed debt-for-nature swaps?- How should environmentalists respond to Indian proposals for development initiatives or alternative conservation practices that conflict with their own proposals? Responsible environmentalists must con· 16 S~antly wrestle with these and related questions in their daily work. There is an urgent need for analysis and reform of the relation· ship between Indian rights and environmental protection. They have ilnportant roles to play in the development of principled laws and democratic policies that will both protect tbe fragile environment and guarantee the sur· viva! and development of Indian ponples in the 1990's and the twenty-first century.. Rethinkin~ an Old ~l~lh Aboul the Future of lndhm Proples The first step toward reconciling environmental policies and Indian rights involves facing some long-standing myths about In· dian ponples that have shaped current laws and policies. One such myth-sustained by non-Indians for 500 years-is that Indians arc disappearing ponples. In an 1898 lecture delivered to law students in Washington, D.C., U.S: Supreme Court Justice John Man;baU Harlan said of Native Americans: "(fhe Indian race) is disappearing and probably within the life time of some that arc now hearing me there will be very few in this country. Ina bundred years,youwiU probably not find one anywhere... It is certain as fate that in the cou.rsc of time, there will be nobody on this North American continent but Anglo· Saxons. All Other races are steadily going to the wall. They are diminishing every year.' This myth bas infomted tbe two most infamous Supreme Court decisions in Indian law. One decision upheld the legal authority of Congress unilaterally to abrogate Indian treaties. The other decision declared the plenary power of Congress to impose its lawson Indian tribes and nations. Notwithstanding theswcepingchanges that have taken place in civil rights and human rigbtslawoverthe past decades, neither of these cases has been over· ruled. Although not always stated so candidly, the myth that Indians are disappearingponples underlies policies toward Indians everywhere in the Americas. For example, Mario Vargas Uosa, a prominent Latin American author and 1990 Peruvian presidential candidate articu.lated a modemviewpoint onthe demise of Indians in a 1990 Harper's Magazine cover story. Vargas Uosa did not emphasize the physical disappearance of Indians, but rather Abya Ya l a News �INTEH their inevitable assimilation into lhc domi· nan~ non-Indian cullure: "Perhaps the ideal-that is, lhe preservation of the primitive cullure of America· is a utopia incompatible with Ibis olher and more urgent goal· the establisbment of societies in which social and economic inequalities among citi· zensbereduced to human... lfforeed to choose belween lhe preservation of Indian cullures and !heir complelc assimilation, with great sadness I would chose modernization of the Indian population, because there arc priori· ties; and the fiiSI priority is, Of COU!$0, IO fight hunger and misery... • Although policies toward Indians in lhe Americas rest at least in pall on the view !hat Indians will die out or assimi.late into a superior non-Indian world, the facts stand in st31k conlrast to the mylh of the vanishing Indian. Today tbiny million Indians live in theAmeri· eas, a number roughly equal to the combined populations of Guatemala, Honduras, EISal· vador, Nicaragua, Cosla Rica, and Panama.ln Guatemala and Bolivia, Indians make up lhc clw majority of the population. Indians 31C a significant minority population in almosl every country in the hemisphere, and in many countries they still maintain a large and re· sou rce-ricb land base. Indian nat ions and tribes lhroughouttbe Americas are canrying on the historic struggle for their land, resources, self· government, and cultures. Indian bnd, Indian Res<Jur«S. and Indian De•elopment Indian leadersoonsistentlycitc Indian land rights as their most vital oonccm. Without their land base, lndiansmaybeablctosurvive as individuals in the dominant economy and culture of their non-Indian neighbors, but they will not be able to survive and prosper as distinct peoples with distinct cultures and traditions. Indeed, governments throughout VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 the Americas, led by Europeans and !heir descendants, have sooghtto expropriate, al· lo~ and control Indian land and resources as a means of assimilating Indians. policies such as these make beliefs about the disappearing Indian self-fulfilling prophecies. New laws and policies must fuUy rocog· nize bow Indians view !heir land. Allhough there are differing views among Indian communities, oommon lbemes do exist. Indians genemlly feel a sense of permanence in their land that non-Indians do not share. Noo-Indi· ans tend to be very nomadic, to view land as a commodity to buy and sell, and to have ancestral roots on other oontinents. Generally, Indians bold their land in some form of communal ownership. The idea of private, individual land is ltistorieally unknown in Indian communities and is rare even today. When Indiansspeal< of rights to tbeir terri· tories, they arc referring not only to the land, but also to Oora, fauna, waters, and mineml resources. Indian cultures and religions eel· chrate the close interrelationships that people share with anirruds, plants, and natuml resources. The idea of sustainable development is pall of thecultuml and religious heritage of most Indian peoples. This culluml and reli· gious herilage is very much alive and weU today. As recent studies show, the survival of Indian oommunities and cultures bas oontrib· uted greatly to the survival of some of the world's most biologieally rich environments. II would be a mistake, however, to take too romantic a view. Indians, like all other hu· mans, utilize and develop thei! territories: they plow, plant, barv~ and mine the canh and usc its resources. Some observers argue that Indians with bulldozers and chai nsa~vs will soon be as destructive to their home cnvironmc.ncs as non-Indians arc 10 theirs. Some Indians have already permitted toxic waste dumping, storage of nuclear waste, and other environmentally dangerous practices on their lands, while others arc hotly debating whether to do so. NATIONAL. Nevcnbcless, those Indians willing to sacrifice their homelands are the exception. Most Indian oommunities bave maiola.ined their cultures, homelands, and resources by resist· ing outside forces !hat have attempted for centu.ries to destroy or purchase them. Tbe Indian·regions on maps of Centml America have remained green not because non-Indians left tbe Indians alone, but rather because Indians successfully fought to keep the regions green. Indians and Fmironmcnlalisls Most environmental organizations are based in Nonb America and Europe. Those organizations !hat exist in Latin America arc based in cities among Ladin<ls and are often funded by their North American and European oounterpans. Ind.ians are on the margins of the organized environmental movement Although some environmental groups have established good working relations with In· dian organizations, most relations belween Indians and environmentalists are uncertain and strained. There is even potential for serious conOict. Like human rights workers, academics, and other non-governmental activists, many environmentalists bring with them the bag· gage of their own cultures. They have been raised within tbc framework oflaws and poli· cies that have long oppressed Indians. Because the academic and legal communities have not yet given prominent attention to the issue of Indian rights, most environmentalists remain unfamiliar with tbe history of Indian land disputes. lflcadinghuman rightsorgani· zations write repons about Guatemala and Bolivia without even mentioning that the In· dians of those oountries are majority popula· tions subjected to minority rule, it is not surprising that many environmentalists are not sensitive to Indian concerns. For instance, during a 1988 oonferenee belween environ· mentalists and representatives ofCOICA, the 17 �~-~> .• . r. ..-:-~- ·. .. .~ Amazonian Indian coordinating group, an exchange occuned about debt-for-nature swaps- A COICA leader explained that tbe debt involved was not Indian debt, while tbe "nat\lre· in,'Oived was Indian Ltnd that Indians had not agteed to tJade for anything. Another diSturbing trend involves attempcs by mineral development corpor.uions, hazardous waste disposal companies, lumber companies, and othe~ to pass out favo~ in Indian communities to buy support for their projectS- Governments have long used this approach. More recently, environmental groups have sought support for tbeir projects tluough similar steps- By gaining tbe backing of some mem~ or an Indian community, outside~ ean createtbe appearance that Indians were actually involved in the decision· making proc<SS and that the whole Indian community approves. There is danger that these divide-and-<:onquer tactics will seriously hann Indian communities, undennine Jegjtim:lte Indian leadership, and gtnerate a baddasb againSt environmental projed:l that may be seen as manipulative or c:oloaialisl. Nevertbeless,someeffcctive alliances have devtloped to promote both environmental pr<Mcction and Indian rights. In Brazil, the Yanomamilost nearly onc-fiftboftheir population when gold-miners invaded and poisoned their lands in the late 80's. In the ate 1970's., the Indian Law Research Center filed a human rightscomplaint with tbe Inter-American Commission on Human Rights demanding legal demareatiooofthe Yanomuni terri- 18 meetings arc now omong the most vital and well auendcd of all U.N. human rights activities. Human rights experts who previously focused exclusively on the rights of individuals oow support pr<Mcction of tbe group rights of Indian communities. In J9S9, the International Labour O.g;anizalion (!LO) approved a new convenlion on tbe rights or Jndigtnous peoples requiring Indian participation in all matters concerning develapmentoftheir land and resources. Also in J9S9,tbe Organization of American States (OAS} began its own law rcfonn to prepare a new judicial instrumenttosecuretbe rights of Jndigtnous peoples. Indian rights advocates bope that better legal guarantees at tbe international level will prompc national governmentS to provide better legal protection fOt Indian rights. Indians tluoughouttbe Americas are fighting for their rights in national couns., national legislative bodies, and conslitutional conventions result~ ing in rapid changes such a~ Brazil's new constitution which supports Indian rights and in bottom-up environmenl31 protcclion the demarcation of Yanomami land. g project in a Central American Indian area. tory and expulsion of outsiders. Environmental and human rights groups joined with Indiangroups to placccffcctive andoverwhclmingpcessureon Brazil's President to expel the miners and demarcate 22.5 million acres of anc::esua1 Yanomami land in 1991. The deman:ation process has oow begun. A numbe< of non governmental organizations have agteed to monitor implementation of Brazil's new Indian Jaws and policies. [Significant changes have taken place regarding this matter. See article pg. 23) On Nicaragua's Miskito Coa.~t. Miskito communities helped develop a government program to expel resource pirates from a marineandcoastalenvitooJntnt rich in turtles, shrimp, lobster, and fJSb. The project trains Miskitos to managtand polioe!bearea themselves. It was initiated not in board rooms in Washington or in government offices in Ma~gua, but in a series of meetings beld in Miskito communities along theCo..st. Environmental groups bave actively and financially supported every phase of this pioneer- ("ondu,ion DeH•Iopin~ a Sound lk~al Fr.tnW\\ork for Indian Rij!ht' and I he En, ironment Environmentalists and Indian.~ must not merely critique Jaws and policies to secure the bealth of Indian communities and their environments. The groups must develop a sound, international legal framework to replace myths and arbitrnry govemme nt power. Fonunately, the effort to develop a sound international legal framework for Indian rights is well underway. For the paSt 15 ye;m, Indians have worked within tbe human rights system of the U.N.to develop Indian rights pcotections. The U.N. Working Group on Indigenous Populations, has been meeting for ten yc~ and will soon rclta.~ the final draft of a proposed declarotion on tbe rights of Indigenous Peoples. Within the U.N. human rights system, tbe issue of lndia.n rights has moved in one decade from tbe fringt to the mainStream. The annual Working Group The protection of human rights and tbe environment requires a truly international legal order based on democratic principles. NonIndians must reject the myths and imperialism that have shapod Jaws and policies toward Indians in tbe Americas thus far. Govcmments must respect democratic decision making with Indianconununities and must ensure that relations between Indians and tbeir neighbors are based on agreement rather than on domination. Indians, 1101 outsiders, will beSt gtn•ern Indian land and resour=. Although Indian communiti"'- like all others, have difficult decisions to make about their development, if Indian.~ are permitted to chart their own future they wiU continue to serve not only themselves., but also the global environment. Workingtogetberasequals, Jndiancommunities and the rest of the wo~d can share important lessons about how beSt to pcovide for all future gtncntions. Aby a Yala News �ENV IHO:--.:ME:--.:T & DEVELOPMENT ecades of petroleum exploitation in people that !ive'there. In 1992,afferextrncting the Ecuadorian Amazon have bad a over one billion barrels of crude oil, Texaco devastating impact on tl\e region's Oed the country leaving behind 2,500,000 environment and its inhabitants. Among the acres of baneo rainforests, abandoned toxic Indigenous communities directly affected, materials, 17 million gallons of spilled petro· Qu.ichua, Cofan, Siona, Sccoya, Huaorani, !cum and 20 million gallons of toxic spillage and more rccently,Shuar, Achuarand Sbiviar. in the Amazon's rivers. The ecological damage has bad a profound a growing movement to organize against the effectuponthelndigcnooscomrnunitics.Asidc exploitation of oil conglomerates is Sleadily gaining momentum. Complex and volatile, from the disruption of traditional lifestyles the situation in the region is changing and and massive displacement, it has caused growing more critical as the Ecuadorian gov- severe health problems. According to differemrncntscckstocxpandthcconccssionsgiven ent studies done by Acci6n Eco1 6gica (Eco· to petro-chemical corporations and the logical Action), an Ecuadorian environmen· privatization of Pctroccuador tb.rough there- tal organization, and The Institute for Eco· form of the hydrocaroons law. These policies nomic and Social Rights (IESR}, skin dis· will, on the one hand, lead to an increased role cases, digestive and respiratory problems, for private companies in the Ecuadorian malnutrition, cb.ronic headaches and cancer Amazon while on tbeother, reduce tbe State's run rampant throughout the communities. A control over the exploitation of a delicate separatcstudy by the Canadian company HBT Agra, assessing the environmental impact of coosystem. Texaco's activities is to be presented to both TEXACO tbe Ecuadorian government and Texaco. The repon will not be published, however, and For twenty years, Texaco'soperations have both Indigenous and environmental groups decimated one of the world's mOSl biologi· are quCSlioning its validity as it neglects to cally diverse regions, wreaking havoc on the mention the indelible impact of Texaco's environment and the 300,000 Indigenous actions up:m 1he region's inhabitanlS. D VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 In response to the extensive damage Texaco has caused, a campaign to hold Texaco accountable bas been launched on an international scale. Presently, there is a world-wide boycott of its products with campaigns taking place in Denmark, Holland, and England. In addition, IWO lawsuits in the United States have been filed and anicles in The New York Times, Reu1ers News Agency , and New Yorker Magazine attest to tbe fact that this conflict bas fmally caught the eye of the international press. \1 \Xl"S Wbile the campaign against Texaco intensifies, the Nonh American petro-chemical company, Maxus, continues tOexpand expiO· ration of Block 16 wbicb includes pan of Yasuni National Park and Huaorani territories. Evenbefore beginningextraction, Maxus bad already caused a 900 barrel oil spill when a pipeline belonging to the Occidental Company was accidentally perforated by a Maxus work crew. Even though the spill was, fort be mOSl pan, contained, oil did manage to reach tbe estuaries of the Napo River. Moreover, tbe road tbat Maxus built to 19 �support itsoil extraction in Block 16bas ledto the colonization of the Tiputini River area. Through the purchase of wood for its encampments and extraction towers, it is promoting massive deforestation of the southern portion of the Cuyabeoo Reserve which was recently declared one of most biologically diverse regions in the world. The company is also responsible for several chemical spills in Ibis zone. As unbelievable as it may seem in the face of its disruptive practices, Maxus is attempting 10 present iiSCif as "protector" of the environment by promoting the establishment enous peoples of Pastaza, created social instability, and divisively manipulated and corrupted local individuals. Need I affirm that we find this tactic unethical and reprehensible?" Cuyabeno Reserve in Cofan tenritory, forcing the corporalion 10 negotiate with the Cofan community. The Cofans demanded active participation in Petroccuadot's activities on their tenritory and lbe financingof solar panels for their villages. A provisional accord was ...,!