15 12 1190 http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/cb6c50bc60f689fc193c8ee98d4cd56d.pdf 975d170e49e51477519b595222c065ef PDF Text Text Culture, Identity & Plurinationality "'... in my case I am first of all Schuar anti then I am Ecuadorian." (Ecuador) On June 29,1991, Ampan J<arakra of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAl E) made the following spc«h at a conference on Communication Among the Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador. We all talk about 'culture' and 'latin· American identity' and 'national identity' and all of our different identities. It is important for us to talk about this. I believe it is easier for indigenous people to talk about identity, because It Is of great concern to us. As workers and Indians, we are told that we are peasants and as such, to be incorporated into the greater society. We are from the country and the city and we are all told that we are Ecuadorian. What does this mean? Some times I have asked myself, and replied that in my case I am first of all Schuar and then I am Ecuadorian. When talking about identity, some say that it is our clothes, others say it is our language. Up to now, the question of how many Indians are in Ecuador is not known. ~state provides one figure; CONAIE provides a different figure. The state says that if one is dressed in Western clothes, then one is no longer an Indian. Just because I am wearing Western clothes, I lose my Identity. Another part of identity is values. We always talk about values, but which values arc 1he real ones? The only thing I can say is that I was taught that national values are the ones we have to follow. lt Is for th.is reason that we have to lcam Spanish and struggle to act as the national society docs, to eat as they cal It's as if our Indian culture has no value. Weare taught one history, the history of the arrival of the Spanish, their civilization. The Catholic religion is the only one to follow and we Indians exist only to be conquered.~ Catholics arrived first, and thought 'those pagans must be baptized. They must be made Christians...: Then the Protestants arrived, and they began to fight over our communities. We Schuar were called Quiwan or fibaro, the Huaorani: Auklls, the Chachis: Kayapas, the Yumas: Omelos, the Tsachilas: Cclorados. Just because the Tsachi.las paint thernsel ves red, they were called Colorados, but that color is not their Identity! Even so, we Indigenous people always lcncw who we were. In the case of the Schuar, one says 1 am Schuar.' Then what does the term Sch114r mean? It means human, an eqwzJ. ThaJ Is identity. Our compalleros of the left tell us that this issue of identity will disappear when the social classes disintegrate, when we all bcc:ome equal. ! have my doubts about this. I think that identity will disappear only when humans disappear. I've seen this issue of identity playing a big role in the Soviet Union. Seventy years of socialism and look at the confrontations taking place over the issue of identity. That is why I get nervous when we talk about a 'plurinational society.' Within the indigenous movement we must a.nalyzc identity and class. Obviously, we identify with the poor, exploited class. However, within this class, we Indians are the most marginalized and racially discriminated against.~ government claims that it is illegal to discriminate, but in reality, radsm is everywhere. In the market, you can hear talk of 'the ugly Indian.' We have to fight against this. We are told that the indigenous mov~ mcnt will displace White people. Many times we have said that we are going to talk about identity and class, but many of ourcompaileros do not want to, because they think that we arc going to hurt their feelings and this will create enmity. And so we do not talk. We've had so many years of ( contimu:d on page 44) We have become strangers on our own lands. In 1he Amazon. for example, in a province which was created in 1964, weare required to have land tiUes. While we have been the owners of these lands for thousands of years.. others come along and say they own them because they have lousy pieces of paper! It is for this reason that we say we must have more authority. In South and Central America, we are called 1iispanics' or 'latin Americans' even if we don't have a trace of European blood! Not so long ago we Indian people had no defined organizations. We called each other brothers.~ linguists, missionaries, historians, anthropologists, called us 'peasants; 'ethnic groups; 'aborigines; natives.' Then they gave us specific names, endless denominations. Vol6 Nos 1&2 11 �Atendo (continued from p. 26) n.cy a.r e a strong force in the economic survival of our communities. This is because of their involvement in the production of "molas," which is the art of the Kuna. Because the "molas" are being sold at natio nal levels and exported to the US and Europe, they are achieving economic success at international levels. In many tespects, the women have a greater capacity to organize them.sclves in cooperatives and to conbibute to the economic survival of the Kuna family than the men do. This is why, when we speak of the Kuna economy, we spea.k of men and women as equals. Davi (continued from p. 21) 1hcre are many people who are powerful. There are powerful gold miners... and authorities too, like Romero Juca, former president of FUNAI. He is responsible for letting the gold miners invade our territory and ... for lots of killings of Yanomami ... Something must be done to solve our problem because Romero Juca will not solve it. He docs not like us. .. Do the international authorities and people from the United States think it is true what they always say that the demarcation of Yanomami land is a matter of money, that they do not have money to do it?... I am very worried about people abroad who.. : are giving money to Brazil. .. but ll21 to help the Indians. This money that comes from abroad is helping the Brazilian government to oppress Indians. I am very worried about that. Non-Indians are like ants. I know that non-Indians like our reso= n.cy say that we have gold, we have lumber, and they say that they need that to help the people who live in the city. Well, we do not want them, and we do not want them here. What we wa. t is tespect for our rights. We want n them to leave us alone. We need help with regard to the health situation. In the beginning we did not need any help. We did not need any doctors, any medical doctors, any nurses or any medicine. But now we need doctors and nurses to help the Yanomami who are sick. We also need medicines because we used to cure ourselves only with 'shabori' [shamanism) ... But that is not enough anymore, And we need medical doctors and medicines and help from non-Indian people. We are worried because the non-Indians are not very much worried about us. They think that we are a different race. 1hcrefore, they want to isolate us. They think we are bothering their work. We are preventing them from working here, so they would rather have us isolated. They do not wony very much about what is going on with us. 44 We have strongly safeguarded our spirituality and traditions. For example, we hold the Gc1U!ml Congress of Kuna Culture, which unites the spiritual guides of all of our communities. They are highly respected by all Kuna people. n.cy promote teaching and learning amongst the youth so that our rich traditions are not lost. We, of Kuna Yala, are confronting serious problems along the Colombian border, where gold prospectors are invading our lands. We are also indirect victims of the confrontations which take place in Colombia between the guerrillas and the army. Violating all laws, both sides invade our region while the Panamanian authorities do nothing to stop them. The same thing occurs with the Yanqui {United States) army which often crosses our territory to go to the Panamanian border with the excuse of filling the vacuum created by the dissolution of the Pana· man ian army in 1989, following the invasion. Ampan (continued from p. 11) domination. everybody is af'Taid that we will take a racist stand and that this will lead to a racial confrontation. For this reason. there has not been enough dialogue amongst the poor dass. In meetings with laborer$, peasants and intellectuals, it is important for us to talk so that we feel equal. We must, if we are from the same cla.ss, talk so that we can find a solution... Plurinationality will only be possible with the total transformation of society. This is possible if, as in Switzer· land, there are well-defined and recognized sectors. We understand that the problem is not exclusively Indigenous. It is a problem which concerns aU of us. In order to form such a state we must think carefully what it would be like. How would it be governed at the political, economic, social and cultural levels? U we find that the workers are on one side, the indigenous on another and other sectors on other sides, then it will not be possible... We must continually reconsider our struggle and include long-term goals in our strategy. We must work together and make compromises. We must coordinate our endeavors in this way or we will not succeed, even if we are united. SAIIC Newsletter � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Culture, Identity, and Plurinationality 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 Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Culture, Identity, and Plurinationality Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1&2 Pages 11,44 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Attachment Title Culture,_Identity,___Plurinationality.