27 12 1190 http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/78ee425b1e07f54dd33721bb8ca1f7fa.pdf d555bb06b0416c2cab2e1ba1115592d0 PDF Text Text sAUc N E WS L E T T E R South American Indian Information Center (SAIIC) P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, California 94707 - USA Phone 415-521-2779 Dear Brotheis and Sisters, We are grateful for your subscriptions! Your response made it clear to us how necessary our information center is. Thanks for your letters and good w~shes. This is our second bi-monthly newsletter. It is dedicated mainly to the General Assembly of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples held last September in Panama. We hope to hear more from you, and urge those that haven't subscribed yet to do so. Sincerely, The SAIIC Committee The World Council of Indigenous Peoples was founded in 1975 in Canada. It encompasses five regions: the Eastern Region (the Samis from Scandinavia and the Inuit from Greenland), the Northern Region (Alaska, Canada, and the United States), the Central Region (Mexico and Central America), the Southern Region (South America), and the Pacific Region (Australia, New Zeland, and the South Pacific Islands). WCIP's main objectives were to create a communications network for indigenous people worldwide. This would facilitate their struggle against the oppressive neocoloIV ASSEMBLieiA nial nation-states in which they live. Also it would help DO CMPI educate international public opinion about the Indian situation throughout the world, and especially in the PANAMA 1984 Americas. For diverse reasons, the WCIP did not meet all these expectations agreed upon during its founding. It did, though, continue to function and hold General Assemblies every three years. The second assembly was held in 1977 in Samiland (Lapland), the third Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 'I �i11 191:31 in Australia, and the last one this past September 23 through 30 in Panama. Two members of SAIIC, Nilo Cayuqueo (Mapuche from Argentina) and James Muneta (Navajo, U.S.), were invited to participate in this conference. Indian organizations at a regional level have gained experience and political maturity during their struggle for survival. They attended this meeting offering clear and precise proposals as to the role international Indian organizations (especially the WCIP) should have towards the genocide and ethnocide facing Indian peoples. These problems are brought about by colonial states, or dominating societies, that carry out the interests of local elites and the large transnational corporations. During the last day of the conference, the new executive members of the WCIP were elected for a period of three years. They are: Clams Chartier from Saskatchewan, Canada, President; Hyden Burgess from Hawaii Sovereignty Committee, 1st Vice President; and Donald Rojas Moroto from Costa Rica, 2nd Vice President. There was also an executive representative from each region elected. The next WCIP General Assembly will be held in South America. The current address is: WCIP-Secretariat, 555 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5. Representing the American Indian Movement at the WCIP Conference was Larry Anderson, who spoke about recent resistance to relocation at Big Mountain in Arizona. His presence was greatly appreciated. SAIIC member James Muneta made the following comments concerning the Conference on KPFA radio in Berkeley on October 12: "I was very enlightened by this experience, in being a North American Indian to travel to Central America to find people similar to me and people that had the same beliefs and values in the earth and in the children and to find people who want to preserve their culture and tradition. When the Europeans came, when the white people came, their governments created different boundaries which through time divided the indigenous people. I have been told by my elders and the old people, that io our history, the Indian people migrated from South to North America and they traded goods and shared cultures with each other. But in the contemporary world, the political boundaries have separated the people. We have almost lost total contact with our brothers and sisters in Central America and South America. To go down there was like finding a lost brother or sister. We can be physical and spiritual support to.each other. "It brought to mind the vision of Black Elk. He saw in his vision the sacred hoop that is the unity of all indigenous people of the Americas. And within that hoop was the growing tree that was blossoming, meaning that through unity we will gain strength. We will be able to have strength in supporting each other in creating a better future for our children and to start to create peace for our people who are struggling in Central and South America. I feel it is important for more of our indigenous nations in North America to go to South America to establish that unity in brotherhood and sisterhood to bring forth this peace." Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 2 I �THE FOLLOWING COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY REPORTS INCORPORATE MUCH RECENT INFORMATION FROM WCIP CONFERENCE AND OTHER SOURCES. THE GUATEMALA The following interview was taped by Nilo Cayuqueo at the WCIP Conference. It represents one of the many indigenous women's voices treard to speak out regarding the continuing repression and genocide in Guatemala: "We are here representing 11 Mayas," (Movimiento de ayuda y accion solidaria) to give testimony and to ask support of the Council as an organization that works in defense of indigenous rights. We are here to ask for concrete action against the Guatemalan government. This government is killing us every day in diverse forms. Also they are using the Indian people in many ways to maintain military control in Guatemala. We estimate there are approximately 200,000 refugees outside the country. At the same time, it is established that there are more than a million people who have been displaced and remain in the country. These people are in very difficult situations, many living outside and suffering daily from hunger and cold. The reaction of Indian women to all this is very strong because women are used by the government in various ways, due to our being women and Indian. This suffering that women go through is a kind of torture and, for a mother, it is even more difficult. A woman might take passive or aggressive action, but it is very difficult to act, because of the type of psychological warfare that exists. One suffers, because of the killing of our children, of our husbands, and our people. At the same time, it is a woman's responsibility to educate, raise, protect, and feed her children, particularly if her husband has been killed. So a woman's attitude must be strong in finding a way to defend and sustain herself and her family in this critical situation. NICARAGUA Representatives of the Miskito organization, MISATAN, founded in July, 1984, were in attendance at the WCIP conference. The representatives invited the conference participants to visit Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica in order to gain a clear picture of Miskito reality and to support "the reunification of our families that have been dispersed for the past three years." Representaives of the Miskito opposition organization, MISURASATA, were also present, but did not participate officially in the conference. The representatives affir- Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 3 �med that their organization will struggle on the side of the people of Nicaragua if faced with a military intervention by the United States, and that they are eager to enter into a dialogue with the Sandista government, if Miskito rights are recognized. On the other hand, Brooklin Rivera, the principal leader of MISURASATA, travelled to Managua in response to an invitation extended by Daniel Ortega, now president elect, in order to reach an agreement between the Sandanista government and the Miskito Indians. They are hoping to make progress in these conversations, keeping in mind the threat of North American intervention which would create catastrophic results for the people of Central America. lf The General Assembly also condemned any intent by the United States to intervene in Central America, as well as military support given by the U.S. to the governments of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatamala. VENEZUELA (Statement from the WCIP Conference) The Venezuelan government continues to deny the right of self-liberation, selfdetermination, and self-management to the indigenous peoples of Venezuela. Furthermore, the state does nothing to discourage aggressive acts against the Piaroa in the Federal Amazon territory and continues to persecute those who protest these acts. The Indigenous Movement for National Identity and the Civil Association of Yukpa Indigenous People demand the following: (1) Respect for indigenous peoples and provision for their social welfare; (2) Control of all policies affecting indigenous peoples; (3) ~assage of the Law of Indigenous Ethnic Groups; (4) Redistribution of territorial rights with nontransferable title of collective ownership; (5) Respect for cultural heritage, languages, and traditions complying with Decree No. 283; and (6) Formation of a national organization representing all ethnic groups. Let it also be known that many Venezuelans support our claims and echo our protests. COLOMBIA Since the establishment of peace agreements with the guerilla groups, the government has placed rural areas, especially the Cauca, under military control. All meetings have been prohibited, and Indians are jailed if they are considered subversive. In February, 1984, in Tolima, two indigenous leaders were assassinated by mercenary groups working for the large land owners. Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 4 �ECUADOR [From a September, 1984, letter to SAIIC from Nurinkias Tsetsenk Enrique, Federacion Centros Shuar, Tarqui 809 y Av. 10 de Agosto, Segundo Piso, Oficina 209, Casilla Postal 4122, Quito, Ecuador] "The Federation of Shuar organizations was recognized by the national government of Ecuador in 1964. There are currently 250 Centers that have communal lands. Currently we have 40,000 Shuar members living in Eucador. (There are Shuar in Peru also.) Since our founding, we have established programs exclusively for the benefit of and run by Shuar including: education and culture, health, arbitration and tenancy of the land, communal work, and communication. All of these programs are recognized by the government, but we must constantly petition the government for support and financial assistance. Now we are working to create a new program that has never existed before in Ecuador. It is the Shuar legal commission with the goal of defending the true rights of the Shuar and other Indigenous people. For example we will work for land rights and for the defense of life and liberty of Indigenous people. We solicit support in our efforts. Kakachkurkia Penkesha Emkachminiatji. (Nothing is gained without struggle.)" PERU Reports reaching us at SAIIC indicate increasing violence and escalating abuse of human rights in Peru. Indian people are suffering greatly as a result of ongoing armed conflict. @ Statement issued by the WCIP during the conference held in Panama, September, 1984: "The 4th General Assembly of the World Council of Indigenous People condemns the massacre and genocide perpetrated against the indigenous population of Peru by the Central Government and its forces of repression and by the politcal-military forces. The 4th Assembly calls for the withdrawal of the military forces from the region of Ayacucho and for a socio-political solution in order to return to peace and respect for the integrity of the indigenous people. This 4th Assembly demands the participation of the true representatives of the indigenous people of Peru in the decisions of government." ® Statement in the newspaper Diario la Republica, Lima, September 9, 1984, by the Consejo Indio de Sud America (CISA): 11 451 years of Andean Holocast. The Latin Americans, orphans without cultural identity and perpetuators of historic shame, plan to celebrate 500 years since the infamous date on which the Europeans invaded our continent. Time moves on for centuries. The Viceroys have changed their names. The urban centers have changed their locations. But in our devastated Andean land, colonial occupation con- Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 5 �tinues. fhe landholders continue exploiting, the Pizarros continue murdering, and 451 years later, the Indian holocast in the plaza of Cajamarca repeats itself and the killing of Alao Huallpa continues." @ A letter from a community: "Here, everything has become difficult. Everything is changing with violence an everyday event. But we have to keep living, victims of the violence, living with fear or without it, we have to keep working." @ From La Estrella de Arica newspaper, October 3, 1984: Last week forty Indians were killed from the Pirus and Panos tribes of the Amazon region near Yarinacocha. This is the most recent in a series of attacks by loggers who come into the area, set up camps and dedicate themselves to hunting Indians. The Indians are defending their limited sources of subsistence. The loggers not only invade their land and cut their trees, but also exterminate animals that are traditionally hunted; and they try to remove the Indians from their land. This critical situation is compounded by petroleum drilling in the area by the Shell corporation of the United States. ® Two reports give further information. Just released, Abdicating Democratic Authority. Oct., 1984. 161 pages. Write Americas Watch, 712 G Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003. $8. Peru: Torture and Extrajudicial Executions: Fall 1983. 49 pages. Amnesty International USA, 304 West 58th Street, New York, New York 10019. $3. BOLIVIA In this country, where over BO% of the population is Indian, there has been no positive government response to various Indian requests. What is worse, there is the constant threat of a facist coup that would initiate another blood bath. One of the Indian leaders at the conference said, "Until the Indian majority takes power and forms a government that represents the people, there can be no justice Kollasuya 11 (Bolivia). BRAZIL A Tupai, people year after the assassination of one of the main Indian leaders of Brazil, by a group of large land owners who had confiscated Indian land, the continue in the midst of struggle. Three representatives from Brazil Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. �conference brought greetings of solidarity and reports that there have been recent threats to the little land that remains in their hands. The representatives stated that the Pataxos Indians have especially suffered at the hands of the government who last year permitted the activity of a French-North American multi-national corporation. This corporation set off numerous dynamite charges in the territory of the Kasinawas Indians. These explosions emitted poisonous chemicals that killed eight Indians ar1d caused a great deal of illness. Ailton Lacerda, of the Grenak Indian nation, said in reference to this act, "After our brothers were killed, the cynical capitalists offered $300,000 as compensation, as if the lives of people can be bought which is typical of the way they deal with our people." ARG~NTINA After the catastrophic situation of repression, assassinations, disappearances and hunger where many children and elders died in the provinces of Salta and the Chaco in northern Argentina, there is now the beginning of hope with democratic 11 apertua 11 begun in 1983. Although the economic crisis continues, a rebirth of Indian organizations and the struggle for the rigths of the more than one million Indians who now live in Argentina has begun. Currently there