~---~· turned down by the corporate executives in , Quito who only agreed 10 the purchase of tbe solar panels valued at $10,000. The Cofans unanimously rejected tbeofferand stated that unless someone with sufficient authority agreed 10 their demands, they would be forced once again to shut down Pctroecuador's ex- L .. ploration activities. This conJlict was temporarily resolved when Petroecuador announced that no oil bad been found in Paujil. Nevertheless, there is evidence that suggests that Pctroccuador plans 10 perforate a few miles outside the reserve. of an environmental inves4igation srationand sponsoring an archeological project to "preserve Ibe cultures that have been occupying the region for thousands of years." ARCO I'ETROECUJlOR .-\\ll TilE I'E\IJI\G IIYDROC\RIIO\S L.\ \1 REFOR\1 Another petro-<:bemical corporation is ARCO, which hasuscddivisivetacticsamong Indigenous communities in Block 10 of the The future privatization of Petroccuador Pas1aza province. During a meeting with lead- has potentially devastating implications. If ers of the Organizationof Indigenous Peoples passed, the World Bank sponsored of Pastaza (OPIP), in Berkeley , California, privatization and reform of the Ecuadorian during the month of October, 1992, ARCO hydrocarbons law will sever the stale's ability agreed: 1) 10 rcspccllhe political and cultural 10 control and sanction oil corporations. The integrity of Indigenous peoples in Pastaza 2) new law would open up the region 10 innot enter into divisive negotiations through creased exploration and exploitation as well lhe buyingoffofloeal individuals; 3) todesist as grant new ooocessions to multinational from creating tensions which may lead 10 the corporntions, aecelernting the pace of demililaiization of the region; 4) 10 keep all struction even more. meeting allendces abreast of present and In response 10 the impending reforms, a future exploratory activity. Nevertheless, campaign bas been launcbed which seeks 10 ARCO has forgone this accord and launcbed minimize tbe impact on the region. The a campaign 10 politically debilitate OPIP. "Amazonia for Life" campaign is currently Through manipulation and bribery, ARCO pressuring the Wodd Bank toconsider its loan has created a parallel and independent organi- 10 the Ecuadorian government as a "Type A" zation, DICIP, and is unwil.ling 10 continue loan, calling for environmental and cultural lhe dialogue unless DICIP part icipatcs equally. impact reports prior to any further exploration Needless 10 say, OICJP unconditionally sup- in the region, as well as establishing a process ports ARCO's activities. In a rcccntlellct 10 of public participation that would include the ARCO's CEO, John Middleton, Hector affected Indigenous communities and repreVillamil, president of OPIP stales: 'To date, sentative organizations. ARCO bas neglected 10 comply with (the above)"guaranlccs and bas actively pursued a COFA\S CO\FRO\T strategy which systematically and insidiously PETROECL\DOR undennines the political integrity of OP!P. During the past months, ARCO has reinstated On October 2&, 40 Cofans took over a an un.eaJied for hostility toward the lndig· Petroccuador oil well located inside the 20 IILOCK 22 EXCLU>Eil FRO\ I 199~ CO\CESSIO\S In November, 1993, it was confirmed that Block 22, inside Yasuni National Park, would not be included in the concessions being offered for 1994. Th.is is undoubtedly due, at least in part, 10 pressures from the international and Ecuadorian environmental communities. However, the right of Indigenous peoples 10 control oil development on their lands still needs 10 be addressed. •••••••• The prolonged pctroleum extraction activities in the Ecuadorian Amazon has taken place without environmental or sociaJ impactS being taken into account. Important decisions have been made without consulting with the Indigenouscommunities who inevi- tably suffer the brunt of these deleterious activities. National parl(s, reserves and Indigenous tcnritories which bad supposedly been pern1anently designated as cultural and envi· ronmental reserves have not been spared. II is within this context, that the Public Enterprise Rcfonn, 10 fi6ECUPA103 in Category A, calling for an all-inclusive Study of social, environmental and cultural impacts of petroleumactivities, isbeingadvocated by various international and national Indigenous, environmental and social justice organizations. Sou.r«: RafofON:SI Action Nttwork Abya Y ala N e ws �E:":VI KON:VII :.NT ALLIANCES & DEVELOPMENT. FORMED CoLOMBIA's PLAN Earth and it is a potential sourocof hydroelectric energy and oil. In contrast toilS richness in life forms and rcsowecs, theChoco is inhab· ited by some 800,000 Nro-Colombians and 110,000 Indigenous peoples (predominanlly Waunanas, Embenls, and Awas) living under conditions of extreme poverty. PlaJJ Pacifico seeks the invest· ment of transnational capital for infrastructure development to in· clnde avaSt networkofroads, portS, aJJd induStrial centers in theCboc6, the Pan-American highway through the rain forest between Panama and Colombia, and the Bahia Malaga naval base wbicb bas effective!ymil itarizcd the area. In addition, the construction of an inter-oceanic land bridge COMeet· Bulldours clearing th~forestfor COIIStruction ing the Pacific aJJd Atlantic coasts, i>/the Pan·Anreriwt Highway itt C<Jiombia is plaJJDed for the near future. uring the last decade, the Colombian For these reasons, the Nro -Colombian Pacific Coast has been ransacked by and Indigenous communities of the Cboc6 miningand timbercompaniesas well bave joined forces to defend their lands from as lhousands of coloniSlS. The situation bas impending devastation. for y~ the Rebecome critical as the nco-liberal policies of gional Indigenous Organization Ember.! the 90's have been implemented. Within this Waunana (OREWA), has Struggled to oblain context, the PacifiC is not on.lya region of high collective property righlSOverthe 61 reserves remability due to ilS abundant natural re- that make up 16%oflhe PaciJicCoast.lndig· sources; it bas also become a Strategic point cnous peoples arc currently waiting for the through whi<:h the Colombian Sute strives to "Icy de Ordcnamie nto Territorial", a constitu. consolidate itS insertion into the international tiona I law which will define Indigenous terrimarkeiS linked by the Pacific Rim through a tories throughout the country to lie approved development Strategy known as "Plan de by Congress. The newconst.itution represcnlS Apertura Hacia el Pacifico" (The Opening of asignificant step forward for lnd igenous propthe Pacific Coast). erty rights as it aims to grant Indigenous The Choc6 region of the Colombian Pa- territories the same degree of adminjsuative ciJicCoast isoneofthe world's most biologi- autonomy enjoyed by Colombia's departcally diverse coosystcms. II is covered by ments. HOwever, under the newoonstilution, tropical rainforests, abundant in minerals and the law was supposed to have been drafted by tropical woods. II has one of the highest the Colombian State and Indigenous organiconcemrationsof plant and animal spocieson zations yet this has not been the case. The bill D VO L 7 NO. 3 &4 AGAINS~r PACIFico bas reached Congress twice without the inclu· sion of the document submitted by lhe Indigenous groups. The Nro-Colombian communities of lhe Pacific Coa3l face a similar situation. The special commission designated by the gov· emmcntto work on the bill was made up, for the most part, by membersoflhegovemment. The resulting law (Ley 70) awards uneulti· vated laJJds ncar tbe rivers of the region, not the urban areas and farms they occupy, and contains clauses allowing for the construction of a network of roads within lhe allotted territories. This law ignores tbc legitimate aJJd legallaJJd rigblS of the peoples of lhe PacifiC over the areas they have traditionally occupied and where they have constructed the Nro-ColombiaJJ society and culture. Continu.ing a long-standing Struggle, In· digenous and Afro-Colombian organizations came together at the end of July in Quibd6, capital of tbe Cboc6, to jointly look for solutions to a common problem. Members of lhe Nro-Colombian Organization of Pop<Jiar NeighhotboodsofQuibd6 (OBAPO), and tbc Integral Campesino Association of Atrato (ACLA), petitioned the government for the legal owncrshipoftheir communal land hold· ings and the management of tbcir natural resources. Aceording to lhesc organizations, the government's recognition of their property rigblS and their dilcct participation in the policies aJJd development projeciS that affect them, is the only way to put an end to the environmental and social devastation brought about by tbc Plan Pacifico. ··or more lnform:Hion c-ont~c-1: OR.:W.\ O~ani~d(in lndi~rna rmi'M.·r-..i \\':wnana ..\ ..\. 2S.' Quihdtl. ('hocU ( 'olonlhi:J l't·ltphoni': !'79 -'99 67 7$ �LoGGI~G TIIHEATENS 1~ h~· BHJTISJJ NATIO~s CoLt : ML~IA Stl-..m O'Doncll International attention has focused on Oayoquot Sound, British Colum· bia, wbert the battle over clear-cut logging of an old·gl()wtb rain forest has resulted in hundreds of arrests in Canada and protests at Canadian em· bassies around the world. Indigenous peoples make up about half the population in the Oayoquot Sound area. The Firsl Nations oppose the Canadian government's decision to clear-<:ut tbe forest and want a solu· tion that both preserves their natural environment and creates jobs for their people. A November 1993 court decision stated that the government of British Columbia mUSI consider Indigenous land rights wben awarding loggjng contradS. AspokespersonfortheNuu· cbab-nultb Tribal Council said he bopod his people would now he given a share of the loggjng profits and a guaranteed peroentage of the forestry jobs. About 70% of the Indigenous people in the area are unemployed. Canada's new prime minister has said he would be willing to declare the Oayoquot Sound area a national park if the province and the Nuu-<:hab-nulth First Nations agree. However, many Indigenous people in tbe area have reasons to he suspi· cious of his offer. A similar fight over loggjng of traditional Haida land in the nearby Queen Cbarlone Islands ended about six years ago when the federal government created a new national park on Haida territory. The government promised that tourism generated by the park 22 FJHST Giam redw()()(/s such as this one on Meares Island are threare.ned by clear-cut logging would create jobs for Indigenous peoples in the area but, six years later, the only new jobs have been given 10 white bureaucrats and tbe tourists have not appeared. Instead, an army of government bureaucrats arrived 10 tell the Haida how to care for forests they had been looking after for time immemorial. "It's like a new set of missionaries have been steaming in here to save us," a Haida woman told a reponer. "Butwe'renotbeingconvened. We know how to take cart of our land." Many 01her First Nations across Canada - , arc fighting the destruction wrought by logging companies on their traditional lands. In most eases, the Firsl Nations are not seeking an end to logging but want sustainable logging practices and a share of the jobs created. First Nations haveal.ready won many court battles but still the logging continues. Canada has been called tbe "Brazil of the North" because of its destructive fores~ry poUcies and a comparison he· tween the two countries reveals many similarities. For example, trees cover about 40% of bOlb. Nearly 100,000 Indigenous people live in Canada's tern· perote and boreal forest, and about 170,000 Indigenous people live in the Amazonian min fores~. In Canada, an acre of forest is clear-<:ut every 12 sec· onds while in Brazil, an acre ls cut or burned every nine seconds. While the seale of devastation in both counllies is similar, an important difference exists in the human motivat.ion behind the destruction. In Brazil, a driving force-for miniCSI destruclion is tbe poverty of the loggers, while in Canada, the driving force is tbe greed of multinational corpora· tioos. For more infonnation contact tbe Nuu· chah-nulth Tribal Council, wbieb represents the 14 First Nations in the rogion: Nuu-dlab·nullh Tribal Coondl PO Box 1383, Port Albernl BC, Canada V9Y 7M2. Phone: (604) 724STS7 Fax: (604) 7234163 Abya Ya l a News �SELF DETEHMI~ATION & TERRITORY Co~sTITUTIO~AL REVI S ION 1~ BIV\.ZIL: A Tt !HEAT TO I N DIGE="Ol'S RIGIITS BY e batUe for the rights of the over twO hundred Indigenous groups in Brazil seemed to have c.Jaimed a victory at the end of 1988. Bra:z.il 's newconstitution was drafted and approved that year, recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples, including the right to their lands. A five year deadline for the demarcation of these lands was established. After obtaining Indigenous territory status they would be proleeted by the government against invasions. Only the Indigenous peoples would be able 10determine the use for theirlands, including. if they so wished, mining and forestry. This deadline expired on October 5, 1993, and only 266 of the 532 territories officially rcoognizcd bad been demarcated. The 1988constitulion also included a clause for its revision at the end of five years. This period also expired in October. If this revision lalces plaoe, the rights granted could be revoked. The validity of the demarcation of Indigenous territories and the current restrictions on the use of these lands are highly questioned by many groups that support the constitutional revision. Invariably, these groups are part of the elites that have lost advantages and privileges. The three chapters central to the debate arc those concerning agrarian reform, the environmen~ and the rights oflndigenous peoples. II is feared tha~ if carried through, the revision could lead to changes toward the Nco-liberal policies supported by the majority of the Brazilian con· gress. Spocial interest groups lobbying in the Congress will have great influence over be results oftherevision. The political climate in the congress is actually dominated by these diversctboughgenerallyconscrvativegroups. The lack of complementary judicial tools that are also adequate and agile, added to tbe inoperative power of the executive are also seriously threatening the conquCSIS made for indigenous rights. T: VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 SLt.L;"o.:L .J. \.IC\~111.1.