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note Transcription of speech given on June 29, 1991 by Ampan Karakra, a member of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador. http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/8f10c2bd9328d69e7ef136c5d53ecf2a.pdf 451a7d265044ec62097a775ddc4db939 PDF Text Text MESO AMERICA 117 Year Old Nahuat Dies in El Salvador Anastacio Esquino, Center, surrounded by his family in a piciU!c taken last year. He died in April at age 117 in his home village of San Ram6n, Department of Son.sonau:. AnaslaCio Esquino was a Nahuat who survived lhe 1935 massacre in which lhe Salvadornn army killed 30,000 lndjans following a rebellion againstlhe large land owners. At 117 he was one of lhe oldest men in lhe world. His wife died in 1991 atlhe age ofl09. His son Adrjan Esquino, left foreground, is head of lhe National Indigenous Association of El Salvador (ANIS). Condolences and messages of solidarity can be sent to: AN IS Antigua Aduana Ferria 5·1 Sonsonate, El Salvador Second Encounter of Indigenous Press ThesecondEncounterofthelnternatJonal Committee of the Indigenous Press took place 1n Mexico City from Aprtl 25-27. The purpose of the meeting was to continue the process of decolon.lzatlon ofthe media and to launch the First Continental OJDce of the Indigenous Press. The International Committee IS made up of the following publications: Nabguana. the Kuna Un.ldos por Nabguana newsletter (Panatna);Abya YalaNews, theSAIICjoumal (USA): Etnlas (Mexico): Communlcattons Autoc/Uones (Canada). and as an observer Unldad Indigena. the ONlC newspaper (Colombia). The International Indian PressAgency (AlPIN) also partlctpated tn the encounter. Vol 7 Num 1 & 2 AlPIN IS thetl.rst continental attempt to present an accurate Image of Indigenous people and to professionally report on Indigenous ISsues from an Indigenous perspective. AlPIN IS now Inviting open participation of Indigenous people who have been practicing journalism In various media: radlo, video, newspaper. electronic man. For further Information please contact: AlPIN Calle Madero 67·611 Colonia Centra Mexico Mexico, OF 06000 Mexico Tel: 576-50-99 Fax: 761-85-73 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. 1 &amp; 2, (Winter/Spring 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 Meso America: 117 Year Old Nahuat Dies in El Salvador 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 Spring/Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Meso America: 117 Year Old Nahuat Dies in El Salvador Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 1,2 Pages 33 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring/Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note An Nahuat man, Anastacio Esquino, died at the age of 117 years in April 1993 in his home village. Anastacio Esquino survived the 1935 massacre at the hands of the Salvadoran army. Attachment Title 117 Year Old Nahuat Dies in El Salvador.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] El Salvador Nahuatl http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/5f5525910f2eb385b13866e6e886a5cf.pdf 69a2eed7c6187abfbf60bb3c81e4427e PDF Text Text HUMAN RIGHTS Wave of Violence in Colombia takes Heavy Toll on Indian Leaders he Indigenous communities of Colombia have not escaped the alamling levels or violence registered in this country in the last few years. Man)' Indigenous communities have suffered the aftemlath of a lingering and irrelevant war between the army and guerrilla groups: 01hers. have been victims or the unrelenting struggle for land rights. The securit)' forces generally see Indigenous people as poten· tial guerrilla collaborator and have directed arbitral)' deten· ·s, tions. tortures. dis.."l.ppcar3ncesal'ld murders against them. In addition to preexisting ~~nd struggles. Indigenous efforts to exerclse rights under the new constitUlion, especially admin istnuion of government funds, have drawn violem opposillon from traditional power groups. This )'ear se''eral cases have been added to the already long list of crimes against the Indigenous population of Colombia. Assassination in Southern Colombia Amnesty International re· pons that, the body or well· known Indigenous leader Laureano lnampue was found in 1he San juan River on May 6. near his home in the G«achucallndigenous reserve in the department of Narino. According to wimc;sses. he was vio· lemly removed from his home b)' heavily armed men in military uniform. His captors claimed the)' were detaining him for interrogation by the local battalion's commander. Family members were unable to obtain any infonnation regarding his whereabouts from local amhorities. He was found dead a day later. h)ampue had been threatened previously because or his work to recover Indigenous lands. Senu Activists Killed in Land Struggle Three Senu Indigenous activists, Clemente Mendoza, Hernando Solano and Fernando Alvarez Conde. were mur· de red during the momhs of February and March in Northern Colornbia in the community of Ascrradero. Municipality of Purisima. Department of Cordoba. According to local reports. they were engaged in attempts 10 recover lands of the Gran Resguardo de San Andres de Sotavento through a land title given by the Spanish crown three cemuries ago. ''Tireless" Activist Killed in Tolima On May 15. ON!Cdenounced that Yesid Bocanegra Mnninez was shot to death by gunmen in the town of Colaima, department of Tolima. Omar Mendoza vice-president of Tolima's Indigenous council also received three gunshot wounds in the auack, and remains hospitalized. Bocanegra was described by ONIC as a ' tireless fighter for our cause•. Indigenous communities throughout the country are llO\ V on alen rearing thal a second major wave of violence will follow attempts by Indigenous communities to exercise their T 4 new constitmional rights. (See •Arter the Constitution" in this ONIC Leaders Assassinated for Demanding issue) ~ Compliance with the Constitution On March 26, four Senu Indigenous leaders were murdered on the outskirts of the municip:llity of San Andres de l>iformation supplied by National Indigenous Organization of Sotavento. The four were intercepted at 12 o'clock in the Colombia (ONIC). night, by unknown assailants while riding in a van belonging Please send letters urging the Colombian government 10 to the community. Theempt)' bumcd van was discovered with provide adequate protect,on to Indigenous leaders exer<:ismg bloodstains inside. The next day, the lifeless bodiesofl'orfirio Ayala Mendoza. Alternate Secretary of the ONIC, nominated the~r eonstltutionru rights, that these kiUings be immediately for 1993-1997 during last September's National Indigenous investigated and that those responsible be held accountable to: Congress: Hector Aquiles Malo, Chief of the Gran Resguardo $thor l'rtsident< Ctsm·Gaviria T> "Ujillo, Pl~sfdentc de Ia Republica. de San Andres de Sotavemo; Luis Arthur Lucas, Senu leader. Palaclo de Nari~o. Santaft <I<; Bogot<l, Colombia. and ex-General Secretary of the ON IC from 1968 to 1990; and Fax: 011 57 I 286 7-134/287 7939. Cesar Mendoza Cruz the vehicle's driver. Indian groups see these murders as manifestations of traditional power groups With copies 10: opposition to Indigenous communities' ane1npts to exercise Ambas<adorGabnd Silva, EmbassyofColombia,21181;;roy PI.l'.IV, ' new constitutional rights to manage t.. o:tx revenue and invest- \Vashingwn, DC. 20008. and: ONIC, M 32395. 8og()!d, Colombia. ment for their regions. 36 Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, nos. 1 &amp; 2 (Summer 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wave of Violence in Colombia takes Heavy Toll on Indian Leaders Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors National Indigenous Organization of Colombia Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1994 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Wave of Violence in Colombia takes Heavy Toll on Indian Leaders Item Type Journal Article Author SAIIC Board of Directors National Indigenous Organization of Colombia Volume 8 Issue 1,2 Pages 36 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note Indigenous leaders in Colombia have been under attack and subject to disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention, and even murder due to their struggle for rights granted to them in the Constitution. Attachment Title abya yala p36.