is emphisis on establishing a law that guarantees the indigenous land base. CHILE--The Mapuche Situation With Decree Law 2568 of 1979, the military regime of Pinochet provides for the extermination of Mapuche communal lands. Not only does this law state that all Indian lands must be divided, but it also implies that after the division, the lands will no longer be considered "Indian" (nor the people "Indians"). Indians will no longer be defined by their culture or language, and land division cannot be appealed. The Mapuche were never conquered by either the Incas or the Spanish. Although Chileans state that they "pacified" Mapuches in 1883, Mapuches are proud and conscious of their history. Their struggle has not ended. They not only struggle for their land (which has been reduced from 31 million hectares in 1540 to 350,000 hectares at present), but they also resist being assimilated by the colonial society. At the same time, the Mapuche, along with a vast majority of the Chilean population, are actively fighting the authoritarian dictatorship of Pinochet. URGENT NOTICE: Juan Neculqueo, a national leader of the Mapuche organization ADMapu, was imprisonned for three years after the coup of 1973, accused of collaborating with the freely elected Allende government. Since his release, he has been arrested three more times. His last imprisonment was on April 23, when he and four other AD-Mapu Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 7 �members were on their way to talk to a lawyer in Temuco regarding the detention of two national officers (see SAIIC Newsletter no. 1, vol. 1). The other four members were held for 14 hours with no charge. Neculqueo was released six days later and his life threatened if he was seen again. He fled the country to Peru, where he was arrested again. After his release, he participated in the WCIP General Assembly in Panama. He is presently in Panama, expecting to obtain a visa to come to the United States and Canada. If you or your organization can help with support efforts, please reach SAAIC by phone or mail. Also, any donations for Juan's family, still in Chile, can be sent through us. i}*******************~~*****~~*********** Since we are devoting most of this newsletter to the WCIP Conference, we want include the following information on indigenous concerns at the international level. to CANADA The government owned National Canadian Railroad is expanding their railroad line in British Columbia. This expansion will have an extremely damaging effect on traditional Shuswap, Thompson, and Stolo fishing sites. The major places where fish lay their eggs will also be greatly damaged. The expansion program threatens all the native fishermen of the area. The 4th General Assembly of the World Council of Indigenous People resolved to give support to the first Indian nations, Shuswap, Thompson, and Stolo in their efforts to stop this expansion program to insure that the traditional economic base will not be destrotyed SAMI NORDIC GROUP fhe Sami Nordic Council suggests that during the International Year of Peace in 1986 the United Nations should organize a workshop on the role of indigenous peoples of the world. The objective of the workshop should be to emphasize and discuss human rights, solidarity, democracy, tolerance, knowledge, understanding, and acceptance of indigenous peoples. They should also discuss more concrete matters, such as war, disarmament, de-nuclearized zones, and other activities that threaten world peace and peaceful co-existence. Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 8 �PACIFIC REGION At present, the struggle of Indigenous Peoples adopts different forms of organization to resist imperialism and colonialism. The Pacific Region is an area which, although information is hard to come by, has suffered much repression and massacres by the colonial governments. This region consists of Australia, New Zeland, East Timor, West Pacific, New Caledonia, French occupied Polynesia, Hawaii and Micronesia. Although there have been numerous meetings at local levels, probably the most important is the South Pacific Conference held from June 25-27 in Camberra, Australia. The following is part of the report of the Pacific Region at the General Assembly of the WCIP in Panama: 11 The Pacific Region, contrary to the popular myth of idyllic coral islands populated by carefree villagers, suffers the full range of colonial oppression, and the struggles of indigenous peoples are characterized to a large extent by the kind of occupation they endure." French Occupation--The Maori people in Polynesia have been subject to French control for over a century. During the past years, the situation has worsened due to the French program of nuclear testing in the Pacific which began in 1962 and the dumping of waste by the U.S. and Japan. This threatens the life of humans, animals, and ecology as a whole. New Caledonia was annexed by the French 130 years ago, with the intention of turning it into a penal colony. For the native Kanak people the French presence caused an immediate and lasting social upheaval. Like the Australian aboriginals, they were forced to live on reserves in poor lands to which they had no title. But the social turmoil of New Caledonia today stems from the fact that from 1903 to 1945 forced labor was instituted. Today the