<> One of the most significant conquests was that over the Yanomami territory in May, 1992. The granting of 9.6 million hectares demarcated as Yanomami territory is now in danger of revision. Although the official recognition bas not kept gold prospec!ors away, some groups contend that this area is ~xeecd­ ingly large for the Yanomarni. Another argument is that demarcation in border areas threatens national sovereignty Minister of Justice recently declared that the demarcationwillonlyoontinucinareaswbere there are no conflicts, a requisite nearly impossible to fu1fill, and lbal effectively baits the process of demarcation until the revision issue is resolved. This process could take months or even years. The Minister of Justice also bad the power of prohibiting access 10 indigenous areas, but the Supreme Tribunal recently revoked Ibis power. This will have serious consequences for groups that are still isolated. Their limited numbers are threatened by the illness and violence that nearly always follow contact with outsiders. In the 500 years since the beginning of European invasions, the population of Indigenous peoples of Brazil bas been reduced from over 5million to less than 500,000. Their territories today are only IO%oflbeiroriginal size. The biggest obstacle to their survival is theattitudeofBra:zilian society. To the majority of the population, Indigenous rights and environmentalism are not social priorities.. Hunger and poverty are ranked first These economic pressures create great tension between the Indigenous peoples and the new colonistS, poor migrants trying to establish fanns in their territories. Indigenous people are thus the most widely discriminated group in Brazil, frcqucntl yviewed as sicl<, dirty, and carriers of the Cholera virus. The physical and cultural survival of Indigenous peoples is not considered their right, but rather an eeeenlricity of environmentalists. Many Brazilians arc of the opinion thattbe resources of the tropical forests can and should be exploited for economic bencfi.ts alone. These benefits rarely reach !bose actually affeCied by poverty. This attitude needs 10 change if the rights establL5hedin 1988 aretobeupbeld and if the fight for indigenous rights is to be continued. by creating practically independent stales. This argument does not take into account the fact that Indigenous territories have existed in border areas for years. Indigenous groups like the Kayapo and the Guarani are involved in legal batUes to prove their rights 10 establishing territories thai cover areas in different countries. Though it is true that the constiiUiional revision would not aller tbe present situation it can risk tbe loss of the judicial principle that pbilosophically supports the rights ?f indigenous people. Thus, the Yanomarni and the Kayapo could lose the legal basis to defend their autonomy and territories, as well as looiQg the power 10 resolve other issues still not legally defined, such as their rights over intellectual property and germ plasma. The appropriate compensatory mechanisms are yet to be CSISblished. Recent events justify the urgency of the possibility of constitutional revision. The Sources: Porantim, Revisao Constitucional 23 �THE NEW PERUVIAN CONSTITUTION AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AIDESEP overnment policy under suooessive Peruvian administrations has consistently denied lndigenouscommu· nities the right to participate in the political processes governing their lives and theirenvi· ronment.ln Peru, like its neighboring states, the Amazonas has perennially stood as the cushion for external problems and it, as well as the Indigenous peoples that inhabit the fores~ have traditionally been subordinate to and utiliztd by outside intereslS. The politics of intervention practiced by peevious admin· istrations have been taken a step further by the Fujimori regime as reflected in his proposed Olnstitution for Peru. G peoples by the installation of terrorism in tbe region, could escalate the violence that al· ready exists. B) Under the new text, Indigenous lands arc subject to seizure. This measure, proposed to facilitate aocess to credit, puts at risk communities that might he persuaded to follow tbe government's promotional campaigns and While tbe doelarationsof ethnic pluralism and the recognition of the right to Indigenous identity in the draft version ofthe newOlnsti· tution superficially represent progressive changes, their character is for the most pan symbolic and offset by the more concrete terms applied to Indigenous territories. The princi· seek credits offering their land as collateral. pal changes are summarized in the following C) Most imponantly, Indigenous lands classipoints: fied as abandoned can be taken over by the state and sold to individual investors. This A) Indigenous land holdings which have been point is of grave consequence since the clasprotected under constitutional law since 1933, sification is carried out by government funcare to be"declared open to land markets. This tionaries working underquestionableassumpmodification, coupled with the lack of access tions: After two years without cultivation, of indigenous peoples to civil justice, govern- lands are declared abandoned. This criterion ment corruption, and the twelve years of per- undermines the swidden/fallow (slash and secution and displacement of Amazonian bum) agricultural practices of many commu- 24 nities which make use oflong rotation cycles. Under these systems, the forest is left to rest for years before it is once again cultivated. Under the new Olns:titution, fallows are erroneously considered abandoned lands. D) The criteria applied to the demarcation of lands represents another threat to tbe tcrrit<>rial integrity oflndigenous peoples. By dividing communal land holdings into independent agricultural plots, the communities will become ex· tremely vulnerable. With this constitutional proje~the edifiCe of the once pioneer Indigenous legislation of Peru is in dan· gerof crumbling. Olupled with the promotion of agrarian investment in the Amazon region, the privatization and alienation of in· digenous territories represent adet. rimental blow to the Indigenous ,,,,.....,. peoplesofPeru. Undertbefujirnori regime, we are not taken into ac- count, or at least not as different peoples. The forest's communities and their economic, cultural and social practices are at best, considered an obstacle to the government's development priorities for the rainforest. The purpose seems clear: To irn· pose on Amazonian and other original communities an agrarian vision along with tbe extractive one that has, in the last few years, devoured more than 10 million hectares. Sou~tt: AlDESEP A by a Y ala News �WoMI::N's !.! ~ ~==~-...J ! INDIGENOUS W O M EN I N BOLIVIA SET EXAMPLE F OR A B Y A T: Indigenous women of Bolivia have come to occupy an imponant and in uential role in the lndige.nous movement after many years of struggling for their rights and !boseof their peoples. Using Native American women as models of or~tion and unity, today, Bolivia has the greatest national organization of Indigenous women in tbe Abya Yala continent The Coordinating Commission of Indigenous Women of Bolivia (CCMIB) was cie· ated during tbe First National Gathering of Indigenous Women on July 1993, in Acbocalla, La Paz. The Commission's purpose is to strengthen the Indigenous, popular, and campesino (peasant) movements through tbe active participation of women. By orga· nizing different gatherin~ and seminars, the Commission seeks to unite all the Indigenous and non- Indigenous women's organizations working tbrougboutthecountry and promote tbe formation of leaders in the various mem· ber organizations. VoL 7 NO. 3&4 Y ALA The Commission is guided by the funda- Diroetors was eloeted to organize the Second mental principles of doeentralized authority Encounter, which will take place next yw, and respoet for tbe autonomy of each member and where a permanent Boald will be eloeted. organization. In addition, !bough it is a women's organization it is not "feminist" Instead, the Commission looks to compli· ment its activities with those of its maJecoun· tcrpartS, since, as on participant affirmed, "in e original,traditionalcommunities,separatelevels of power between a man and woman did not exist A eouple made doeisions of mutual a:t:..J:....::II-iOiliriA• •lilllllll aooord, because the struggles of both the men ~ and tbe women were tbe same." Nevenhe· For More Information coniJ>Ct: less, taking into aecounttbe marginalization that the government's exclusion policies Combi6n Coordinadora dt' makes them face, the Indigenous women have 7\fuj('rC's lndl::<"na.~ de Rolhia considered unification a priority so that they Casilla 2315 can begin to devise theirO\vn methods to eloet Calle Yanacocha \o. +II representatives of their nationalities to the Edif. ..\reo lris.l'i<o 13. Oficina 13112 Bolivian government La Pa1. lloli•ia During the Encounter, the unification of 25 women's organizations was consolidated Telephone: 369.963 in tbe CCMIB, and an interim Board of �INTERV IEVV MAURICIA WITH C A STRO In 1991, Vicente Matute,fonner FETRIXJ president, and other members of the Directive Commission were ambushed and assassinated. Mauricio Castro, Xicaque,then SecretaryofFETRIXI. assumed the presidential office which she holds to this date. She is manied and is the mother of three children. run by LadinOISand the children are prohibited SAIIC: Does tbe government have any l3w fromspeakingtheirnativclanguages. Wehad that recognizes tbe indigcnoos communities? a case in which a first grader forgot to greet his Mauricia.: Nothing specific. Tbereisonlyone teacher in Spanish and instead greeted her in article tbat refers to Indigenous peoples in the Tolupan. Tbe teacher said she could not constitution. 'lbere is no law from which we understand him and that he could no longer be can infer bylaws. The organized nations of SAIIC: Very littleissaidabout thelndigenoos in school. The child was then forced to Indigenous peoples have passed a legislative peoples of Hondurns. How many are there abandon his dass<s. Socially, the native proposal that we call "Protection law for lndigeoous Nations". We did this with the and what groups do tbey belong to? language is DOl spoken, Ollly in the borne. belp of some lawyers and with tbe bad:ing of Mauricia: In Hondurns we have 6 groups, 7 ow lndigCOO<JS peoples. It has been in Conincluding the Cbonis who are not )'CI org:a· SAIIC: Is there mcism? niz<d. Within those 6 groups, with their Mauricia: In Yoro there is tremendous rac- gress for more than four yeaJS. One adminisdiverse languages and customs, there areal· ism. Our people are wori<ing to develop tration takes over, then another,and there is no most half a million Indigenous peoples. there consciousness of our own identity bu~ for one to promote this. Weare also taking action are the Ltncas, which number 80,000; the example, wearing our trad itiona!clothingonly for the ratification of covenant 169 of tbe Pcicben, about2,000; theGarifunas, 300,000; serves to frighten people or create aspeaacle. Intemational Labor Organization (lLO) but there are very few of u.~. In addition, tbe theMisikitOIS 40,000; and the Xicaques which number about 32,000. The Ltncas live in SAIIC: How is the land situation in Hondo· government functionaries are very cleve-r. Ltmpiro, La Paz, and lntibucan. Tbe Peichen rns? Do you have enough? Arcyoorcommu- Some of tbem come 10 the !ndigeoous communities and if there is a problenn, they say and MislcitOIS Iive in Pahuac:as,Sull'lOS,Gracias nities respecled and rccogniz«l? a Dios, and Colon. Mauricia: The situation is critical. The gov- they will solve it and we aeversee tbem again. ernment passed a law called "modemaation SAIIC: Do these Indigenous nations still con· of the agricultural sector" by which they give SAIIC: The Honduran peoples are traditionpowcrtotbelargelandowners 10 appropriate ally agricultural? serve their languages and tradir10ns? Mauricio: We, the Xieaquesareon the verge more lands. This law convcns the land into a Mauricia: We, the Xicaques cultivate com of losinp our language. This is why we arc marketable good tbat can be sold to tbe and beans and we make some crafts, such as working so hard to strengthen it and spread it. tr.lJISnationalcorpomtionsandforeigners. Tbe baskets, mats, and pottery. The Ltneas make specifiC problem of the Xieaques is tha~ even weavings from wool and they also cultivate SAIIC: Whatiseducationlikeinyours.:hools? thoogh we were given titles to oor properties com and beans. The Miskitos dedicate themMauricia: This istbemostseriousproblemof in 1861, people keep appropriating oorland selves 10 eollecling coconuts, oranges. and to tbeXicaques. Tbemajorityofthescboolsare due10 this law of "modcrnil.ed agriculture". planting rioe. In Amuskiti, whicb is a very auriciaCastro: My name is Mauricia Castro and I come from tbe De panment of Yoro in Honduras. I am pan of the peoples ofXicaque orTolupan, located in the Nonh of the country. M 26 Abya Yala News �Wo:\ll ~ ~~s Ma;m'ela Castro at the lnte,..Amuicon Encounrtr on lndlgtn()US Rights and Common Low swampy, the people fish. They have little This issue ha.• led to a campGign org;10ized by pGrctls, islands in themiddleoftbelakes. It's thelndigenouspeoplesofHondurasandpeople an extraordinary place. The rivers Patuca, from tbe popular sector, syndicates, farmers, Platano, and Coco are very laJge and navi- and organizations, because this is an attack g;~ble. l..asl year,the president wanted to give >g;linsl humanity. a concession to exploit !be . - - - - - - - - - - - . "lbe Spanish gave us the SAUC: Do you have a jungle of Anwquitia, a name Xiquaques because relllionship with tbe virgin jungle. I believe we were not easily tamed farmill8 sectOr? that in Centnl America so we decided to keep the Mauricia: There have this is the mos1 luxurious name, always rebels." been conOiCis with 1be and mos1 dense tropical &nners wbo have come forcsl. into our lands by force. SAIIC: Have you tried 10 exploit those re- The Union of Fann Workers (UTC), wanted to come into Yoroand therewas a very serious sources? Mauricia: The govemment tires. There is a confrontation. We know that this was not the law called the law of Honduran Corporation desire or the fam>ers themselves but rather of and Forest Development that says that the some of the leaders and some of the catUe forests belong 10 the state, independent of the ranchers, and although we were in jtil for faCithatthesc lands may be private lands. So several days, we earned respeCI for the aunow lbc government has the autonomy to sell tonomy of thelndigtoous people. Now, even lbc forests of our communities. Butlbcsc bas lbc coffee gtOWers have to eonsull with us been much resistanc:e. In some cases lbc before lbcy can mechanize tbeir planta~ Indigenous peopk have said that it was lbc responsibilityoflbcgove~iflbesepcople SAUC: Do you have traditional forms of entered and later found lbci r machinesburned. O<g;lnizatioo? Has it been difficult to fonn VOl. 7 N O. 3 &4 fcdcrntions that are based on Western forms of organizing? Mauricia: The Tribal Counci.ls existed but lheywere not united. But with the helpoflbc Catholic Cburcll, tbe missions, and some of the fanners that wanted to "make friends" with lhe Indigenous peoples 1 recuperate 0 vacant lands, we heg;IO to know each Olher. From 1970 10 19n there was a process of exchange between the tribes in order to share experiences and gc,t better acquainted. In 19n,lbc federation was organized but in an almoslgbotstlyfasbion. Everyyearweplanned .-iogs but somelbiag always happened. Between 1981 and 1983, we begao to orpoizc lbc councils and in 198S, lbc fitsl OrdiaaryCoogJCSS was beldwbicb gathered alllbc ml>esofYoro,EINegrito,Oianchito,Mozaran, andotbers. TheCoogJCSSofTribeswascstablishcd and tbestalules were made. There were many discussions about the name of the federationbecause many said we were TolupGOCS and nOI Xicaques. the SpGnisb gave us the name ~Xicaques" because we were noteasily lamed sowe decided to keep the name, always rebels. SAUC: What isthename, then,oflbcfcderatioo you belong to? Mauricia: Federation of Xicaque Tnl>es of Yoro, FETROO. SAUC: Do you belong to any confederation? Mauricia; This work came after FETROO. We begao to realize that on tbeone band lbcre were the Mislcitos and on theOiher,tbe l..enkas and others, so, with the help of some university students, anthropologists, that always study us, we managed to have the Fitsl Gathering of lbc Indigenous Peoples of Honduras in 1987, one year after having formed FETROO,. In 1988 we held the Soeend Eocounter from which a provisional committee for lbcconfcderation was born, and where we realized that there wereotbcrolgilnizcdgroups. ThcThirdEocounterwasbeld in Yoroandlbc Fourth in Tegucigalpa when our leader, Vicente Malule, was assassinated . Bctv.