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Colombia Indigenous assassination ONIC San Andres de Sotaveno Senu Tolima http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/0a463c8c629c7108471249e65285dd60.pdf 464acc84abcc565431907f4024ca21bf PDF Text Text A Great Leader Dies (Chile) On July 31, Melillan Painamal died in Temuco of a heart attack. He was a Mapuche Indian leader, and founder of several organizations. He had been organizing the Mapuche people for over 30 years and was the foremost organizer in the Southern Cone during the 1960s and 1970s. In 19?8, during the bloody Pinochet dictatorship, he founded the Centro Culturales Mapuches (CCM) with the goal of unifying the Mapuche people in their defense against the oppressive regime. This led to massive opposition of the Pinochet decree which divided Mapuche traditional lands. Until he died, he worked at the CCM. Melillan strived his entire life for continental Indian unity. As Melillan Painamal returns to the Mother Magnu in the spirit of N'gnechen (the creator), his presence lives on in the struggles of Indian people throug)lout the world. CALCHAQUf INDIANS UNITE AMIDST STRUGGLE AND CONFRONTATION (Argentina) In the Calchaqul valley of the Province of Tucwnan there are approximately 25 Indian communities, all of whom have a long history of struggle. The Diaguita-Calchaqul people waged an implacable war of resistance against the Spanish invaders. In 1716, in order to end the hostilities, the kings of the Spanish Crown signed a treaty with the Indian chiefs, who were led by the Cacique Chapurfe. By means of this Cedula Rtrll (a treaty signed by the King of Spain), titles were granted and Calchaqul sovereignty over their land was recognized. Today, however, the Argentine government does not recognize this treaty. Calchaqui lands are being usurped by landowners who obtain new deeds issued by accomplices in the government. The landowners charge rent from the villagers and if they cannot pay, their animals or harvests are taken away and they are thrown off their lands. The present environment is one of confrontation and struggle. In July of this year, representatives from the communities of Amaicha, Quilmes, El Paso, Los Chailares, El Carmen, El Bailado, Anchillo, Anjuana, Talapazo y Colalao met together to develop a joint work project. They issued the following declaration: Taldng into aa:ounl the proximity of the 500th anniversary of the Spmish cxmquest and the /Ustorical situation of the indigenous communiM; of the Ollchtu{ufwiley where we find ourselves amJinuing to resist the loss of our lands and our culture, we have dedded to fDOl'k together to r=ver and strengthen our organizations. We are cxmscious of the {tlcttha.t it is only through organizing all of our communiM; that we will achieve the strength needed to demand respect for our rights to the land, for our culhmll pautas (values), our trrulitions and our methcds of worlcand organization. The struggle to regain our lands began with theamquest,and wasachierJed in I7161ty ouranastors. From then until now, the struggle has not ceased. After the independence of Argentina from Spain, the land was Iosito usurpers who took adwntage of i1 for personal gain. Again we had to defend our rights, and this lime we achialed the recognition of national authariM; (the protorols ofi857 and 1896).11 is based on this latter recognition that we defend our ltrrilories today. In spite of all of this we main!Jlin our culture, our worlc on the land, our veneration for Pachamama (Mother EArth), our oum music, our own methods of artesanry, and a spirit ofcommunity which is reflected in our patterns of lilnd tenancy and organization. Faced with these needs, and given that the heirs of the conquistadores offive centuries ago are organizing afestive commemoration of what have been five hundred years of subjugation, exploitation, and even genocide, those of us who have endorsed this project have resolved to join our voice with that of all of the peqples of America who continue to resist and demand justiaand respect for our fundamental rights. 6 SAIIC Newsletter � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Calchaqui Indians Unite Amidst Struggle and Confrontation 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 Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Calchaqui Indians Unite Amidst Struggle and Confrontation Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1&2 Pages 6 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note The Calchaqui Indians are threatened because their land is being taken by corporations and the Argentinian government. Attachment Title Calchaqui-Indians_Unite_Amidst_Struggle_And_Confrontation.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Argentina Calchaqui land rights Tucuman http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/c88ac723a2d39cf3f5fc56478ad26a28.pdf 20524393ce119ad990fe6c37d3566997 PDF Text Text BOLIVIA Curacas and Jilakatas Recover their Authority 'Wonum from differenl regions will be mee1ing and working together to solve ow common problems" Indigenous Women Organizing National Encounter For more informa· lion pleose contact: Coordinodora de Mujeres lndigenas de Bolivia Ca sillo 23 15 La Pa z, Bolivia Tel: (592)(2) 36 99 63 Fax: (592)(2) 39 13 65 26 The First National Encounter oOndlgenous women of Bolivia w1ll be held from June21-23. 19931nthehiStorlcaiTiwanalru. ThiS encounter IS the culmination of two years ofgrass roots community organlzlng by Bolivian women. The encounter IS being organlzed by the Coordinating Commtsslon of lndlgenous Women of Bolivia whiCh IS made up of the following organl7.atlons: Centro de Dtscusl6n Ideol6gica de Ia Mujer Aymara (COlMA), Organl7-aci6n de Mujeres Aymaras del KoUasuyu (OMAKl. Coordlnadora de Mujeres Jndigenas del Benl (CMIB). Federacl6n Nactonal Campeslna Bartollna Stsa (FNMCBS).MujeresPastorasdelaAsoclacl6n de Crtadores de Camellda and Asoclacl6n Nactonal de Mujeres Radlallstas (ANRCINB). The Coordlnaung CommiSSion of Jndlgenous women ofBollv!a IS a member of the CoordlnaungCommtsslonofWomenofSouth and Meso America and of CONIC. More than 600 delegates are expected to partlclpate. Two representaUves from SAIIC w1ll be attending the encounter as observers. 'The strength ofthts encounter IS that women from different regions w1ll be meeung and working together to solve our common problems." sa!dAllcla Canavlrt(Aymara).President of the Coordlnaung Commission of lndlgenous Women of Bolivia. Financial support IS needed. On December 7. 1992. the first AssemblyoOndlgenousAuthorltlesoftheSouthern Altiplano was held to define the function of Indlgenous communal authorities. ThiS assembly, organb:ed by the ReglonaiFederatlonofSouthernAltlplanoFarmers (FRUTCAS). took place In Tomave. In the Potosi region of Bolivia. The attendees emphasl?.ed the necessity for Curacas (prtmary traditional leaders) and Jllakatas (those In secondary positions) to regain the authority they had years ago. "With the traditional leaders In place we did not have as many problems. But since the government Imposed political authorities (Corregidores) and agents In charge of the Cantons. problems multiplied. resulung In confllctamongbrothers.·theattendeesstated. The regional delegates noted that tradltlonaUytheindlgenousauthorltleshadmalntalned a harmonious relationship between nature and the local populations. They concerned themselves with such tssues as assurIng that evexyone within their jurtsdlction maintain orderly and dlgn.Ul.ed life. However, In recent times the role of these leaders has been reduced to organlzlng community festivals and carnivals. The local attendees explained that traditional authorities dlstlngu!Shed themselves In their own communities by their attire. CuracasandJilakataswore a poncho, a Uuch'u (hat) and a ceremonlal cane. These leaders were the only ones who could dress In thiS manner, thuscommandlngrespect. Source: Aqu~ Bo!Ma Dec. 18, 1992 Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 1 &amp; 2, (Winter/Spring 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 Bolivia: Curacas and Jilakatas Recover their Authority 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 Spring/Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Bolivia: Curacas and Jilakatas Recover their Authority Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 1,2 Pages 26 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring/Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note Indigenous leaders assemble to try to restore the power of Indigenous authorities. Attachment Title Curacas and Jilakatas Recover their Authority.