-.en 27 �thesecrelat)' and they said that we were going secrelat)' and they tell him what to do. But we to be dead. Butthefive, two women and three don't wish to make a parallel organization of men, were from different oounciJs. women because we believe, and this is a custom of the Xieaqucs, that women without SAllC: Does the intimidation oontinue? men can do nothing. and equally men without Maurieia: The other day I reeeivod a call women. Even though "machismo" always saying: Maurieia Rivera de Zubirana is pay- exists, we resist by saying: "Don't walk in ing someone to kill you and two other leaders front of me, don't fall behind, let's walk of the tribe. But I don't know...who knows? together". We have no prolcction. I oould believe that the Police are protecting me but it's just as SAIIC: How is your spiritual life? Is there likely that they are investigating me. The much Catholic influence? Police are like that always. The fodcration has Mauricia: There is a lot of inllueoee; little of been given many diplomas of reoognition but our spirituality remains. The Evangelists you sec that it's all politics. The deputy of introduce themselves into our oommunities Yoro is the one that exploits the Plangrande and putthem to sleep. Theydon'twaotpeople tribe. He is a landholder, the deputy, so how going to meetings. They say it's a sin to are we going to register aoomplaint ifheis the promote the development of the community, one who is exploiting us? There arc Indig- that the riches arc in heaven, that the poor are enous zones, where more than 200 non-Indig· blessed. They put all this in pooples' heads so cnous families live, that they want to tum into they later say: "But well, this is how God 1986 and 1992 wcformed the Confederation municipalities. There are schools, electric wants me to Hve". I don't go to mass. Priests of Autochthonous Peoples of Honduras light, roads, and even though we have prop- have oome to visit me and ask why I have not (CONPA). erty tiUcs, we indigenous peoples live cling· baptized my children. I teU them I don't ing to the cliffs. We have resistod du.ring three interfere in their spiritual lives. I don't want it SAIIC: Wbat lod to the assassination of regimes because we are the legal owners. and my children don't otiss it. ViccnteMatuteandthereprcssion? Weknow various Indigenous leaders have diod. Who SAIIC: What is the situation of women in SAllC: Do you have hope in the Continental are the repressors? relation to the organizations? Indigenous Movement now that you have Mauricia: FETRIXI is the only organization made oontaet? Do you think you should unite Mauricia: [The repressors arc) the land hold· that has three , - -- - - - -- - -, with the Indigenous pooples of "We have no protection. ers and the cattle ranchers of Yoro. We women oo lbe America? I cou.ld believe that the realized only at the end that themililat)' killod hoard. Five men Mauricia: The principal goal of police arc protecting me Vicente. There is a whole tribe that is under and three women, CONPA is to bring our forces to· but its just as likely that the oontrol of a general of the Annod Forces andwebelievethat gether, search for our ancestral they are invcsti.g ating of Honduras. Vicente was a very bonOS! and in lhe next term pas~ and oommunicate with all me." quiet man and in a meeting with president there will be four. Indigenous peoples of America. Calleja-we have the video and the tape reoord- Women participate We know that we are not all the same, but we know what we want ing-said that he wou.ld not he surprisod if the in decision makIndigenous peoples of the Sao Francisoo tribe ing, whethertbc men like itornot.UI see that at lhe continental level. go into a field to get their firewood and are it is in favor of the majority, then that is my hangod and taken away. ApparenUy they decision. Since 1987, womenleave the house SAIIC: Anything else? killod biro for talking like that and go to the assembly. Because the wo!SI Mauricia: I want us to prepare ourselves so problem is that women stay in their bouse, and ou.r rights as women are respected, so we are SAJJC: Have~other leaders been assassi· how are they going to be taken intoacoount if given the space that has long been dcniod to natod? • theydon'tgo tothesessions? Noone is going us. Tbisdoesnotmeao wewaottotakeit from Mauricia: In 199l,theyearthey killodVicente, to oome to the house to tell them: "we named men, we want to be given an equal opportuthey advisod us that they were going to kill you Cacique". In other oommunitics, there nity. Greelings to all the Indigenous women five of us and that's whatthey did. They said are no women in lbc organizations. In of theoontinent and let's keep going forward it would be those of the directive hoard. I was FETRIXl there arewomen who have a mao as because the struggle is ours. 28 Abya Yala News �EAL EPIDEMIC HITS COMMUNITIES OF SAN LORENZO, PERU n the Peruvian Indigenous communities of San Lorenzo, located close to the Ecuadorian border, an unidentified epidemic rosem bling the measles has spread voraciously, killing 5 and infecting 88 others. Symptoms include high fevers, skin eruptions, respiratory difficullies, hemorrhages, vomiting of blood, diarrhea, and bone pain. Representatives from tbe Ministry of Health have Oown to the respective sites to collect samples which are currently being evaluated in the United States. In the meantime, a vaccine against measles has been discovered to diminish lbe intensity of the illness, resulting in a campaign to vaccinate 13,000 people. The Minisl.ry of Health made an official agreement with the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP) to develop an"Action for Health" program serving ISO Indigenous communities of the High Amazonas regions via the San Lorenzo Health C.nter. Eacb community elects Indigenous youth to be pall ofthe "Promoters of Health" network that is trained to respond to the needs of the community during times of crisis. In addition, the Ministry of Health appoints an lndigeoo+ prescntative to be in charge of the health needs of 8-IOcomm'"'/rie's. Previous cbolera and malaria epidemics were effectively brouh{t under control tbrougb I (@PTS JNlrriATIVE ON INDIGENO U S HEA,L "PH fter reviewing the "Heal!! ; the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas" initiative fonnulated at the Working Meeting on Indigenous Peoples and Health, held in Canada, from April 13to 17, the Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), resolved to adopt Document CD37(JJ) during its Fourth Plenary Meeting held last September. The document which describes the initiative, was presented to PAHO by Colombian Senator Anatolio Quir3, Juan Reategui of Aidesep, Peru, and Mirna Cuninham, Miskito from Nicaragua. The resolution urges member governments to take steps in improving the deficient health and living conditions of the estimated 43 A VOl. 7 NO. 3 & 4 these networks. This is the second epidemic to reach the San Lorenzo communities in recent years. Malaria Falsiparum, before coming into San Lorenzo, bad spread in the border petroleum exploitation regions of the Ecuadorian rain forests with the arrival of obreros (oil workers) from other partS. Despite these positive efforts, both !be impacts of disease and severe water sbortages are driving San Lorenzo into an increasingly alanning health crisis. As a resul~ AIOESEP, its member organizations and the San Lorenzo Health C.nter are ealling for a revamping of Peru's bealtb care system for its Indigenous communities. For more infonnation contact: AIDESRP Av. San Rugeoio981 Urb. Santa Catalina-La Victoria Urna 13, Lima, Peru Tel: 71~21 ·- Fax: 72-4605 million Indigenous personsoftbe Ameri· cas as well as the participation of lndig· enous leaders and representatives in Ibis process. The resolution further eallson governments to strengthen the tochnieal, admin· isuative, and managerial capacity of na· tiona! and local institutions that are responsible for the health of Indigenous Juan Reategui or Ald<sep populations with a view to progressively 1 - - - - - --...J overcoming the lack of infonnation in this area and ensuring greater access to health services and quality care, thus contributing to a ttigher degree of equity. Member governments are further urged to work toward the transfonnation of health systems and the development of alternative models of care, including traditional medicine and disease prevention programs. The directing council also calls for the ~rticipation of Indigenous persons and their communities in all aspects of PAHO's work. For more inl'o: Pan Amtrkan Health Orga.ni1:alion 525 23rd St N.W. Washington DC 20037, USA 29 �VIOLENCE A GAINST INDIGENOUS P EOPLES n August 18-19 1993, lhe village of forces have plagued !he nation's inhabitantsMazamari in lheprovinceofSatipo, In the rainforest regions, since 1992 alone, located in the cenlr31 rainforest re- there have been 1,491 indigenous victims. According to the local people, some of gion of Peru, was anacked by 150 guerrillas belonging to the revolutionary lhe attackers of the augustiS-19 massacre Maoist group Sendero Luminoso (Shining were young Ashartinka rebels. Sendero will Path). The massacre resulled in the death and often plant Indigenous rebels within the vilbru!al mutilation of 87 Ashaninkas, about a lages and instigate the Armed Forces' violence against them to prove the government's lhird of which were women and cbildren. During lhe early morning hours, a band hypocrisyandbetrayaloflndigenouspooples. ofSendero guerrillas came disguised in tradiAbout 700 familes have been severely tional Ashaninka garb affected by the terror, abandoning their demanding weapons. lands, villages, and Whcntbevillagersdid their way of life. Due not comply with their demands,thebru!al atto lhe rapid changes wrought by the invatacks began. sion of both Sendero This has been the worst attack on the guerrillas and the PeAshaniokas since lhc ruvian Armed Forces, capture of Sendero traditional waysof life Luminoso's leader, have been severely Abimacl Guzman. disrupced,causingexThis massacre is just tremcly unstable livoneofthemanygenoing conditions. The cidal actions system· The massacre left more 1han 200 orphans continuous threat of aticaUy conducted against the Indigenous Scndero's terrorism has forced Ashaniokas commurtities that refusetosubmittoSendcro's and other Indigenous communities of Peru's Maoist 'doctrine of a "Revolution for tbc Ccnlr31 Jungle to oonccntrate aU their enerPoople". Due to the Ashaniokas' resistance, gies and human resources toward self-<lethey have been targeted and persecuted. fense. Throughout Peru, violence and terror on the In response to the unwananted violence part of Sendero Lumiooso and the Armed and brutality, lhe Indigenous peoples of the O 30 IN PERU: Ccnlr31 region are actively engaged in oommunity organizing and creating al.liances with Indigenous organizations. The First CongressoflheAshaninkalndigenousPeoples of the Peruvian Amazon will be held from November29to0ecember3, 1993, inSatipo, Peru. Other lndigneousorganizations,such as CECONSEC, ANAP, and FECONACA, as well as representatives from oonccmed public and private institutions will also be attending. . \. <: T I () :--.1 There is an immediate need for relief funds for the 200 Ashan.ioka orphans and widows as a result of the massacre in tbc Mazamari village. CECONSEC is also in need of economic aid to continue supporting the organization of the First Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the Central rainforest region of Peru. For more information on bow you can help, please contact: Kalia Arya 4015 Rhoda Ave. Oakland, CA 94602 Tel: 510-482-4682 FAX: 51(}.421-4758 or SAUC A b y a Yal a N e ws �RIGHTS . In respoose totheaogoingvioleoceagainsl and theRCelll m II :reoftheAWnjnta UICiegeoous f'OOI'Io in the village of Mazamari, province ofSatipo in the CeniW Jungle of PeN, We lbc A+••i•h People feel it i3 necessary to bave an EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES OF TilE Ct!NI'RAL JUNGLI! REGION OF PERU. THE FOLLOWI NG I SSUES AND PROBLEMS W I LL BE ADDRESSED AT T H E CONGRESS: I. Tbe problems lbc Asbaninka communities a~e clcal.ing with in the face of lbc ldveiSily tbey an: experiencing. 2. The problem of the Asbanjnka refugees and di3placed iodiviWals and families and flow to regain land rights. 3. Analyze the situation of abandoned lands by lbc iDdigeoous COIIIIIIIIDi1ie cmo to Scadcro LumiDoso (Shining Pa!h) brutal displacmcnllae6cs. 4. Analyze the relalcd and arole problems of health, ocluclliouad foocloflbc OOIIIJDUDiries lbal bave arisen with the mer.- of refugees. 5. Evaluale pOOtic and private i.oslillltioos and peJSOm lbalan: cleoelopiic favoablo ICiioas towaJds assitinglbeAsballinkacommunilies. Also analyze diose Moan: baltliliog from lbcslaleof emergency we are cunelllly living in. 6. Tbe impact tWttheapprobation of rellled articlesregalclingna!MiaDclsiD the Peruvian Coa>1itation will bave on the communities • right towards ocx:upying abel plOieding lbcir laa.cls from ezploiWion and invasion. Vol. 7 NO. 3 & 4 31 �ONIC DENOUNCES \VA V E OF l\1UR D E RS lima: Thedeatboftwolndigcnouspeopleaddstothereported zone, several incidents have occurred that threaten the socurity of the murder on November 2 of Nelson Moreno, president of the Indigenous peoples of the area. The Armed Forces have surrounded Ortega Municipal Council and leader of the Indigenous Re- and searched several Indigenous households in search of infonnation gional Council ofTolima (CRIT). regarding supposed links with guerrilla groups. On October 7, armed men dressed in civi Iian clothes broke into the house of Manuel Narciso Cauca: Saturday, November 6, in Rosguardo de Paletar.l, an armed Sdrez, the treasurer of the Indigenous Town Council ofVolao. They group assassinated Jorge Vargas, intcringovernor oftbe Town Coun- demanded infonnatien on guerrilla groups, and when be denied cil, and member of the Indigenous org;~nization and former guerrilla having knowledge of them, he was assassinated in front of llis family. group, Manuel Quintin Lame. The group identified itself a$ part of the Before leaving. they issued the following threat: "Anyone who gives Coordinadora Gucrrillera Simon Bolivar and Wa$IOOJcing for other even a drop of water to the guerrilla, wil.l be killed." Indigenous members of tbecommunity. The Indigenous peoples living in Urab3, in the department of Antioquia, an area of armed conflict, arc constantly subjected to the Sierra Nevada: Tuesday, November 2. Two armed men appeared crossfire between the Armed Forces and the guerrilla groups wllich dressed as civilians in tbe community of Guamacas, di.slrict of San frequently engage in combat on Indigenous lands. Juan del Cesar (Guajira) ncar Marocazo, where in April, the leader For more infonnation, contad: Arsario, Gregorio Nieves, was assassinated. Francisco Mujica, leader ofthecolllll)unityofGuamacas, was also murdcned. Thefact that a few days before, the group UNASE appeared in Marocazo with a list of ONIC names among which where the commissioner of Marocazo, Rafael 31 J5.48 Francisco Nieves, and the general socretary of the organization YUGUMAYU BUNKUNARRUA TAYRONA, Victor Julian Alberto. The group was aooompanied by a hooded man. T: Antioquia.: In the Departmentof Antioquiaand especiallyin the Urabi Source:National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC). 32 Abya Yala News �I-l l INDIGENOUS ACTIVIS T H ELD I N GuATEMALA n Oct 27, Marco Cbooo Danuls, Qeuchki man and active member of the Consejo Nacional de Desplazados de Guate mala (National Council for the Displaced of Guatemala CONDEG), was detained by soldiers in Ia "Cumbre" in Salama, Baja Versapaz, while on a bus to Guatemala City. He is repo!1edly being held in lbe anny barracks in Salama. CONDEG was founded to defend the rights of Guatemalans displaced by the anny's counter-insurgency campaign. The army considers lbe members of CONDEG to be "subversives.• In recent years, members and leaders have suffered buman rights violations, including lbeir disappearance, extrajudicial execution, and intimida- O tion. ::vt A~ RIGHTS. Lenerssbould urgelbat his legal situation be clarified and lbat beeilber be released or brought before a competent court. Plca\t stnd lt'lters to : Gntl. 'Inrio Enriqul'l 'lorult·l 'lini., lro de f)t'fl·JNt \linhlerin dt• u~:ft· n..;t Paladn \ at·ion;tl. Gn:•h·nwtt Cit~ G u:.tlt·ma ht Fa\: 01 J :-u2 2 :'.\7472 Td,·fax: 301 :W•l CO\Gl"A <a: Smd ~ • P i'-'S uf h:lll'r." lu S:\JIC :md lu: ("0\lli:G 7:t .-\H·nid;l K--56, Ztlll~tl Edifidn El ('('ntro 7 :'\hel. Ofkin:.~ 7-12 G ua1('malu Ci l~. Gua lt•maht Human Rights organizations are concerned for the safety of Marco Cbooo and ask that you immediately send leners or faxes expressing your concern for tbe safety and well-being of Marco Chooo Damas. ON-GOING VIOLENCE AGAINST MACUXf oftict between lhe Macuxi and local land owners regardi.og lbedema.rcatonofI ndigcnous territory in lbe state of Roraima, BJ112il, bas lead to continuing violenoe against lbe Macuxi. On November 6 1993, Democlidcs Albuquerque Carneiro, a 23 year old Macwcilndi.an, died in poli<lc cUStody. Aocording 10 reports, bebadbeenmestedonsuspicionofbavingstolensomecattle. A plOt to cover up lbe real cause of bis dealb was discovered when a poli<lc offioer confesed to tbe shooting. O V o l. 7 NO. 3 & 4 Souroe: Amnesty International Sinoe late Seplember, a mililaly mad bloelc bas beeo operating io lbe Raposa!Sern do Sollodigeoous area. The Macuxi have campaigned for lbe demarcation of lbe aJU as an JodigtDOUS resctve but local pol ilicians, influential land OWDetS, and lbe Slate goveromeol of Roraima are vehemently oppooed 10 lbedcmarcarion. As a resuj.~ lbe Raposa/SemtdoSolareawas DC)(deman:atedwithin tbecoostitutional deadline of October 5, 1993. Consequently, reporiS or ~ official harassment againstlndigeoouscommu.nities have been ttansmitted. Please send letters expressing your concern about the dealh in custody of Democlides Albuquerque Carneiro on November6, 1993, in the police Slation of Alto Alegre, Rollinla Call for an inquiry iolo this dealb and ask lbat the respousible be prompc!y bmugbl to~; wge a full inquiry into reports of ill-treatment and barassmco1 6)1 official security foroesof members of lndigeoous OO!IIlllunities at the mililal)' polioe baJracks in lbe Raposa!Sena do Sol area. State Hood of Polk< Exmo. Sr. S.C..tario de. Seg. _ Publica do Estado de Roraima Sr. Rubens Braga Quintela Av Capii>O Enc Garoest no 324 62.300 Boo Vista. RR Brasil State G<wemor Exmo. Sr. Govemado< do E&.lado de Rorai ma Sr. Onomar Pinto Palacio 31de Marco PrKa do Centro OviO>Ctntreo 69.3000 Boo v;..._ RR 8ra%il P!<ase send ropi<> 10 Si\ltC and: Roraim.a Indian Council C«oelho l ndig<nis<a de Ror>ima Cain Posllll t63 70.300 Boo Vis1.1. RR Bnsil 33 �DINEH STRUGGLE ' AGAINST PEABODY COAL CONTINUES illegally for 9 yeatS, the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and U.S. Department of the Interior have purposely neglected to e.oforce the law and require Peabody to Slop mining with invalid permits. In addition, there have been recent repotts of livestock confiscation in the region. Your immediate action is needed now. The destruction and suffering mUSl be stopped! Help bringjuSlice to the sacred lands of Big Mountain by sending letters and faxes expressing the need to uphold legal mandates to: __ _, ....-----------., US. Otpctren• oflllledor 111111 ud cser..a. NS. wake of fiagile ecosystem destruction, desecration of sacred es, and the depletion of valuable water resources, a major paign to hold Peabody Coal Company acoounlahle for its actions is being launched by tbe Dineb peoples of the Four Comers area in the North American Southwest. Blacl< Mesa/Kayenta mine is the largest Slrip mine and only coal slurry line in the U.S. It bas been carved into the most sacred azea of the Hopi and Dineb people, destroying all homes, grave sites and sacred azeas in its path. ·Even though Peabody bas been conducting its mining activities E W~DC.­ Fu:QOl)._ -~ Dlo<ll Ropl2045 w, 3rd 134 w-..,AZI6N7 Fulpbooe (60:1) m.:mr7 Eet':\DOHI:\~ l ~DIGE~Ol 'S MOVE:\IE~T TIIHE:\TE~ E D n the evening of October 31, COJCA's beadq\Wlers were broken into and robbed of over $6.000 worth of off1CC equipment . The wee. prior to the i nciden~ COICA was k prompted to take extraordinazy steps to improve its security when it learned that CONFENAIE's office had suffered a similaz break-in. Earlier in the montb, a dead dog was found neaz COICA's office with messages on it saying, "Mateun indioy haga patria"(bea patrio~ kill an Indian) and "Muera Lucho Maeas el reformiSla" (Death to O Lueho Macas,the reformist). The first of these messages has also been painted on numerous walls azound Quito. Luis Macas is the president of CONAIE, Ecuador's National Indigenous Federation. Wblle this bate crime is particularly ominous and disturbing. there is no evidence that it is connected to the burglary. As this type ofevent is unusual in Ecuador, membetSoftbe Indigenous community believe it could signal the emergence of a right wing effort to undermine the movement. Valerio Grefa, General Coordinator of COICA, bas written the Coalition in Support of Amazonian Peoples and tho Environment asking for its moral, political and financial assistance. Please mall or fax leners to President Sixto Duffin with copies for the Picbincha police chief. Besides expressing your concern and hope tbattbe government wlll take steps to protect COICA from threats and violence, your letters should state that we are closely monitoring the situation and will report any future incidents to the US human rightS communityandNGO'sworkinginsolidaritywithlndigenouspooples. , _.. Sblo Duna CaSI PI tdJ ~a c:lal Gtnia-1043 QuHo. £<uado< Fu: (593) z.sti0.569 Mort lnf'onnalion <'2ll be obtaiotd through Denllis Udal~ AC'tiQg COOfdJ_ator n lor tbt Am>ZOft Coalllloo at (617) 723-2578. 34 Abya Yala News �0HGA:".'IZATIO:".' & COMMUNICATION. SEEKING UNITY IN GUERRERO epresentatives from Nahuatl, Mixtooo llapanooo and Amuzgo communities attende<l tbe First Congress of Indigenous representatives of Guerrero from September 23 to 26 !993. This conference was a big Slep forward in tbe unification of Indigenous Communities of Guerrero and their struggle to estahlisb autonomy. The rights of Indigenous communities, including land rights and perspectives regarding culture and development, were among the themes addressed during the conference. ill terms of Indigenous rights, the need for the recognition of individual rights as well as traditional forms of enforcing justice was expressed. The election of commissioners within municipalities and the partitioning of Indigenous land by the Dcpattment of Agriculture was denounced as going againSt tbc traditional communal land structure. Propo6als in relation to these issues were tal<en to the National Consultation Forum of lnd.igenous Nations, where land issues and the enforcement of Article 169 are dealt with. In addition, a propo6al for the passage of a law entitled Indigenous Electoral of the Sixth District, which would allow for Indigenous representation R within the Chamber of Deputies, was put fonb. The need for direct patticipation in development programs taking place throughout the region was discussed. In this contex~ a format (or devising solutions to problems of education, unwieldy infrastructure of services, the sustainable use of natural resources and the financing of agricultura.l production was designed. In order to implement the solutions and projects, the creation of a government fund for tbe economic development of Guerrero's Indigenous communitics, to be managed by tbe communities themselves, was suggested. In order to preserve their traditional cultures, the representatives pcoposcd the creationof educational programs in which children could learn the music, dance and language of their people. The Second Conferenoc will be taking place March 15, 1994. e lnteramerican Encounter on lndig enous Rights and Common Law took place from June 16-19 at the beadquarters of the Alliance for Development in Guatemala. The event was organized by MayaOdtureCenter(CECMA). Representalives from different Indigenous organizations from throughout the continent pattieipated, including: National Indigenous Organization T: Vol. 7 NO. 3&4 of Colombia (ONIC), The Honduran FederationoftheXieaqueofYoroTribes(FETRIXJ), the General Guayami Congress and Kunas United for Napguana both from Panama, Sejekto of CoSia Rica, the Council of Mayan Organizat.ions of Guatemala, representatives of the Autonomous University of Mexico as well as representatives from SAUC in the United States. 35 �~ ""'''""""' INDIGENOUS BIODIVERSITY .~ ( """' '" '""' NETWORK e Indigenous Biodiveristy Network (Biolndio) was formed in agencies to improve its implementation at tbe international level. Geneva, Switzerland, in October 1993, by Indigenous rcpre While the convention will be a major focus, Biofndio will also serve scntatives attending the Fitst Intergovernmental Cmnmittcc to support a range of Indigenous initiatives on biological diversity on the Q>nvention on Biological Diversity held since the Rio protection around the world. Qlnferencc in June, 1993. Biolndio is a growing networlc of global aboriginal groups and organizations worlcing togctber to protect Biolndio is made up by: biological diversity tbrougb active Indigenous participation in tbe Asian lndigcnous Women's Networlc formulation of policies, laws and programs relating to biodiversity Asociaci6n de Oerccbo Ambiental de Ia Regi6n lnka·Pen\ protcction,includingratificationandimplementationoftheBiodiversity Q>ngrcso General Guayami, Panam~ Q>nvention. To strengtben the role of Indigenous peoples and their Cultural C:Onservancy, USA communities in biodiversity protection, First Nations have to forge Cultural Survival, Cana~ international connections. Presendy, Biolndio is worlcing to establish Sobrevivencia, Paraguay a non<:entralizcd structure and reaching out to native groups and SAIIC, USA organizations from the fourcomersoft be world to discusscoopcration Gabriel Muyuy, Indigenous Senator of Q>lombia at the global level. Biolndio was motivated by the need of having direct Aboriginal For more tnronnation, please contact: presence and autonomous voice on the Biodiversity Q>nvention's Alejandro Argumedo implementation phase. Ncgotiationsoftheconventiondid not include 1 Ni<holas Stree.t, Suite 620 Indigenous peoples even tbousJ! the richest ecosystem, biological and Ottawa, Ontario Canada KIN 7B7 genetic diversity is usually found on Indigenous territories. Biol.ndio Tel: 613.233.4653 will work to ensure Indigenous participation in the implementation of fax: 613.233.2292 the convention and seeks to cooperate with NGO's and international T: PEOPLES OF THE RAIN · FORESTS HOLD GLOBAL CONFERENCE epresentatives of Indigenous organizations from tropical rainforests around the world met at the Second Qlnferenceof the Worldwide Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Rain Forests held in lquitos, Peru, from August 25 to 31. The conference, organized by the Q>ordinating Body of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin(COICA), was a success notonlybecauseofthelarge numberofparticipating organizations but also due to the decisions that R were reached. The acknowledgment of Indigenous autonomy was the central theme during the Second Qlnference which included the participation of80 representatives from 26 different organizations from the Ameri· cas, Africa and Asia. The members agreed on a resolution that seeks 36 to apply the recommendations made in the 1991 U.N. meeting in Nuux, Greenland, which focused on tberigbt oflndigenous peoples to govern tbemsclves througb their own laws, social norms and cultural values in a territory designated as their own. A second resolution issued at theconferenceasks for the ratificationofcovenant 169of the International Labor Organization (IW) also dealing with indigenous sclf-<letemtination. The Alliance was fonned during tbe First Q>nferencc beld in February 1992, in Penang. Malaysia. The Alliance seeks to influence the development policies of governments by urging law makers to respect the rights oflndigenous peoples whose livelibond is tied to the forests. Aby a Y a l a News �OtHIA~IZATIO~ AlPIN om October 13-24, members of AJPIN(Inlemational Association of Indigenous Press) mel 10 p~~blicly announce recognition of lbcir o!lical staiUS by lbe International PressAssociation. AlPIN is comprised oflndigeooos people and organizations lbal work wilb various ltlOOiums of mass communication, press, radio and television. ll's objective is 10 make 1he Indigenousvoiceanactiveonewithin mainstream society. F . I:'\ & COMMUNICATION RADIO WAVES FOR WOMEN recenl conference organized by lbe "MujeresAymarasyComunicaci6n" program of lbe Center for Education and CommunicatiOn in Puno, Peru, brougbl together Indigenous Women who make community-Jcvel radio programs in PeruandlloIivia The programs, made for and by women, deal with problems faeed by women everywhere, such as domestic violence, discrimination, and marginalization. Their object islo unite women around their mutual concerns A and 10 provide an avenue lbrougb whieb women can mobilize for social ebangc. The conference provided the women an opporiUnity 10 share lbcir experiences and 10 create a network of support As Rosa Palomino, wbo producesaradioprogramin Perunoledaltbe end of lbe eonference: "The radio programs provide a system of mui\Jal supporl, a fonn of devclopmenl- Ifwedon'lincludelbcwomen, we will nol develop..." • • • • • • • • • • • D E F E :"\SE OF hDIC)E:"\Ol 'S i\1tGH.\:"\T \VOHKEHS nited Fann Workers (UFW) And Representatives of lhe Binational Mixlee-Zapolec Front (FM-ZB) have signed a joint agreement 10 Spill organizing and advance lbe defense of human and labor rights of Indigenous migrant workers in lbe U.S. Thousands of Mixlee and Zapelee Indigenous peoples comprise lbe latest immigrant group of workers toiling in lbe agrieuiiUral fields and the service industry of California. Mixlee-Zapotec Bi-national Front is lhe largest and most impertanl Oaxacan organization in California The new immigrants are Indigenous workers from the U Mexican Slate of Oaxaca wbo, through a joint effort of lbe UFW and FM-ZB, will be encouraged 10 join lbe United Fann workers Union while still maintaining lbe autonomy of lbeirown organization, under an agreement thai was signed on September 24, 1993. UFW President Arlllro Rodriguez and FM·ZB General Coordina· lOr Arlllro Pimentel Salas signed the agreement in Los Angeles, CalifomiaonSeptember 24, 1993.1beagreement is expected 10 boost a new union organization campaign begun by Cesar Olavez shortly before his death last April 22. WINGS FOR THE YouNG LAS, Solidarity Alliance of Latinarnericans, is a projecl driven by Carnita Piedra Castaneda Foundation of Ecuador, thai seeks 10 promote links in the union among lbc young Indigenous peoples of Abya Yala 10 initiate solidarity and an international support network. This projec1 covers lllree specific areas: I) The creation of a network of communication on a national and international level allowing young people access to infonnation in order promole exchange between different community organizations. 2) To prolllOie national and international gatherings with Indigenous youth. wilboul walls", community v.'Orkshops, and the "university of lbe Streets", utilizing lbe methodology of "learning/doing, the commu· nity leaches the eommunity". The objectives of ALAS are to achieve unity and leadership of young people on ~half of communication and education so young people can become fundamenlallo lbc development of their communities. ALAS will hold lbe Continenla!Eneouoler in Riobarnaba, Ecuador nexl year, People interested can contact Mauricio~ Coordinator/Secretary City of the Yoong-Penipe Box826 Riobamba, Ealador Tel: 474-124 FAX: 593-2-962263 3)1becreationof pep<~lareduealionprograms whalwillbea"sebools VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 37 �I a C.·\.LE:-.:l>/\H AsHAN l NKA AGAINST OF EvE:-.:Ts SuMMIT rteenl violence against Asbaninka communities in Peru (Soc article on page30). VIOLENCE For more infonnation C()!'ltacl: The 8 Asbanlnb Ollanizations affiliated with the lnter-dhnic As$0Cialion for thelle..:lopmentoflhe Ptruvi31l Jung)e(AlDESEP) v.ill hold the Fil:'$1Summit Gathering of the Ashaninka Peoples in Solipo, Peru, from N<Mmb<r 29 !" Deoernb« 2 Th< purpooeol thls impomnt meeting is to analyze and formu· late lhc pol ides aDd strategies thal should be taken in v~w of the I NTERNATI ONAL TESTIMON I ALS ON H UMAN R I GHTS AlDESEP Av. San Eugenio981 Uri>. Sta C.taJioa, La Vict<>rill Uma,Ptru Tcl:724«)5 Fax: O.SI-014-724«)5 befocc a Council ot TonanlZin Land lnstitute P.O. Bo.x 40182 Albuquerque, NM 87196, USA Tel: (SOS) 766-9930 lndigCOOU$ ctsliliert from around the world will present their cases FOURTH HOLD CONGRESS The Fourth Congrt.$s or the Nationallndigooous Confederation of &:uad<l< (CONAJE) \>ill "ke place frorn Deoemb<r 12·15 at the heOOqurarters of the National EcuadoriM Amazonian Indigenous ConfedtratiOia (CONFENAIE). New leaders will be eloct«< to sttve a three year ttrm by rtprcsenlatives from CoaslaJ, Andean, KANTO D E LA T I ERRA M EDI C INE Preparations are underway for next ye&''s Kanto de Ia Thm, Medici r;e f.a&Jes Gathering. to be bdd in l..aredo. Texas. a1lhe Old M Road site, rrom Mardl 17 - 20. ines FIRST GATHERING OF SPIRITUAL. ELDERS OF Mll..l..ENNI;,.. l.. OF A BYA and Amazonian <lClrnmunitic:s. on behalf or the nir;c Indigenous nalion.'i or Ecuador. 2,S(X) people are expocccd to attend. For moce Information, con~: CONAIE Av. Los Granados 25$3 and Av. 6 de Oiciembre C.Silla Pooui92-C, Ql,ito, &:uaoo< Tel: (2) 248-930 Fax: (2) 442-271 The is.sue:s of eavironment. the free trade alliance, and the ollhe rivtr ll\at scpantes Mexico and the· Ul\ited Statts are at the focus of this year's galhering. ~am.inadon Par1icip3J'lts who are planning to attend in Marett. pk.ase ooot3Ct: EAGLES GAT H ER I NG TH E that will produ« a document for For moce lnfonnation contact: The lntematicnal Te$timonials on the Violation of Indigenous Human Right$. to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from Deoemb<r9· 12. 1993, will briog Indigenous peoples and Ofi>Oiza· lions together tO (lftStnt and heat l<$limony on the impact natioa· state p·emments have 1\ad on Indigenous toVe:reignty rights. CONAIE T O l...is~eners $ubmi$$ion to the United Nalions and other forums. The event is c» sponsott<l by the ContinMtal Coor\iinating Commission of lndig· enous Na1ior\s and Otp\iutKas, tbc Indigenous Peoples' AJii· anoe. aOO the Tonantzin l..atld lnstilute. Y WISDOM Al..A The ga~hcring will acSdress the main issue affecting the lndigtflOUS Peoples of Abya Yala. !he danger of Ex.1inaion of the Wi:sdotn keepers-Spiritual EI<Sers due to the almost im,·enible damage to our Traditional W ays. Our plan of action is &O strength the Kanto de lo1lern Reymu.I'Kio Tigre-Ptrtz f.xOC:Uti\'C Oire<:c.or P.O. Box 3m i.al<do, TX 78044 Tel: (210) 791·3674 Tra<titional Ways or friendship. trust. cooperation and, above an, the building of a Peaceful Future of ~is:tenoe with all our Relations and our Mocher Earth. For all communieatiMs conlaCl us at the following addl't$$! Ploy«~<> de Dmarollo S3ntiago Km. 1S C3rretera Roost.