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Bolivia Curacas FRUTCAS Jilakatas http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/db447d1fbb9497d1748523548194fb11.pdf d428b940ef90c1884d2e9f4b7b9798ce PDF Text Text H EALTH Report from The International Symposium on Public Policy and Traditional Health Systems Ottawa, Canada ndigenous people, doctoi'S, tracli tiona! and Western researchei'S from the divci'Se traditions ofAsia. Africa and the Americas met in Ottawa, Canada to discuss policy models and experiences, the revival of traditional knowledge and practice, biodivei'Sity and intellectual property rights. I The symposium, held on March 24 at the International Development and Research Center in Ottawa, Canada (IDRC) followed a series of related meetings such as the Pan-american Health Organization (PAHO) conferenceon ' Health and Indigenous People of the Americas' held with support from the IDRCin Winnipeg, Canada in April 1993. PAl-lO's Board of Oirectoi'S, made up of the Public 1-!ealth minislers from every lalin American counuy. adopted a significant resoltt· tion based on the recommendations of this conference. This resolution serves as an importanttool for indigenous people in each counuy when demanding the right to practice traditional medicine as well as official suppon for improved healthcare in our communities. The resolution approved on September 28. 1993 credined indigenous communities' as· Offerings being made to Pachamama (Mother Earth) in Jujuy, Argentina 34 pi rations for control over their institu· Lions and way of life, and their need to strengthen their own identity. It also recognized that indigenous communities have conlributed significantly to heahh & nu1ri1ion of society, and 1he maintenance of ethnic, cultural and biological diversity. The resolution also based itself in respect for the val· ues and social, cultural, religious, and spiritual prac1icesofindigenous people including those which are related to the maintenance and improvement of hcahh and the 1rcmmem of illnesses. PAHO urged member governments to PJ>ya Yala News �HEALT H promote lndtgcnous people's panici· pallon in all health pohcy affecting th~m; promote orprevention programs especially in regard t() the health of the indigenous people; assist in the evaluauon or the initJOtl\'t of the Health of the lnd1gcnous Peopleofthci\mericas; and to estabhsh an ex pen commission whtch would mclude Indigenous representatives and be charged with developing strategies and pn)jccts to improve Indigenous people's health care, Divergent perspectives on research policy Indigenous representatives and west em tesearchcrs ''olced very different perspcctl\·eson ~arch. Researchers from the Nauorul C.-mcer Institute m the Unued States described the 'Biodl\'ersuy l"ro)ect' in which the)• are ISOlating chemical compounds from medicinal plantS m the ~rch for a cure to cancer or AI OS . Their statement$ were mtic-ized by the indigenou~ representatives for not taking into uccoum the true Vlllue of traditional medicine which is based on an understanding thM a ctii'C is found in all aspect~ of the plant-not just in an isolated component Thts western model WllS also cmlcaud for us lack of spaitu.-'llhy. m the sense that a cure is not JUSI a b1ologtcalncuon but IS also a strrngthcnmg of the spirit, something which is nOt found 1n a chemical substance. lndagenoU5 people also voiced conVoi.8No. 1&2 cern over the exploitation of our medicinal plantS m order to serve the intuesu of dcvclopo!d coumries'and their pharmaceutical companies. This el< ploitation can I'C$\Jh in environmcn· tal dC\oastalion as well as destroy our communities' cultural and social st rueLure through the Introduction of a mercantile system. J\ c.1ll was made for <he development of teStnrch methodologies that arc ~) paniclpntOI)'. b) sensitive to the Indigenous cosmology and respectfuloflhclrtmditlonnl heahl1 S)'Stcms c) serve the needs of the local communities rather than foreign research Institutions or companies d) evaluate the CO$t efnclency of lf:lditional medtcinal systems based in social values and sptritualtradiuons not just on western values, and 0 to work within cth1cal bounds where research goals and uses are clearly stated. Official Health Policies In some t\s~nn countries such as Ch.ina and lndin, tmditlonnl medicinal practices have b<:cn preserved as a significant component of nntional health policy. Researchers expressed concern with respect tOthe mtegration of traditional and Western medicine, citing the ncgath·e imp.1c1 official regulations may have on tmditlonal pm~ticcs; as well as the possibtlity that the Westcm system could dommate the Other. The Cbmese and lndtan govemm<:ntS. for e.'<ample. removed cosmology and spirituality from trndltionl11 medtcmal practice. so as to regulate or u.se these practices at their convemence. Vanous ind1genous repn::sentau,•es expressed their preference for nn official posiuon of tolerance. which would allow continu;ulon of tmdnionol practices without direct governmental interference or rcgul11 Ions. There was a general consensus thnt social control over tmditionnlt>rnctlces arise in each community, as h has b<:en for thou· sands of years. Oesplte cuhuml dirferences. spirituality seemed to b<: the common 1hread uniting the majority of tmditlons. Spiritual, mecmal and phys1cnl \vell-b<:ing are integral componentS f~d together in traditional cunng practices. Traditional heahh S)'SltmS arc sctences in their own right and. tf they are to be understood, thiS basiC principle must be I'CSpo!ctCd. It isimpemtivethat indigenouscommunities and organizations continue to actively panic!pate In this process by analyzing and influencing the policies that arfcct all aspects of life In our communities . ..., n1is ar!lclt was based 011 rhe PAHO's 'Healrh of Indigenous PtopiN' and a rtport by jerry 8odtckcr. to whom we wi$h to txprtSS our gratfrutk. To rtctivc th( PAHO docum<nt • Hmlth of lndigtnOliS P<oples' H5SISJLOS-34. wnrc to: :S2S 2J Strw N. W.• Washington D.C. 20037, U.s.A. or the PAHO ojflc.c In )'OIIT CDllntl)•. 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. 8, nos. 1 &amp; 2 (Summer 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Report from The International Symposium on Public Policy and Traditional Health Systems Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jerry Bodecker Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1994 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Report from The International Symposium on Public Policy and Traditional Health Systems Item Type Journal Article Author SAIIC Board of Directors Contributor Jerry Bodecker Volume 8 Issue 1,2 Pages 34-35 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note Indigenous people, doctors, traditional and Western researchers came together in Ottawa, Canada to discuss policy and public health for indigenous communities. The symposium is one in a series of meetings including the Pan-American Health Organization. Views on research, health, and cures differed greatly between western researchers and indigenous representatives. Indigenous people rose concerns about lack of cultural sensitivity in health policy. Attachment Title abya yala p34-35.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Ottawa Canada PAHO Public Health western vs traditional medicine http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/1fc34befc3453ff05f13ff10b9df533e.pdf 49edfbab12131b4adc0ec8c2ab8ea642 PDF Text Text other problems, in the same way. And that's what is important for our people." He remains cautious, waiting for the national park to be officially sanctioned by Congress. "Quinquen is a symbol of the struggle of the Indians, of our people. So that's what we're struggling for. I can only hope that Oillean society would realize once and for all, that the authorities, who have always discriminated against us, would realize that this must not happen again... Pleose write today to encourage President Aylwin k.. continue pushing for this important legis lotion President Patricio Aylwin President of Chile Polocio de lo Monedo Sontiogo, CHILE Phone: 56-2· 714· 103 or 56·2·717·054 810-810 DAMS THREATEN PEHUENCHE (Chile) 1he mountainous river basin of the Bio-Bio is the ancestral land of the Pehuenche Indians. Their right to cultural and economic survival is now being seriously threatened by the proposal of Oille'selectric company, ENDESA, to build a series of six dams on the Bio-Bio. Approval for the first of the dams has already been obtained, but full-scale construction has been delayed pending a decision by the International Finance Corporation (the private sector wing of the World Bank) on whether to provide 25% of the Pangue Dam's funding. Chilean and international environmental and indigenous organizations have sounded a warning that the social and ecological costs of the project far outweigh any potential benefits. Perhaps the greatest indictment of the project is the fact that the Pehuenche, whose subsistence is directly tied to the river and its banks, have been almost entirely left out of the planning, assessment and decision-making process. At the eleventh hour, they have been told that their future is in perilous danger. If approved, the IFC loan will be the beginning of the end for the 5,000 Pehuenche inhabiting the region. Part of the Mapuche indigenous society that once inhabited much of southern Chile and Argentina, the Pehuenche are still living traditionally. 1he subsistence activities of the Pehuenche are carried out along the banks of the river and its tributaries where they live, cultivate, raise livestock, and celebrate their religious ceremonies. 1he proposed Pangue darn would have multiple "The flood.i ng, which is projected to be 14 kilometers in length, would directly result in the relocation of 600 indig· enouspeoples and 300 non-native Oillean peasants. Roadbuilding and excavation for construction materials would displace another 400 Pehuenches. Three of the six proposed dams would irreversibly destroy over one-half of Pehuenche territory. It's estimated that the flooding of the scarce flat and arable fields on the banks of the river will do away with almost all of the subsistence agriculture practiced in the region. 1he construction of roads and other structures is already having major effects on the physical landscape, and is causing culture shock in this formerly isolated region. Major tourist development of the reservoirs created by the hydroscheme is likely. Around the world, this type of development has been accompanied by environmental contamination and degradation, the loss of land ownership by poor and indigenous people, and dramatic changes in local subsistence economies. Already there is evidence that local landowners are using bribery and corruption to take advantage of the need to prove legal title to the land and claim traditional indigenous lands as their own. Human and cultural rights are guaranteed by international laws by which the new government in Chile portends to abide. The social and economic co~dl of the United Nations has prepared a Universal Declaration on Indigenous Rights which affirms the collective right of indigenous peoples to exist without being forced to assimilate, the right to their traditional property and lands, the right to indemnization, and protection against discrimination. 1he International Labor Organization has issued a similar document, signed by many heads of state including Chile's President Aylwin, manifesting their intention to 1espect the rights of indigenous peoples. Moreover, Chile's proposed new indigenous legislation reaffirms the right of Native people to maintain their ethnic identity, cultural customs, and the right to live on their ancestral land. In compliance with the most fundamental human rights principles, the government of President Aylwin and the IFC must reject any project which could adversely affect the traditional way of life of the Pehuenche and Mapuche people. Because ENDESA is privatized and the Pangue Dam project has already been approved, there are limited avenues for Oillean organizations to apply domestic pressure. Still, they are hopeful that coordinated international pressure applied to the World Bank, ENDESA and President Aylwin, will give them leverage to convince the government to re-evaluate the project. Please toke action todaylll Write to the World Bank, encouraging them not to fund the Pangue Dam project: BarberConable, World Bank, 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433, Fox: 202·477·6391 direct and indirect consequences for the Pehuenche people. Vol6 Nos 1&2 5 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bio-Bio Dams Threaten Pehuenche 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 Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Bio-Bio Dams Threaten Pehuenche Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1&2 Pages 5 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note Part of the Mapuche, the Pehuenche's way of life would be terminated if the delayed project to build dams for electric power goes through and the river ends up being dammed. Attachment Title Bio-Bio_Dams_Threaten_Pehuenche.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Biobio River Dam Chile Environmental Protection Pehuenche http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/47fea79aa939c97b325ee5bea0cb9211.pdf 2ad23003bdefa9e0bc7c6e1c5524343d PDF Text Text BOLIVIA Curacas and Jilakatas Recover their Authority 'Wonum from differenl regions will be mee1ing and working together to solve ow common problems" Indigenous Women Organizing National Encounter For more informa· lion pleose contact: Coordinodora de Mujeres lndigenas de Bolivia Ca sillo 23 15 La Pa z, Bolivia Tel: (592)(2) 36 99 63 Fax: (592)(2) 39 13 65 26 The First National Encounter oOndlgenous women of Bolivia w1ll be held from June21-23. 19931nthehiStorlcaiTiwanalru. ThiS encounter IS the culmination of two years ofgrass roots community organlzlng by Bolivian women. The encounter IS being organlzed by the Coordinating Commtsslon of lndlgenous Women of Bolivia whiCh IS made up of the following organl7.atlons: Centro de Dtscusl6n Ideol6gica de Ia Mujer Aymara (COlMA), Organl7-aci6n de Mujeres Aymaras del KoUasuyu (OMAKl. Coordlnadora de Mujeres Jndigenas del Benl (CMIB). Federacl6n Nactonal Campeslna Bartollna Stsa (FNMCBS).MujeresPastorasdelaAsoclacl6n de Crtadores de Camellda and Asoclacl6n Nactonal de Mujeres Radlallstas (ANRCINB). The Coordlnaung CommiSSion of Jndlgenous women ofBollv!a IS a member of the CoordlnaungCommtsslonofWomenofSouth and Meso America and of CONIC. More than 600 delegates are expected to partlclpate. Two representaUves from SAIIC w1ll be attending the encounter as observers. 'The strength ofthts encounter IS that women from different regions w1ll be meeung and working together to solve our common problems." sa!dAllcla Canavlrt(Aymara).President of the Coordlnaung Commission of lndlgenous Women of Bolivia. Financial support IS needed. On December 7. 1992. the first AssemblyoOndlgenousAuthorltlesoftheSouthern Altiplano was held to define the function of Indlgenous communal authorities. ThiS assembly, organb:ed by the ReglonaiFederatlonofSouthernAltlplanoFarmers (FRUTCAS). took place In Tomave. In the Potosi region of Bolivia. The attendees emphasl?.ed the necessity for Curacas (prtmary traditional leaders) and Jllakatas (those In secondary positions) to regain the authority they had years ago. "With the traditional leaders In place we did not have as many problems. But since the government Imposed political authorities (Corregidores) and agents In charge of the Cantons. problems multiplied. resulung In confllctamongbrothers.·theattendeesstated. The regional delegates noted that tradltlonaUytheindlgenousauthorltleshadmalntalned a harmonious relationship between nature and the local populations. They concerned themselves with such tssues as assurIng that evexyone within their jurtsdlction maintain orderly and dlgn.Ul.ed life. However, In recent times the role of these leaders has been reduced to organlzlng community festivals and carnivals. The local attendees explained that traditional authorities dlstlngu!Shed themselves In their own communities by their attire. CuracasandJilakataswore a poncho, a Uuch'u (hat) and a ceremonlal cane. These leaders were the only ones who could dress In thiS manner, thuscommandlngrespect. Source: Aqu~ Bo!Ma Dec. 18, 1992 Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 1 &amp; 2, (Winter/Spring 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 Bolivia: Indigenous Women Organizing National Encounter 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 Spring/Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Bolivia: Indigenous Women Organizing National Encounter Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 1,2 Pages 26 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring/Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note The Coordinating Commission of Indigenous Women of Bolivia will hold the First National Encounter of Indigenous Women of Bolivia on June 21-23, 1993 in Tiwanaku. Attachment Title Indigenous Women Organizing National Encounter.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Bolivia Indigenous women http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/3f6fb03e37847d5786cab7673f2c3f53.pdf 403f8276cfc1754cc9ca8bd68731997e PDF Text Text ENVIRONMENT PERU: Oil Development brings Death andDevastation to the Maranon & D EVELOPMENT "At this very moment the Rio M aranonand Rio N are totally apo covered with oil from shore to shore and in the next several days it will reach the Amazonas River.· Less thnnt.hree weeks after the pipe· causes of the spill.