\·ell Apclo. IJ.BC.P.01903 Guatemala, GuawnaJa Fax: 953913 Abya Y a l a N ews �LETTEHS Dear Brochers; Dear Friends: Dear SAllC Slaff: I congraiUiale and lbank you for I have received IWO casscues of I was deligbled 10 receive your your invaluablemagazineandm· your radio program, Voces news journal for lbe firs! lime. I dio programs, lbey have been so Nalivas. lgreaUyappreeialelind- found il very u.sefullo show and helpful for us here and lhc lndig- ing ou1 aboul aclivities lhal arc educalepeoplelhalcomelbmugb enous cause as a whole. The happening in lbe Indigenous lhe park and research slalion abundanl information and male- world, reclaiming righiS to land, (Parque Amacayacu, located in rial from all over lbe Indigenous naiUral resouroes and life. The the Colombian Amazon). Howworld has both stimulaled and SAIIC program is important for ever, articles describing wbal is infonned us. both Indigenous support groups happeningwilbnarureandeveryand Indigenous peoples them· !bing lbal lives wilhin i~ were Soon we will also be sending in· selves. missing. fonnalion aboul Napuruna and who we are. I will be sending you infonnation Rodolfo Pinilla and pholograpbs aboul us and lbe Parque Amacayacu Yesterday, "Voz de Ia Selva," a activities our men, women and Lelica, Amazonas Colombia radioSiationiniquilosworking al children are involved in. lbe forefronl wilb Nalive com· munilies, did a nalional report on Loila Rener lbe conlarnination of lbe Napo Managua, Nicaragua River. Valerio Grefa of COICA is a paisano and we speak in We've eome &om Quichua. It seems as !hough a ·afar to talk about God, petroleum company is going 10 Slarl operations in Peru close 10 \ civilization, and eternal lbe Cumry river which leads 10 ' - - - wisdom lbe Napo river. If Ibis happens, where are we going 10 find fish 10 cal and clean waler? Dear SAIIC S1aff:, . I would like 10 unile my voice wilb lbeolber people lbal see and read lbe Boletin, even lbougb I am far away, wilb unified senti· meniS in an eeho lhal will grow louder every time. I a.m a mesli2a from a region of O>Iombiaandbaveworkedmany years wilb various elbnic groups. As an anlbmpologist, I work wilb women and lbus am very interestedinfonningawomen'sgroup in the furure. For Ibis reason, I would very much like 10 receive your book Daugblers of Abya Yala. Amanda 0 . Delgado Cali, Colombia Since I live by lhe Napo River, I lold lbe people in charge of O>n· servalion and lbe Environmenl aboullbis possibilily so lhallhey migbiSiarldoingsometbing. Unfortunalely, lhey are in lbe clouds. Bul, if we keep lalking 10 lbem, lbe migbl do act. They have said 10 me, "You, lbe Nalive peoples, aretbevoiceofalarm." They also would like 10 receive your news journal. Padre J O>quinche Mercia Mision Napuruna, Rio Napo Iquilos, Peru VOl. 7 NO.3 39 �1992 DIRECTORY I NTERNATIONAL & REsOURCE G UIDE An annotated directory of over 600 international organizatiOns that participated in 500 Years of Resistance projects. Includcs declarations from Indigenous conferences and organizations and informarion on cuniculum resources, speakers bureaus, computer networks, audio·visual resources and print rcsourocs. S8 + $1.75 shipping. DAUGHTERS OF ABYA y ALA Testimonies of Indian womeo organizing throughout the O>ntinCIIL SWemems from grassroots lodian women leaders from South and M<$0 America. InehJdes n:solutions from Indigenous women's meet· VIDEO: COLUMBUS DIDN'T DISCOVER ingo, a dit:eeto<y of Indian women's organizations and key oonlliCIS, informationonlndianwomeo'sprojCCCS,andpoemsbylndianWOII1CII. Forty~iglltpages with beautiful black and white photographs. Printed on recycled paper. $8 + $1.SO shipping. Soon 10 be available in Us Native people~ perspcccivcs on the Columbus Quinocntennial based §pankh, on the footage of the t 990 Quito Conference. 24 minutes. A CO· production of SAIIC, CONAIE, ONIC and Turning Tide Productions. Available in Spanish or English for S2S + $1.75 for shipping &handling. AMAzoNIA: VOICES FROM THE RAINFOREST VIDEO: REBuu..DING OUR A resource and action guide with a comprehensive lisling of international rainforest and Amazonian Indian organi_atiioos z sponsored by SAI IC and the International Rivers Network, and COMMUNITIES lnc!Jaenous leaders from Central and South Ameri<:a di.scuss the 500-yean campaign, which began as an Indian n:sponse to the Quinceo.tenary celebration and has developed as an ongoing dialogue among indigenous activists. Produced by SAIIC. $18 + $1.75 shipping. published by Rainforest Action Network and Amazonia Film Project, 1990. Available in Spanish or English for $8.50 + $1.75 shipping. VIDEO: J\ SKIHT Flu. OF l3LTTEHFLIES SAJIC LOGo T-SHIRTS t:; ThrcceolorT.Shi~s with the SAIIC logo on the front and the logo of theeondor and the Eagle from the Quito Conference on the back. S12 + $2 shipping, spee,ify M, L, XL, XXL: White, turquoise or Red. m i nU(l'"· ,.\ IO\'(' IJIK'Ill In thl' hthmu... ZiiJlUh,••.: \\Uil1l'11 or !\(llltlu:rn ():~\:u.'<t, ~1~:\h:u. h~ lilmmak\'r\ Elh:n <>...hurm· o111d :\tau n.'l'll <;c,...,Jin~. Fur ,., ... r.\· pu rt:hao.;e m:ul(•, :• 'l'Cund c.'HP.'.\\ill hl' ~·nt tu an lndigl'nou-. \\tnm.•n's urJ.!anization as a ~ifl. $19.95 + ':'..' ...hi(lpin:.!. South and Meso American Indian Information Center (SAIIC) PO Box 28703, Oakland, CA 94604 Non-profit Organization Postage PAID Oakland, CA US .· . Permit No. 79 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource II Continental Encounter of Indigenous Peoples Language A language of the resource English http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/08bd175c0c6442596cabd8ea5eb8b8d3.pdf 310cae2ab0a6ab98493aedf7d9888d15 PDF Text Text STRUGGLE I N ARGENTI NA: After a week of protesiS, President Carlos Menem stated be would meet with tbe Wichi representatives in one month. However, due to lhe public pressure tbat ensued, tbe President agreed to a sooner date. He also assured the prolesters tbat be would speed up the legal process for the proposal of land adjudication which has been approved by Congress but bas remained shelved for a year. The Wiclti also requested that the Governor "mediate a dialogue between the criollos (non-Indigenous) and Indigenous communities so that tbe appropriation ofland could bedonewithout conflict." The Wicbi, Iyojwaja, Nivacleand K Lee Nations have been om • fighting for rightful ownership since 1946; the first year they came n September 16, 1993 a delegation beaded by Octorina to the nation's Capil<ll to reclaim land titles. ·:zamora, president of the Wiclti Ka Puce Hi Cooperative launched a week long hunger strike to protest their lack of source: Agencia el Tribuno, Buenos Aires panicipation in a government Land Commission relegated to partition lands in Argentina. TJtis is the second hunger strike initiated by the Wichi community of lot 55 since last year. The territory in question spans 15,000 hectares and is located witbin the vast terrain of the San Manin de Tabacal sugar plantation. 'WI CHI HUNGER STRIKE FOR LAND RIGHTS O ccording to the Iodianist Missionary Council (CJMI), six teen Guarani Indians have committed suicide tltis year, continuing the cycle of deaths in the State of Malo Grosso do Sui, in the Center-West region of Brazil (22 suicides were reponed in 1992 and 17 in 1991). Out of tbe 16, six were under twenty years of age. Deprived of their land and unable to Jive according to their traditional culture, despair and alienation run rampant within the Guarani P,Opulation. Many communities bave been expelled from tbeir territories leading 10 mass migrations and overpopulation. In tbe Dourados Indian Area, where most of the suicides have OO· curred, close to 9,000 people have been forced onto 3,530 hectares. Until land issues are resolved, the sense of helplessness that pervades throughout Indigenous communities will simply worsen. A 8 Abya Y a la N e ws � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wave of Guarani Suicides Continues 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Wave of Guarani Suicides Continues Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 8 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note The suicides of sixteen Guarani Indians in 1993 linked to displacement and land deprivation of the Guarani population in Brazil. Attachment Title Wave_of_Guarani_Suicides_Continues.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Guarani suicide http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/3189218151b9285e763054c80eae35c8.pdf 469ed299fb27643c401b83eb71247f34 PDF Text Text 0HGA:".'IZATIO:".' & COMMUNICATION. SEEKING UNITY IN GUERRERO epresentatives from Nahuatl, Mixtooo llapanooo and Amuzgo communities attende<l tbe First Congress of Indigenous representatives of Guerrero from September 23 to 26 !993. This conference was a big Slep forward in tbe unification of Indigenous Communities of Guerrero and their struggle to estahlisb autonomy. The rights of Indigenous communities, including land rights and perspectives regarding culture and development, were among the themes addressed during the conference. ill terms of Indigenous rights, the need for the recognition of individual rights as well as traditional forms of enforcing justice was expressed. The election of commissioners within municipalities and the partitioning of Indigenous land by the Dcpattment of Agriculture was denounced as going againSt tbc traditional communal land structure. Propo6als in relation to these issues were tal<en to the National Consultation Forum of lnd.igenous Nations, where land issues and the enforcement of Article 169 are dealt with. In addition, a propo6al for the passage of a law entitled Indigenous Electoral of the Sixth District, which would allow for Indigenous representation R within the Chamber of Deputies, was put fonb. The need for direct patticipation in development programs taking place throughout the region was discussed. In this contex~ a format (or devising solutions to problems of education, unwieldy infrastructure of services, the sustainable use of natural resources and the financing of agricultura.l production was designed. In order to implement the solutions and projects, the creation of a government fund for tbe economic development of Guerrero's Indigenous communitics, to be managed by tbe communities themselves, was suggested. In order to preserve their traditional cultures, the representatives pcoposcd the creationof educational programs in which children could learn the music, dance and language of their people. The Second Conferenoc will be taking place March 15, 1994. e lnteramerican Encounter on lndig enous Rights and Common Law took place from June 16-19 at the beadquarters of the Alliance for Development in Guatemala. The event was organized by MayaOdtureCenter(CECMA). Representalives from different Indigenous organizations from throughout the continent pattieipated, including: National Indigenous Organization T: Vol. 7 NO. 3&4 of Colombia (ONIC), The Honduran FederationoftheXieaqueofYoroTribes(FETRIXJ), the General Guayami Congress and Kunas United for Napguana both from Panama, Sejekto of CoSia Rica, the Council of Mayan Organizat.ions of Guatemala, representatives of the Autonomous University of Mexico as well as representatives from SAUC in the United States. 35 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seeking Unity in Guerrero 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Seeking Unity in Guerrero Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 35 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note Issues of land rights and culture development of indigenous communities was discussed on September 23-26, 1993 at the first meeting of the congress of indigenous representatives from Guerrero. Attachment Title Seeking_Unity_In_Guerrero.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Educational Programs Guerrero Indigenous Peoples land rights http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/1fe90bef904a776c920caf66858941c7.pdf 936bd629a57e1fec96d9e2036def2013 PDF Text Text THE NEW PERUVIAN CONSTITUTION AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AIDESEP overnment policy under suooessive Peruvian administrations has consistently denied lndigenouscommu· nities the right to participate in the political processes governing their lives and theirenvi· ronment.ln Peru, like its neighboring states, the Amazonas has perennially stood as the cushion for external problems and it, as well as the Indigenous peoples that inhabit the fores~ have traditionally been subordinate to and utiliztd by outside intereslS. The politics of intervention practiced by peevious admin· istrations have been taken a step further by the Fujimori regime as reflected in his proposed Olnstitution for Peru. G peoples by the installation of terrorism in tbe region, could escalate the violence that al· ready exists. B) Under the new text, Indigenous lands arc subject to seizure. This measure, proposed to facilitate aocess to credit, puts at risk communities that might he persuaded to follow tbe government's promotional campaigns and While tbe doelarationsof ethnic pluralism and the recognition of the right to Indigenous identity in the draft version ofthe newOlnsti· tution superficially represent progressive changes, their character is for the most pan symbolic and offset by the more concrete terms applied to Indigenous territories. The princi· seek credits offering their land as collateral. pal changes are summarized in the following C) Most imponantly, Indigenous lands classipoints: fied as abandoned can be taken over by the state and sold to individual investors. This A) Indigenous land holdings which have been point is of grave consequence since the clasprotected under constitutional law since 1933, sification is carried out by government funcare to be"declared open to land markets. This tionaries working underquestionableassumpmodification, coupled with the lack of access tions: After two years without cultivation, of indigenous peoples to civil justice, govern- lands are declared abandoned. This criterion ment corruption, and the twelve years of per- undermines the swidden/fallow (slash and secution and displacement of Amazonian bum) agricultural practices of many commu- 24 nities which make use oflong rotation cycles. Under these systems, the forest is left to rest for years before it is once again cultivated. Under the new Olns:titution, fallows are erroneously considered abandoned lands. D) The criteria applied to the demarcation of lands represents another threat to tbe tcrrit<>rial integrity oflndigenous peoples. By dividing communal land holdings into independent agricultural plots, the communities will become ex· tremely vulnerable. With this constitutional proje~the edifiCe of the once pioneer Indigenous legislation of Peru is in dan· gerof crumbling. Olupled with the promotion of agrarian investment in the Amazon region, the privatization and alienation of in· digenous territories represent adet. rimental blow to the Indigenous ,,,,.....,. peoplesofPeru. Undertbefujirnori regime, we are not taken into ac- count, or at least not as different peoples. The forest's communities and their economic, cultural and social practices are at best, considered an obstacle to the government's development priorities for the rainforest. The purpose seems clear: To irn· pose on Amazonian and other original communities an agrarian vision along with tbe extractive one that has, in the last few years, devoured more than 10 million hectares. Sou~tt: AlDESEP A by a Y ala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The New Peruvian Constitution and Indigenous Communities Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Aidesep Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title The New Peruvian Constitution and Indigenous Communities Item Type Journal Article Author Aidesep Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 24 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note Peru's old 1933 constitution protected indigenous lands rights and the new constitution threatens to indigenous rights by opening up territories to confiscation by other parties, agricultural development, and possible ecological damage Attachment Title The_New_Peruvian_Constitution_And_Indigenous_Communities.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Constitutional Law Indigenous Rights land rights Peru http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/e53b814db9163500ccebc6981f11184c.pdf edf3faa5fb096e332b3996d52e05d23f PDF Text Text BRIEF . INO I G EN ..___,,'LJ TRIUMPH I BRAZILIAN COURTS E historic decision of the Bmzilian mber exploitation in the yterewa and Trinchera Bacaja, in state of Pari, bas been strictly proltibited. The Court upheld the appeal made by the lndigcroou!;l_!tighiS Core(NDI),aBmzilianNGO,again.stthetimbercompaniesParaehi, Maginco and lmpar. These companies were illegally extracting mabogany (rom those regions. Tbe three indigenous areas are contiguous and are found in one of the richest areas in mahogany wood of the states of Pam and of Amazonas. 6J%of the mahogany exported by Bmzil comes from 80% of the Indigenous areas. Despite thiS, the Court has pemtined Parachi to temporarily maintain a contingent of employees in a smal.l pan of the Apytarewa Reserve, where Parachi claims to have property titles. The NDI is currently preparing for the next baltle against the lumber companies in the Supreme Court of Brazil, whieh is likely to be less sensitive toward Indigenous and environmental topics. In other news, an NDIIawsuit aga.inSl a Mato Grosso logger recently came before the couns yielding positive rtS\!.'IS for' tbe Hahaintesu ponples of Guapore Valley in the western pan of the state. On September 6, 1993, Judge Maria Divina Viloria found Anilton Antonio Pompermayer guilty of illegal extraction of mahogany in the Habaintcsu Reserve. The logger will pay over US$ 200,000 for the extraction of 1,800 cubic meters of wood from the reserve. This is the second guilty verdiet for illegal logging in the state of Malo Grosso. International public opinion will play an important role in Brazilian State 10 uphold the righiS of Indigenous ~d the environment. We urge you ro send leners in of these decisions to: llxlma.Sro.Julza MariaDiY!na VIloria Di&nkbna ]u&.a Subotituta da ..xta Vara Fecl<nl DO Distrito Fedual Juslk:a F..S.ro! <k l'rirnmo ~ Secor <k Autarqulas Sul Quadra 4, Bloeo D, Lole 7 8rasilio D.F. 7007.000, Brasil Fax: (55) 61225-7116 E:dma. Sra. Ju&a Ellana Coimon Dl&n&.lma Presiclftlle da Quana Twma doTriboma!Reglooa!Fecleralda l 'Rec!io 585 Quadno :Z, EdilJdo AW114' Ancbr Brasilia D.F. 70070.100, Brazil RADIOACTIVE WASTE BURIED I N BRAZILIAN AMAZON ooordingtoreponsfromMovimentodeApoioaRe:sisteoeia aimiri!Attoari (MAREWA), the Paranapanema Co. is responsible for the burial of fivelhousaod tons of n.dioaetivc waste in tbc Pitinga River area of Amazonas, directly affecting the rcsideoiS of Presidente Figueredo and the Waimiri Attoati Reserve. State and local authorities have lakcn no aclioo oo this matter and tbc local population bas ye1tobe infofTOcd about the content and danger of the loads. . Since tbcmid..:ighties, rumors about the presence of radioactive waste have circulated in Pitinga, recounting sympiOtns sueb as tbe loss of teeth, general weak:ness, unexplained respiratory diseases, lossofbair,andleukemia. Even tough Tahoca MiningCo., anolbcr firm working in the region, bas verified tbeprcscoceof radioactive materials since the early eighties, tbc company bas always been VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 shielded by federal, state, and local govemmeots. Tbe resideniS of Presidente Figueredo request intematiooal support in tbeir demands that tbc Amazonas stale governtnent and FUNAI hold Paranapaoema and the otber mining companies in the' region, accountable for seriously tbreatcoing tbc hcaltb of tbc people and the enviroru:nent. For more infomlation, please contaCt: Movimiento de Apoio ~ Resistencia dos WoimirVAtroari (MAREWA) Prcsidcnte Figueredo, Brazil Source: Cullurnl SurviVlll, Summer 1993 7 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Radioactive Waste Buried in Brazilian Amazon 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Radioactive Waste Buried in Brazilian Amazon Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 7 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note Paranapanema Mining Co. has buried five thousand tones of radioactive waste in the Pitinga River Amazon area without consequences from the state governments or FUNAI. Attachment Title Radioactive_Waste_Buried_in_Brazilian_Amazon.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Environmentalism Paranapanema Mining Pitinga River Radioactive Waste Waimiri Atroari Reserve http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/ad694559a90892810e884f9388c887aa.pdf 1d1731441b01c4629a6a33636f55f119 PDF Text Text ven though Indigenous rights were a key topic on the agenda of the UN World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna this past June, the results were disappointing as the symbo~c anention of the International YearoflndigcnousPeoples failed to yield concrete actions. Hundreds of Indigenous representatives came to the conference with their concerns and demands which they presented to the 179 government delegates and thousands of nongovernmental observers. Aucan Huilcaman, a Mapuche activist representing the Continental Commission of Indigenous Nations (CONiq was cbosen to address the World Conference. Topping the list of recommendations were demands for recognition ofterritorial rights and therightto self-detennination. Huilcaman's speech emphasized Indigenous peoples' right to administer their legally recognized territory and to choose and implement a development policy according to their own cultural beliefs and values. In addition, the sutement called for states to ratify the International Labour Organization (ll.O) Covenant 169. Also called for by the Indigenous representatives was the recognition of Indigenous groups as distinct "peoples" rather than "people"whoareconsideredminoritieswitbin a national population. The cultural continuity E - 10 Au.con Huilcoman addresses representatb;es and thousands of observers in Vienno and historic claim to the land distinguishes Indigenous peoples from other minorities. The addition of the "s" which aims to emphasize Indigenous collective rights proved to be a point of controversy at the conference as many member governments fear that Indigenous gnoups will interpret and use these rights to CS!ablish independent states. Indigenous activists submined a rocommeoded text for the fmal declaration urging that "Indigenous peoples he recognized with inherent, distinctive, collective rights, including the right to self-detennination, self government and autonomy., However, tbe Vienna Declaration on human rights contains only one half page devoted to "indigenous poople" in which the issues mentioned above are not considered. Among the few points made by the World Conference is the recommendation that "ad· visory services and technical assistance programs within the UN system respond positively 10 requests by states for assistance which wouldbe ofdirect benefit to indigenous people." The conference also "urges Slates to ensure the full participation of indigenous people in all aspoctsof society..." Another key recommendation calls for the establishment of an International Decade of the World's lndig· enous People, to begin from January 1994, and the creationof a Voluntary Trust Fund for this purpose. F'mally, the establishment of a pennanent forum for Indigenous peoples at the UN is to be considered. Altbough Indigenous issues have gained international prominence in the course of 1993, the International Year of Indigenous Peoples, there bas been much frustration about the lack of real changes in the interactions between nation-Slates and Indigenous nations. The recommendations adopted in the Vienna Declaration represent, at bes1, a weak version of the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that does not address the fundamental rights to autonomy and self-dctennination. Aby a Y a l a N e ws � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource World Conference on Human Rights: Few Real Actions to Redress Injuries 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title World Conference on Human Rights: Few Real Actions to Redress Injuries Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 10 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note Results of the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, June 1993 disappoint indigenous populations with failure to address indigenous rights of self-government and self-determination. Attachment Title World_Conference_on_Human_Rights_Few_Real_Actions_to_Redress_Injuries.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Aucan Huilcaman Autonommy CONIC International Year of Indigenous Peoples Mapuche United Nations World Conference on Human Rights http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/838af562e76f3d9f71c88a9d28c425c7.pdf a3a90cb7b03ce30505837f29556590db PDF Text Text OtHIA~IZATIO~ AlPIN om October 13-24, members of AJPIN(Inlemational Association of Indigenous Press) mel 10 p~~blicly announce recognition of lbcir o!lical staiUS by lbe International PressAssociation. AlPIN is comprised oflndigeooos people and organizations lbal work wilb various ltlOOiums of mass communication, press, radio and television. ll's objective is 10 make 1he Indigenousvoiceanactiveonewithin mainstream society. F . I:'\ & COMMUNICATION RADIO WAVES FOR WOMEN recenl conference organized by lbe "MujeresAymarasyComunicaci6n" program of lbe Center for Education and CommunicatiOn in Puno, Peru, brougbl together Indigenous Women who make community-Jcvel radio programs in PeruandlloIivia The programs, made for and by women, deal with problems faeed by women everywhere, such as domestic violence, discrimination, and marginalization. Their object islo unite women around their mutual concerns A and 10 provide an avenue lbrougb whieb women can mobilize for social ebangc. The conference provided the women an opporiUnity 10 share lbcir experiences and 10 create a network of support As Rosa Palomino, wbo producesaradioprogramin Perunoledaltbe end of lbe eonference: "The radio programs provide a system of mui\Jal supporl, a fonn of devclopmenl- Ifwedon'lincludelbcwomen, we will nol develop..." • • • • • • • • • • • D E F E :"\SE OF hDIC)E:"\Ol 'S i\1tGH.\:"\T \VOHKEHS nited Fann Workers (UFW) And Representatives of lhe Binational Mixlee-Zapolec Front (FM-ZB) have signed a joint agreement 10 Spill organizing and advance lbe defense of human and labor rights of Indigenous migrant workers in lbe U.S. Thousands of Mixlee and Zapelee Indigenous peoples comprise lbe latest immigrant group of workers toiling in lbe agrieuiiUral fields and the service industry of California. Mixlee-Zapotec Bi-national Front is lhe largest and most impertanl Oaxacan organization in California The new immigrants are Indigenous workers from the U Mexican Slate of Oaxaca wbo, through a joint effort of lbe UFW and FM-ZB, will be encouraged 10 join lbe United Fann workers Union while still maintaining lbe autonomy of lbeirown organization, under an agreement thai was signed on September 24, 1993. UFW President Arlllro Rodriguez and FM·ZB General Coordina· lOr Arlllro Pimentel Salas signed the agreement in Los Angeles, CalifomiaonSeptember 24, 1993.1beagreement is expected 10 boost a new union organization campaign begun by Cesar Olavez shortly before his death last April 22. WINGS FOR THE YouNG LAS, Solidarity Alliance of Latinarnericans, is a projecl driven by Carnita Piedra Castaneda Foundation of Ecuador, thai seeks 10 promote links in the union among lbc young Indigenous peoples of Abya Yala 10 initiate solidarity and an international support network. This projec1 covers lllree specific areas: I) The creation of a network of communication on a national and international level allowing young people access to infonnation in order promole exchange between different community organizations. 2) To prolllOie national and international gatherings with Indigenous youth. wilboul walls", community v.'Orkshops, and the "university of lbe Streets", utilizing lbe methodology of "learning/doing, the commu· nity leaches the eommunity". The objectives of ALAS are to achieve unity and leadership of young people on ~half of communication and education so young people can become fundamenlallo lbc development of their communities. ALAS will hold lbe Continenla!Eneouoler in Riobarnaba, Ecuador nexl year, People interested can contact Mauricio~ Coordinator/Secretary City of the Yoong-Penipe Box826 Riobamba, Ealador Tel: 474-124 FAX: 593-2-962263 3)1becreationof pep<~lareduealionprograms whalwillbea"sebools VOl. 7 NO. 3&4 37 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wings for the Young 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Wings for the Young Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 37 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note Solidarity Alliance of Latin Americans(ALAS) is program designed to encourage education, communication and leadership among indigenous youth. Attachment Title Wings_For_The_Young.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] ALAS Ecuador Indigenous Youth http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/0f06baa5212ee05006337b7b75885452.pdf a2d10b644a35d12ff929cb35d76888e9 PDF Text Text EAL EPIDEMIC HITS COMMUNITIES OF SAN LORENZO, PERU n the Peruvian Indigenous communities of San Lorenzo, located close to the Ecuadorian border, an unidentified epidemic rosem bling the measles has spread voraciously, killing 5 and infecting 88 others. Symptoms include high fevers, skin eruptions, respiratory difficullies, hemorrhages, vomiting of blood, diarrhea, and bone pain. Representatives from tbe Ministry of Health have Oown to the respective sites to collect samples which are currently being evaluated in the United States. In the meantime, a vaccine against measles has been discovered to diminish lbe intensity of the illness, resulting in a campaign to vaccinate 13,000 people. The Minisl.ry of Health made an official agreement with the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP) to develop an"Action for Health" program serving ISO Indigenous communities of the High Amazonas regions via the San Lorenzo Health C.nter. Eacb community elects Indigenous youth to be pall ofthe "Promoters of Health" network that is trained to respond to the needs of the community during times of crisis. In addition, the Ministry of Health appoints an lndigeoo+ prescntative to be in charge of the health needs of 8-IOcomm'"'/rie's. Previous cbolera and malaria epidemics were effectively brouh{t under control tbrougb I (@PTS JNlrriATIVE ON INDIGENO U S HEA,L "PH fter reviewing the "Heal!! ; the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas" initiative fonnulated at the Working Meeting on Indigenous Peoples and Health, held in Canada, from April 13to 17, the Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), resolved to adopt Document CD37(JJ) during its Fourth Plenary Meeting held last September. The document which describes the initiative, was presented to PAHO by Colombian Senator Anatolio Quir3, Juan Reategui of Aidesep, Peru, and Mirna Cuninham, Miskito from Nicaragua. The resolution urges member governments to take steps in improving the deficient health and living conditions of the estimated 43 A VOl. 7 NO. 3 & 4 these networks. This is the second epidemic to reach the San Lorenzo communities in recent years. Malaria Falsiparum, before coming into San Lorenzo, bad spread in the border petroleum exploitation regions of the Ecuadorian rain forests with the arrival of obreros (oil workers) from other partS. Despite these positive efforts, both !be impacts of disease and severe water sbortages are driving San Lorenzo into an increasingly alanning health crisis. As a resul~ AIOESEP, its member organizations and the San Lorenzo Health C.nter are ealling for a revamping of Peru's bealtb care system for its Indigenous communities. For more infonnation contact: AIDESRP Av. San Rugeoio981 Urb. Santa Catalina-La Victoria Urna 13, Lima, Peru Tel: 71~21 ·- Fax: 72-4605 million Indigenous personsoftbe Ameri· cas as well as the participation of lndig· enous leaders and representatives in Ibis process. The resolution further eallson governments to strengthen the tochnieal, admin· isuative, and managerial capacity of na· tiona! and local institutions that are responsible for the health of Indigenous Juan Reategui or Ald<sep populations with a view to progressively 1 - - - - - --...J overcoming the lack of infonnation in this area and ensuring greater access to health services and quality care, thus contributing to a ttigher degree of equity. Member governments are further urged to work toward the transfonnation of health systems and the development of alternative models of care, including traditional medicine and disease prevention programs. The directing council also calls for the ~rticipation of Indigenous persons and their communities in all aspects of PAHO's work. For more inl'o: Pan Amtrkan Health Orga.ni1:alion 525 23rd St N.W. Washington DC 20037, USA 29 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource PAHO Adopts Initiative on Indigenous Health 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title PAHO Adopts Initiative on Indigenous Health Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 29 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note The Pan American Health Organization(PAHO) institutes Document CD37/20. Document CD37/20 calls for improvement in the health care and living conditions of indigenous populations; and implementation of national and local health institutions. Attachment Title PAHO_Adopts_Initiative_On_Indigenous_Health.