• AIDESEP also deline rupture, l'etropcru chief Miguel Celi nounced that the local and national press hod not covered th. sprll out of Rivera announel!d, at the newly opened e pressure from imercsts workmg to Pa)~Amazondrilltngsite,that.l'eru's secure foreign invcsunent crude producuon would be inci'C:ISed from 132,000 boncl.s/day to approxlGovernment Proposes Increases matdy300.000b.,rrelsldayoverthenext in Exploration and Extraction two }'CO~ as a result of increased foreign On 'M•1rch 30. as oil gu$hcd from investment. S\tch an increase would detre1>it pipes Into the Maml'lon, Peru- place Pel'\l's production on par with vian Presldcm Alberto Fujimorl was Ecuador (n former OPEC member), present mthc signing of n nal\lml gas which also produces close 10 300.000 cxplor:mon contractlxtween Petroperu barrels/day. ApproximatelrSO% of new :md ~L~ple <4s C<>rporatton of Peru a extraction IS pr<>poSed for the 1\nwon subsid1ary of the regJon. The already deteriorating 24 year Dallas b.'ISed Maple old Trans-Amazon pipeline would <:a IT)' Resources Corp<n':l· this additional burden as well. tion. This contract allows ford rUling to AIDESEP Begins M obilization evah.ratc the fellsibll· lf the government's oil development ity of gas explolla· program Is allowed to proceed, tion along the AIOESEP for~ massive destruction Aua)'lla m·er near of the envaronmem and lndtgcnous Ucayali In the etn· people of the Peruvian Am.uon. To tral forest reg1on. this point. the Peru,~an government The previous week, has refused to allow Indigenous orga· the J>cnl\1nn gov· nizationsn role in the decision-making emmcnt s•gned an process. AIOESEP is planning effqns agreement with to document the current situation and Royal Dutch Shell mobilize :m lnd1genous front in oppoforoUexplor:mon m sition to~,, drilling. Support tS desthe areas of perat~ly needed forthese.effons Thts Kashl)'ll.n. S.1n 'Mar· mobihz.ation holds hope that the In· communities! tin and Mlpaya. If dlgcnous people of Pem will be able to One week prior Spilled o il spreads quickly and discovencs i\Te avoid the environmental catastrophes tO the UPI article dovestates rivers and flooded rnacle, the company that have followed oil devclopmentln t\IDESEPstated .ln foresls in the Amezon a report sent to incould lond a 30 year countries S11ch as Ecuador. "!' tcm:rtional lndigenoll.5 and environ- lca5rng contract for exploitation in the mental organizations. •At this very regron In all, these new contmcts for~~C13f11«1: moment, the RiO MarMOn ~nd Rio could cover arens in the regtons of: ~!roD AmtOJldo CaslrD, Cot:mlmator, Napo are totally covered W>th oil from Purus, C.•masea.Aguaytiaand Pucallpa. AIDESEP. PrDgrama de l!mcrgcnclo shore tO shore and m the next several The Yme, Chip•bo. Conibo,Am~hunca. Ashtminha·Aldt:lq> • Ave. Son Eugmlo 981 days It will reach the ~mazonas Rlver•. Yannnahu~. Shar.mabua. Matsiguenga, URBSI'ACataluta.Ul VICtoria, Umo(l3) Peru They noted that eight pcqple had rued Cat:rcalbos, and Ashaninka peoples all /nfom•atfon supplr~d by AIDESEP mul as n result of the spill and that ' It is or Inhabit these: rcgr(>l\S, with n combined Edward /lummond, gradu111e student, th< utmost urgency to h'lwstigare the popul:otion of approximately 27.000. Unfvcrslty of TcxllS. April 14. Ul'l In lima, Peru reponed thdt the coumris trans-Amazon pipdinc had naptured two weeks tnrlicr. spilling crude from Occidental and Petroperu oil wells directly into the Marailon RIVer In the Peruvian Amazon. Petroperu technicians $Uiled that '10,000 barrels a day are spilhng becnusc: of the rupture and thntthc figure could Increase 10 30,000'. lndlgenouscommunltlesdepend on the Manflon and itS tributaries for rashing. drinking \YII(Cf. and t1'31'1Spor· l.lltlon. Mlqueas Mishnrl president or che Imercthmc Assoclm ion for the Developmen t or the Peruvian Amazon (AIDEPSEP} slllttd, "The government JSn't wor· ned about the effects or the spill on the lndinncommuniue.~.· and called upon President Fujimori to 'listen to us, to cake into acrountthat we exISt, to talk to the 0 11 Voi.8No.1 &2 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, nos. 1 &amp; 2 (Summer 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Peru: Oil Development brings Death and Devastation to the Marañon Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AIDESEP SAIIC Board of Directors Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1994 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Peru: Oil Development brings Death and Devastation to the Marañon Item Type Journal Article Author AIDESEP SAIIC Board of Directors Volume 8 Issue 1,2 Pages 33 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note The trans-Amazon pipeline carrying Occidental and Petroperu crude oil burst spilling between 10,000 and 30,000 barrels of oil a day into the Marañon river, the main water source for many indigenous communities in the area. The Peruvian government has signed more natural gas explorations contracts for other areas in the Amazon. The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Amazon (AIDEPSEP) raised concerns about the safety of such projects. Attachment Title abya yala p33.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Amazon Gas extraction Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Amazon Oil Spill Petroperu http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/8bdd980f2899d77a631a2c0694d461d9.pdf 28da3b3b35c7ca692929ddb89b6697f1 PDF Text Text Ph«o by Dap!w Wysham The KUNJ have a Ullique 1~1 of OUUJnomy due w a long hiJtory ofrtsisuw:t. A Message from the Kunas United for Mother Earth (Panama) My name is Atendo Lopez Martinez, and I belong to the I<una nation of the I<una Yala region of Panama. I am here in North America to find out more about the work of our northern brothers and sisters and to investigate ways we might be able to coordinate our actions.! would like to share with you an account of what is happening to our people in Panama, in particular the I<una people. 1hereareapproximately40,000 I<Wla living on the islands in the I<una Yala Region, in the northeast of Panama on the Colombian border. The region of !<una Yala comprises more than 3W islands, of which 52 are inhabited. 1here is a very small percentage of Kuna who reside in the jungle outside of the jurisdiction of Kuna Yala, in the province of Panama. They also are struggling to have their territory (known as the KIUla Region of Madungandi) demarcated. Those of us who live on the islands or in the coastal areas of the Caribbean have a certain autonomy with respect to other indigenous groups and state policy. We obtained a level of autonomy, which is unique among indigenous peoples, by fighting against the police and the colonial army of Panama in 1925. Many of our grandfathers lost their lives to the white invaders, who wanted to keep the I<una people as their slaves. Among others, Nele I<antule and Coman led this uprising. They proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of Tule, which was never actually formed, but we obtained the autonomy we rontinue to exercise today, albeit with many problems. We do not assess national taxes amongst our own peoples, and what we assess from non-I<una people goes toward the development of our communities. With tespcct to our internal governance, we strongly enforce tcspect for traditions and customs within our rommunities. In the political realm, we have the General I<una Congress, which Vol6 Nos 1&2 25 �unites all Kuna people and organizations. EveJy six months the problems of our people arc reviewed in this rongress. Du.ring the rest of the year our rornrnunities and organizations work independently. Distinct political and even ideological positions are respected. What unites us is the defense of our region. our Mother Earth, and our culture. 'The Kuna Region of Madungandi is being threatened by the invasion of non·indigenous colonists. TI>ose who liw in the jungle region are on mountainous lands which are less productive, the result of a forced relocation in 1974 and 1975 by the fonncr government of General Omar Torrijos. The government decided to build a hydroelectric dam in the region in order to supply electridty to the republic. Ironically, today, our brothers still do not have electricity. They do not enjoy any of the benefits of this socalled "technological development." They live in the province of Panama, under the direct administration of the authorities of that province. Their situation worsened in 1974 and 1975 when the government of Omar Torrijos nooded their territories and turned them into an artificial lake. Now the lake generates approximately 45% of the country's elcctridty. The cultivated lands of the Kuna were nooded, the people were displaaxl to inhospitable a.nd less productive areas, and they received little rompensation for their losses. In contrast, the colonists or invaders were relocated to better parts and given rompcnsation for the loss of land and cultivated areas. Since the origins of this problem nearly 20 years ago, the stealing of lands from the Kuna has rontinued. Today, it is lead by wealthy landowners and cattle ranchers who manipulate disputes between poor people and our brothers in order to eventually take over the land themselves. These invasions have increased since the US invasion of Panama, as a result of the ronfusion and lad< of applied justice. On the 10th of july, 1991, the Kuna of Madungandi began a series of peaceful protests, an uprising. The Panamanian authorities immediately stated that the "'Kuna indigenous people, using heavy weapons, have risen up_. to destabilize the present government." This became the pretext for the governor of the province to request the police intervention in order to repress the Kuna. Fortunately, their false daims were disregarded and ronfronted with rourage by our brot.hers, with the support of the Kuna Yala. 'The Kuna who liw on the isla.n dsengage in subsistence production. The men generally work in fishing the seas and agricultural production, in particular the production of eoronut. which is our main source of cash income. We sell eoronuts to Colombian ships, and many of us exchange it for food products. The Panamanian government has done little or nothing to purchase eoronut from us and to look for a solution to the deep cronornic crisis affecting our regions. Amongst our people, we continue to barter for food products, which contributes slightly toward alleviating the crisis. The women, in tum., dedicate themselves primarily to the home and to the care of children. (Su At~ncio, p. 45) 26 The Kuna Speak about 500 Years of Resistance (Panama) Our organization, along with other Indigenous organizations in Panama have coordinated the 500yearscampaign ina united way. We see 1992asa time to commemorate not only 500 years of resistance, but also to reinforce ties of unity amongst ourselves. This will enable us to better ronfront our enemies who tty to divide us and deny our existence. It is for this reason that we recognize the struggle of other poor and marginalized sec:~ors of our countty. Ukc us, they fight for their survival and for rcspe<t of their rights. However, we do not tolerate those nonindigenous organizations that want to capitalize on the 500 years campaign for political purposes. They want to use indigenous peoples without understanding and recogniz.. ing the nature of our struggles. We do not deny the struggle of other sec:~ors of Abya Yala (rontinent, In the Kuna la.nguage). On the contrary, our rontinent will be free only when all sec:~ors. .. arc free. However, there are attempts to undermine the u.nity among indigenous peoples by using us when we arc in the limelight. and simultaneously giving priority to other struggles. I believe that 1992 should not be seen as the end of the indigenous struggle.lnstead, we must realize that our struggle will continue beyond 1992, until there is recognition of all of our rights of self-dctcnnination for our territ<>ries. This must be understood by those popular groups who support us. They should not see in the struggle of indigenous people, the opportunity to achieve their own aspirations. We are in solidarity with them, and we thank them for their solidarity. And we recognize that there are divisionsamongst indigenous peoples, but in spite of all of these, 1992 should be a year for monumental unity, in order to challenge our enemies. Our Mother Earth is being beaten. and her children should be united to defend her. In Panama we have a 500 Years National Commit• tee composed of indigenous and non·indigenous groups. The indigenous peoples include the Kuna, Guayrnie, and Embera. We want the Committee to be romposcd not solely of people from the capital and big dties, but rather people from the communities of our regions. We are proposing a National Gathering to deal with many issues, including that of greater unity in order to defend our rights and demands to the national government. I would like to call on all of our brothers and sisters of the rontincnt to keep our fists high- together we will advance along a path of unity and liberation of our peoples. SAIIC Newsletter �Atendo (continued from p. 26) n.cy a.r e a strong force in the economic survival of our communities. This is because of their involvement in the production of "molas," which is the art of the Kuna. Because the "molas" are being sold at natio nal levels and exported to the US and Europe, they are achieving economic success at international levels. In many tespects, the women have a greater capacity to organize them.sclves in cooperatives and to conbibute to the economic survival of the Kuna family than the men do. This is why, when we speak of the Kuna economy, we spea.k of men and women as equals. Davi (continued from p. 21) 1hcre are many people who are powerful. There are powerful gold miners... and authorities too, like Romero Juca, former president of FUNAI. He is responsible for letting the gold miners invade our territory and ... for lots of killings of Yanomami ... Something must be done to solve our problem because Romero Juca will not solve it. He docs not like us. .. Do the international authorities and people from the United States think it is true what they always say that the demarcation of Yanomami land is a matter of money, that they do not have money to do it?... I am very worried about people abroad who.. : are giving money to Brazil. .. but ll21 to help the Indians. This money that comes from abroad is helping the Brazilian government to oppress Indians. I am very worried about that. Non-Indians are like ants. I know that non-Indians like our reso= n.cy say that we have gold, we have lumber, and they say that they need that to help the people who live in the city. Well, we do not want them, and we do not want them here. What we wa. t is tespect for our rights. We want n them to leave us alone. We need help with regard to the health situation. In the beginning we did not need any help. We did not need any doctors, any medical doctors, any nurses or any medicine. But now we need doctors and nurses to help the Yanomami who are sick. We also need medicines because we used to cure ourselves only with 'shabori' [shamanism) ... But that is not enough anymore, And we need medical doctors and medicines and help from non-Indian people. We are worried because the non-Indians are not very much worried about us. They think that we are a different race. 1hcrefore, they want to isolate us. They think we are bothering their work. We are preventing them from working here, so they would rather have us isolated. They do not wony very much about what is going on with us. 44 We have strongly safeguarded our spirituality and traditions. For example, we hold the Gc1U!ml Congress of Kuna Culture, which unites the spiritual guides of all of our communities. They are highly respected by all Kuna people. n.cy promote teaching and learning amongst the youth so that our rich traditions are not lost. We, of Kuna Yala, are confronting serious problems along the Colombian border, where gold prospectors are invading our lands. We are also indirect victims of the confrontations which take place in Colombia between the guerrillas and the army. Violating all laws, both sides invade our region while the Panamanian authorities do nothing to stop them. The same thing occurs with the Yanqui {United States) army which often crosses our territory to go to the Panamanian border with the excuse of filling the vacuum created by the dissolution of the Pana· man ian army in 1989, following the invasion. Ampan (continued from p. 11) domination. everybody is af'Taid that we will take a racist stand and that this will lead to a racial confrontation. For this reason. there has not been enough dialogue amongst the poor dass. In meetings with laborer$, peasants and intellectuals, it is important for us to talk so that we feel equal. We must, if we are from the same cla.ss, talk so that we can find a solution... Plurinationality will only be possible with the total transformation of society. This is possible if, as in Switzer· land, there are well-defined and recognized sectors. We understand that the problem is not exclusively Indigenous. It is a problem which concerns aU of us. In order to form such a state we must think carefully what it would be like. How would it be governed at the political, economic, social and cultural levels? U we find that the workers are on one side, the indigenous on another and other sectors on other sides, then it will not be possible... We must continually reconsider our struggle and include long-term goals in our strategy. We must work together and make compromises. We must coordinate our endeavors in this way or we will not succeed, even if we are united. SAIIC Newsletter � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A Message from the Kunas United for Mother Earth 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 Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Message from the Kunas United for Mother Earth Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1&2 Pages 25-26, 44 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Attachment Title A_Message_From_The_Kunas_United_For_Mother_Earth.