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Health Care Indigenous Health Indigenous Peoples PAHO http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/2aa2cc31baf2cca3b4018bcf5bf29f64.pdf ce3f2dbab05caaabad21da19af9f5cf4 PDF Text Text BRIEF. CHILEAN GOVERNMENT OBSTRUCTS MAPUCHE PARTICIPATION IN DECEMBER ELECTIONS apo.ocbe leader Auean Huileaman's bid to run for Con oppressiveactiontakenbythe0lileangovernroen~l44Mapuehes gress on behalf of Aukin Wallmapu Ngullam ( All find ourselves condemned for reclaiming our legal rights. This is Lands Council), was denied by the Qualifying Electom! one of many ways that the fundamental rights of the Mapo.ocbe arc Tribunal. His alleged ineligibility is due to a . - - - - - - - - . . violated, especially where their participation in pending ease in which be is accused of unlawful malcing deCisions that concern the country's fu. association and "illegal"land take-over. ture is concerned," Slated Huileaman after learn· The ease in question was initiated in 1991, ing of the Tribunal's nullifiCation of his earn· after 144 Mapo.oches occupied lands that areeur· paign. rentlyclainnedby privateowneJSaod the Chilean If the Mapo.oches are found guilty, the dcfcn· state. The group, under the auspices of Aukin dants plan to appeal to the Supreme Court, the Wallmapo.o Ngullam, bad legal documents that highest coun in Chile's judicial system. If not proved their rights to the lands. acquincd, they will take the case to the Inter· The Mapo.oches have initiated a strong move· American Justice Court in San Jo.se, Costa Rica. menttbrougbout the country to protest the decision, which they It is vitaltbattbe ease be resolved before the presidential elections consider a clear indication of tbe government's attempts to impede in December because the new administration could prove to be even their participation in the next elections. "Because of the clearly less favomble to the Mapuche's struggle. M AYMARA ELECTED AS VICE-PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA nJune7,1993, Victor HugoCardeoas,Aymarallnguislof lbe Tupac c.tari Revolutionary Movcmen~ was elected 10 lbe vice-presidency of Bolivia. Hundreds of people from di1fem~tlodigeGOUSeommunitiesgathered in La Paz to support biro on lbe day of his inauguration. Cardenas's speecb, prot10UIICed in Spanisb, Aymara, Guarani, and Quccbua ISSCrted thallbe current govemmcnt woold be guided by lbe four fuodamclltal principles of O VENEZl ' ELAN I ~rH,..,.Ns~i\.T t <>~ALs Vol. 7 No. 3&4 His election bas geoetatcd great expectations for Indigenous peoples of tbe Americas who hope Cardenas will further lbe cause of Bolivia's Indigenous populalion. Ci<>VEHN!\IE~T oF urioglbelastdaysofAugust,lbemassacreof16Yanomami at lbe hands of &azilian mine<S, Wa$ eoufirmcd to have taken place on Ven~lan tenritory. Tbe internatiollal community IICCUScd tbe Veoezuclan government of violating lbe Rio declaration under wbich policies of eoonomic development lliUSI bescnsibleaod respec::tfu1 of lbe ecosySicms and oo!Oll)unities they affect. However, in recent ycus, violenoe against lbeeovi!l)nment and Indigenous peoples has intensified. A montbafterthemassaae, Fernando Ochoa Aoticb, Veue211ela's MinisterofForcignAffairs,affirmcdduringasessionofthcGenenl Assembly of lbe United Nations, that the protection ofIndigenous peoples was out oflbegovernment'soootrol. He went on to dir<clly D lbeQriginaiAIIdeanpeoples:"Amasua,amallulla,amaklldla,and ama llunk'u" (do not steaL do oot be lazy, do not lie, and do not give &be praise). YAN<>:\tA!\11 BLAMES MAssAcHE iiOCOISO lbe gold and diamond multinational cotporatioos thai work in lbe area of promoting deforestation and the acu of violeooe againSl ~OOCIS CO!Oll)unitiCS. Aooording to Ochoa Aoticl!, lbeseoorporationsbuijdlaodingSltips and supply the minels with machinery and weapous. Tbe Minister Slated tbat only an open dialogue among lbe countries of tbe Amazon region eao po.ot an end to this aitical situation. He appealed 10 the mining tnnsnatiortals 10 undersUnd thai development did not mean destruction and pointed out that a$ long as poverty and igno181l<lC persisted among large segments of lbe population in Latin America, violence and environmental desuuaioo woold continue. . 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. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Venezuelan Government Blames Transnationals of Yanomami Massacre 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Venezuelan Government Blames Transnationals of Yanomami Massacre Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 9 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note After the massacre of sixteen Yanomami by Brazilian miners, Venezuelan government denies ability to protect the indigenous populations and lays blame on gold and diamond multinational corporations for the rise in deforestation and violence against indigenous populations. Attachment Title Venezuelan_Government_Blames_Transnationals_of_Yanomami_Massacre.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Brazilian Mining Fernado Ochoa Antich Venezuela Yanomami http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/5513bce0e6a167c8b06d19706ba394cc.pdf af55a638137d2759f312c55f4fc34615 PDF Text Text STRUGGLE I N ARGENTI NA: After a week of protesiS, President Carlos Menem stated be would meet with tbe Wichi representatives in one month. However, due to lhe public pressure tbat ensued, tbe President agreed to a sooner date. He also assured the prolesters tbat be would speed up the legal process for the proposal of land adjudication which has been approved by Congress but bas remained shelved for a year. The Wiclti also requested that the Governor "mediate a dialogue between the criollos (non-Indigenous) and Indigenous communities so that tbe appropriation ofland could bedonewithout conflict." The Wicbi, Iyojwaja, Nivacleand K Lee Nations have been om • fighting for rightful ownership since 1946; the first year they came n September 16, 1993 a delegation beaded by Octorina to the nation's Capil<ll to reclaim land titles. ·:zamora, president of the Wiclti Ka Puce Hi Cooperative launched a week long hunger strike to protest their lack of source: Agencia el Tribuno, Buenos Aires panicipation in a government Land Commission relegated to partition lands in Argentina. TJtis is the second hunger strike initiated by the Wichi community of lot 55 since last year. The territory in question spans 15,000 hectares and is located witbin the vast terrain of the San Manin de Tabacal sugar plantation. 'WI CHI HUNGER STRIKE FOR LAND RIGHTS O ccording to the Iodianist Missionary Council (CJMI), six teen Guarani Indians have committed suicide tltis year, continuing the cycle of deaths in the State of Malo Grosso do Sui, in the Center-West region of Brazil (22 suicides were reponed in 1992 and 17 in 1991). Out of tbe 16, six were under twenty years of age. Deprived of their land and unable to Jive according to their traditional culture, despair and alienation run rampant within the Guarani P,Opulation. Many communities bave been expelled from tbeir territories leading 10 mass migrations and overpopulation. In tbe Dourados Indian Area, where most of the suicides have OO· curred, close to 9,000 people have been forced onto 3,530 hectares. Until land issues are resolved, the sense of helplessness that pervades throughout Indigenous communities will simply worsen. A 8 Abya Y a la N e ws � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wichi Hunger Strike for Land Rights 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Wichi Hunger Strike for Land Rights Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 8 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note On September 16, 1993, the Wichi Ka Puce Hi Cooperative of Argentina initiated a week long hunger strike in protest of the government's Land Commission until President Carlos Menem agreed to meet. Attachment Title Wichi_Hunger_Strike_For_Land_Rights.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Argentina Carlos Menem land rights Octorina Zamora Wichi http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/cadc4c93fd50eb9d56ff7fb381abc124.pdf 7eea006c42feabcf9cec30479a6ab5a4 PDF Text Text VIOLENCE A GAINST INDIGENOUS P EOPLES n August 18-19 1993, lhe village of forces have plagued !he nation's inhabitantsMazamari in lheprovinceofSatipo, In the rainforest regions, since 1992 alone, located in the cenlr31 rainforest re- there have been 1,491 indigenous victims. According to the local people, some of gion of Peru, was anacked by 150 guerrillas belonging to the revolutionary lhe attackers of the augustiS-19 massacre Maoist group Sendero Luminoso (Shining were young Ashartinka rebels. Sendero will Path). The massacre resulled in the death and often plant Indigenous rebels within the vilbru!al mutilation of 87 Ashaninkas, about a lages and instigate the Armed Forces' violence against them to prove the government's lhird of which were women and cbildren. During lhe early morning hours, a band hypocrisyandbetrayaloflndigenouspooples. ofSendero guerrillas came disguised in tradiAbout 700 familes have been severely tional Ashaninka garb affected by the terror, abandoning their demanding weapons. lands, villages, and Whcntbevillagersdid their way of life. Due not comply with their demands,thebru!al atto lhe rapid changes wrought by the invatacks began. sion of both Sendero This has been the worst attack on the guerrillas and the PeAshaniokas since lhc ruvian Armed Forces, capture of Sendero traditional waysof life Luminoso's leader, have been severely Abimacl Guzman. disrupced,causingexThis massacre is just tremcly unstable livoneofthemanygenoing conditions. The cidal actions system· The massacre left more 1han 200 orphans continuous threat of aticaUy conducted against the Indigenous Scndero's terrorism has forced Ashaniokas commurtities that refusetosubmittoSendcro's and other Indigenous communities of Peru's Maoist 'doctrine of a "Revolution for tbc Ccnlr31 Jungle to oonccntrate aU their enerPoople". Due to the Ashaniokas' resistance, gies and human resources toward self-<lethey have been targeted and persecuted. fense. Throughout Peru, violence and terror on the In response to the unwananted violence part of Sendero Lumiooso and the Armed and brutality, lhe Indigenous peoples of the O 30 IN PERU: Ccnlr31 region are actively engaged in oommunity organizing and creating al.liances with Indigenous organizations. The First CongressoflheAshaninkalndigenousPeoples of the Peruvian Amazon will be held from November29to0ecember3, 1993, inSatipo, Peru. Other lndigneousorganizations,such as CECONSEC, ANAP, and FECONACA, as well as representatives from oonccmed public and private institutions will also be attending. . \. <: T I () :--.1 There is an immediate need for relief funds for the 200 Ashan.ioka orphans and widows as a result of the massacre in tbc Mazamari village. CECONSEC is also in need of economic aid to continue supporting the organization of the First Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the Central rainforest region of Peru. For more information on bow you can help, please contact: Kalia Arya 4015 Rhoda Ave. Oakland, CA 94602 Tel: 510-482-4682 FAX: 51(}.421-4758 or SAUC A b y a Yal a N e ws � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Ashaninka Massacre Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Katia Arya Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title The Ashaninka Massacre Item Type Journal Article Author Katia Arya Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 30 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note A Peruvian Ashaninka village, Mazamari, was attacked on August 18-19, 1993 by 150 Sendero guerrillas. 87 villagers were murdered. Attachment Title The_Ashaninka_Massacre.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Ashaninka guerrillas Indigenous Peoples Mazamari Peru Sendero Luminoso http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/c4d09dde0cf2c2ea8f3b17af3e0308ec.pdf 76f487fcc5e5d8ecbe08341ed14a1a06 PDF Text Text I-l l INDIGENOUS ACTIVIS T H ELD I N GuATEMALA n Oct 27, Marco Cbooo Danuls, Qeuchki man and active member of the Consejo Nacional de Desplazados de Guate mala (National Council for the Displaced of Guatemala CONDEG), was detained by soldiers in Ia "Cumbre" in Salama, Baja Versapaz, while on a bus to Guatemala City. He is repo!1edly being held in lbe anny barracks in Salama. CONDEG was founded to defend the rights of Guatemalans displaced by the anny's counter-insurgency campaign. The army considers lbe members of CONDEG to be "subversives.• In recent years, members and leaders have suffered buman rights violations, including lbeir disappearance, extrajudicial execution, and intimida- O tion. ::vt A~ RIGHTS. Lenerssbould urgelbat his legal situation be clarified and lbat beeilber be released or brought before a competent court. Plca\t stnd lt'lters to : Gntl. 'Inrio Enriqul'l 'lorult·l 'lini., lro de f)t'fl·JNt \linhlerin dt• u~:ft· n..;t Paladn \ at·ion;tl. Gn:•h·nwtt Cit~ G u:.tlt·ma ht Fa\: 01 J :-u2 2 :'.\7472 Td,·fax: 301 :W•l CO\Gl"A <a: Smd ~ • P i'-'S uf h:lll'r." lu S:\JIC :md lu: ("0\lli:G 7:t .-\H·nid;l K--56, Ztlll~tl Edifidn El ('('ntro 7 :'\hel. Ofkin:.~ 7-12 G ua1('malu Ci l~. Gua lt•maht Human Rights organizations are concerned for the safety of Marco Cbooo and ask that you immediately send leners or faxes expressing your concern for tbe safety and well-being of Marco Chooo Damas. ON-GOING VIOLENCE AGAINST MACUXf oftict between lhe Macuxi and local land owners regardi.og lbedema.rcatonofI ndigcnous territory in lbe state of Roraima, BJ112il, bas lead to continuing violenoe against lbe Macuxi. On November 6 1993, Democlidcs Albuquerque Carneiro, a 23 year old Macwcilndi.an, died in poli<lc cUStody. Aocording 10 reports, bebadbeenmestedonsuspicionofbavingstolensomecattle. A plOt to cover up lbe real cause of bis dealb was discovered when a poli<lc offioer confesed to tbe shooting. O V o l. 7 NO. 3 & 4 Souroe: Amnesty International Sinoe late Seplember, a mililaly mad bloelc bas beeo operating io lbe Raposa!Sern do Sollodigeoous area. The Macuxi have campaigned for lbe demarcation of lbe aJU as an JodigtDOUS resctve but local pol ilicians, influential land OWDetS, and lbe Slate goveromeol of Roraima are vehemently oppooed 10 lbedcmarcarion. As a resuj.~ lbe Raposa/SemtdoSolareawas DC)(deman:atedwithin tbecoostitutional deadline of October 5, 1993. Consequently, reporiS or ~ official harassment againstlndigeoouscommu.nities have been ttansmitted. Please send letters expressing your concern about the dealh in custody of Democlides Albuquerque Carneiro on November6, 1993, in the police Slation of Alto Alegre, Rollinla Call for an inquiry iolo this dealb and ask lbat the respousible be prompc!y bmugbl to~; wge a full inquiry into reports of ill-treatment and barassmco1 6)1 official security foroesof members of lndigeoous OO!IIlllunities at the mililal)' polioe baJracks in lbe Raposa!Sena do Sol area. State Hood of Polk< Exmo. Sr. S.C..tario de. Seg. _ Publica do Estado de Roraima Sr. Rubens Braga Quintela Av Capii>O Enc Garoest no 324 62.300 Boo Vista. RR Brasil State G<wemor Exmo. Sr. Govemado< do E&.lado de Rorai ma Sr. Onomar Pinto Palacio 31de Marco PrKa do Centro OviO>Ctntreo 69.3000 Boo v;..._ RR 8ra%il P!<ase send ropi<> 10 Si\ltC and: Roraim.a Indian Council C«oelho l ndig<nis<a de Ror>ima Cain Posllll t63 70.300 Boo Vis1.1. RR Bnsil 33 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 1993) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource On-Going Violence Against Macuxi 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 and Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title On-Going Violence Against Macuxi Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 3,4 Pages 33 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Fall and Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note Conflicts of the demarcation of indigenous lands between the Macuxi and land owners in Brazil leads to the death of Democlides Albuquerque Carneiro. Attachment Title On-Going_Violence_Against_Macuxi.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Brazil demarcation Democlides Albuquerque Carneiro Macuxi