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note A member of the Kuna people describes their tribes achievements and the 500 years of resistance. Kunas http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/7e1d94263a0b0baea10da54e02c40209.pdf 6f9c3f68a48be084568445cd81f447e3 PDF Text Text BOLIVIA Aymaras Replace Peasant Union with Traditional Ayllu Federation IntheruralconununltyofSanAndres de Machaca, ln the Ingavt Province of the Department of La Paz. traditional forms of SOCial and politiCal organiZation have prevalled over the nation-state proposals to assimilate Indigenous cultures. FollOWing the reconunendatlonsofthe October 1992 National Congress of the Confederation of Campeslno Unions of Bollvta, csurcs. areglonalcongressgatheredonAprU 10-11. 1993,ln the proVince ofingavt. Four hundred and fifty Indigenous campes!no delegates, angry at established political parties of the left and the rlght who had manipulated their leaders In the past centwy. unanlmouslyvoted to dissolve theformercampes!no union and replace It with a Federation of Ayllus and Indigenous Nations. GtMro Oliver continued SAIJC: Would you like to add anything to thls InterView? GO: lwouldllketolet people know that thls kind of direct lntervtew with a true representative of an Indigenous community allows others to learn about what 1s really happening In thoseconununltles. 'n"avellngln Europe. we have found that Invited political representatives are often people diSengaged from the Indigenous Peoples. Many no longer live nor know what 1s happening In the communities themselves. Vol 7 Hum 1 & 2 Paulino Guarachi. executive secretary of the CSUTCB. and Florenclo Mendoza of theTupaqKatariFederatlon attended the congress but only as guests.Thelndfgenous The province oflngavi is rei!ISfoting its 1ndigenous campes!nos of San autlwritit s Andres de Machaca discussed how traditional Aransaya and Ur!nsaya sections of the conununlty have relnStltutedaconununalreglmewheremallku and momata'qua. the Indigenous authorities. follow the ancient dictates of thelr ancestors. Political power has also been restored to the elders of the conununlty. The native authorities believe that the Anuqara. UWlk'u. and sallka, corrupt local politicians of the past. had betrayed the community by selllng the political positions of the traditional authorities to national political parties. 'The result was the transformation of thelndlgenousconununlty!ntoanurbandomlnatedappendlxofthe nation-state. which has only sporadiCally answered the needs of the community Itself." Conununity representatives at the congress agreed to end all alllll.ation with political parties, speak and Write AymaraSpanlsh and respect cultural traditions. Source: Aqul La Paz, Bo!Cvta 25 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 7, nos. 1 &amp; 2, (Winter/Spring 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 Bolivia: Aymaras Replace Peasant Union with Traditional Ayllu Federation 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 Spring/Winter 1993 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Bolivia: Aymaras Replace Peasant Union with Traditional Ayllu Federation Item Type Journal Article Volume 7 Issue 1,2 Pages 25 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring/Winter 1993 Language English Abstract Note The Aymaras of San Andrés de Machaca in Bolivia, frustrated with politcal parties' manipulation of their leaders, dissolved the campesino union and replaced it with a traditonal Ayllu Federation. Attachment Title Aymaras Replace Peasant Union with Traditional Ayllu Federation.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Ayllu Federation Bolivia http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/40e75df7c529cb8eac8b0d65e45be8e1.pdf 84c4e766edad785b7ea62872ad406df6 PDF Text Text EN VIRON M ENT & D EV ELOPM EN T "...the 150.000 Indigenous people who make up the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities ofthe Ecua. dorian Amazon cannot guarantee...that oil exploration or exploitation projects inour territories will be able to proceed." of licensing to proceed. In an open letter to the Ecuadorian president, Edmundo Vargas President of CONFENAIE declared. "The Ecuadorian government's lack of sensitivity regarding the position of the lndigneous peoples and eviromnemalists of the region: the lack of a serious natural resource managment policy which addresses the present and future needs of our country and particularly those of the Indigenous nationalities of the region; the absence of adequate laws to control national and foreign companies: the carrying out of economic projects within Indigenous territories b}' the government and private comapanics without prior consultation; and the lack of indigenous participation in the decisons and benefits of these projects, clearly demonstrate thattheconditionsand guarantees necessary to extend the scope of petro· leum activities in the Ecuadorian Ama- zon do not exisl." CONAIE supported this position adding. that the)• hold. ' the Ecuadorian State and petroleum companies participating in the Seventh Oil Licensing Round responsible for the problems we have and for damages both to those people who have lived in the Amazon for thousands of years and to their environment.• Indigenous groups point out that the d rilling areas up for relicensingare located in the headwaters of the Amazonian river system on the Eastern slope of the Andes. Therefore an)•Spills and toxic dumping--which have been ubiquitouscompanions of previous oil activities in Ecuador--could potentially affecttheentireAmazon region through its waterways. Both organizations called for a fif. teen )'ear moratorium for the seventh 32 round of licensing, 'during which time the country can evaluate the environmental and social impacts of oil developmem, and Ecuador can implant policies for oil development which include defenseoftheenvironmem, respect for the ways of life of Indigenous peoples. and an integrated orientation of the country which will benefit all Ecuadorians." Vargas stated, "The Directive Council of CONFENAIE, together with its member federations, has resolved that the 150,000 Indigenous people who make up the Confederation of lndigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon cannot guarantee, neitherto the Ecuadorian State. nor to national or foreign investors participating in the Scventh Oil Licencing Round, that oil exploration or exploitation projects in our territories will be able 10 proceed. ~ Information supplied by CONAl E, CONFENA/E and the Rainforest Action Netwotk" Case against Texaco m ay be heard in New York Courts n April. Federal j udge Vincent L zation of Indigenous People of Broderick ruled that if Indigenous Pastaza (OPIP) and support organipeople and others suing Texaco zations. the transnational oil comfor irresponsibly discarding hazard- pan)' ARCOagreed to negotiate their ous waste in the Ecuadorian rainforest plansforoilexploration in the provice can prove that decisions regarding ofPastaza in Ecuado~sOriente. OPIP these operations were made at Texaco met withARCOonjune9. A second headquarters in New York, then it meeting should be occurring in Ecwould be appropriate for the case to uador as this magazine goes to press. be heard by L US federal court in ARCO officially states that it has not he New York. The case was brought b)' yet made the decision to pursue exSiona, Secoya, Cofan, and Quichua ploration in the Oriente's 'Block I0'. peoples and mestizo colonists who it has nevertheless, reached several live in the zone affecLed by Texaco's preliminary agreements with OPIP. operations. OPIP and ARCO agreed to establish Texaco's lawyers have asked the a techical commission which will judge to reconsider. If the case pro- include three representatives from ceeds in New Y court . it will set an ARCO and from Petroecuador and ork important precedent regarding rights six from Indigenous organizations of foreigners to bring US based multi- in the region. This commission will nationals to trial within the US. establish the guidelines for an E' <aluation of Environmental Impact for Pastaza Organizations negothe Exploratory Period . as well as tiate with ARCO select which company will complete Under pressure from the Organi- the study. I Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, nos. 1 &amp; 2 (Summer 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Case against Texaco may be heard in New York Courts 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 Summer 1994 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Case against Texaco may be heard in New York Courts Item Type Journal Article Volume 8 Issue 1,2 Pages 32 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Language English Abstract Note If indigenous peoples and others harmed by irresponsibly discarded hazardous waste from Texaco can prove the decisions regarding that discarding were made in their New York headquarters, the case will be heard by the US federal court in New York. The Organization of Indigenous People of Pastaza negotiates with ARCO over oil exploration plans. Attachment Title abya yala p32.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] ARCO Ecuador Organization of Indigenous People of Pastaza Texaco