Kanak struggle for independence led by the Kanak Independence Front is gaining momentum. While the French government offers "autonomy" by 1989, the Independence Front has lodged its own program. This would lead to an act of selfdetermination during this year, and independence on Sept. 24, 1985, the 132nd anniversary of French annexation. English Occupation--Australia and New Zealand: The victims of Anglo and American occupation are also entering the political arena to an increasing extent. Despite many obstructions, the National Aboriginal Conference is carrying out the task of representing Aboriginal opinion to the government of Australia. The struggle for self-determination is led by the NAC working within and outside the system to bring about change. The Maua Motuhake in New Zeland is a Maori political party which aims to gain control over land, law, and education. The Organization of the Maori People, like that of the Aborigines, is proceeding on many levels. Indonesian Occupation--East Timor and West Papua: The worst cases are the victims of Indonesian expansionism. The people of East Timor and West Papua have endured a Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 9 �concerted campaign of genocide since the beginning of Indonesian occupation. In these countries the killing and terrorism of indigenous people is part of a sustained program of control, geared to replace the existing population with the invading culture in as short a time as possible. In simple terms this is a horror of unimaginable proportions, but it is the daily experience of many East Timorese and West Papuans. Since emerging from 464 years of Portuguese colonization, the people of East Timor have been subjected to an invasion in which 150,000 people have died. A continous guerrilla war has had catastrophic effects on the population. Timorese are continually uprooted from their homes or resettlement camps, and forced into new camps in unfamiliar areas so they can offer no support to Fretilin (Timor Liberation Front), the rebel organization. Traditional ways of life have been disrupted, hunger and malnutrition are rife and many refugees have been waiting in vain for years to join their families who have fled. The United Nations General Assembly has consistently rejected the legitimacy of the Indonesian annexation of East Timor. As in East Timor, the Indonesian annexation of West Papua continues to cause killings, torture and massacres of whole cities opposing invasion. Another problem is that thousands of Javanese immigrants are relocated on land belonging to indigenous Melanesians. The Free Papua Movement represents the people of West Papua in resistance to the Indonesian occupation. United States Occupation--The United States continues to control Micronesia for strategic reasons. Micronesia is now divided into four states: the Republic of Belau, the Federated States (Yap, Truck, Ponape, and Kossae), the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Northern Marianas. A large part of this territory is used for U.S. nuclear bases, occupying lands of indigenous people and destroying the ecology with tests of chemical and biological arms. The illegal U.S. occupation of Hawaii has brought many negative consequences for native Hawaiian people, dispossessing them of their lands, militarizing the islands, and lowering the social, economic, educational, health, mortality, and language standards of the people. The report of the South Pacific Confernece ends saying, "These, then are the countries which now form the Pacific Region of the WCIP. Our histories are different but similar, and our member organizations range from rebel guerrilla groups, to political parties, to autonomous representative organizations. The spiritual relationship with the land, the commonality of experience, particularly the traumatic experience of alienation and loss heralded by colonization, and our continued presence as the most disadvantaged groups in our societies has given the indigenous peoples a natural unity of spirit which we may yet fuse into a unity of action." Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 10 �STATEMENTS from the COMMISSION ON LIBERATION AND THE LAND at the WCIP Conference "One of the many forms of repression is the practice of extinguishing the existence of the indigenous people by separating them from their traditional lands. Land to the indigenous people represents more than a commodity to be bartered back and forth to maximize profit. For many indigenous people, land is the seat of spirituality. It is the guardian and protector of the bones of our forefathers; it is the historical record of a people, the provider of food, clothing, and shelter; it represents the hope of the generations to follow. "To separate the indigenous people from the land traditionally held by us is to pronounce certain death for we will either die physically, or our minds and bodies will be altered in such a way that we will mimic the foreigners' ways, adopt their language, accept their thoughts, and build a foreign prison around our indigenous spirit which suffocates rather than allows for the flourishing of our spirit. "Whether or not we die physically or alter our minds and become the foreigner, LJJe still perish when we are separated from our traditional lands. "We call for a united effort in gathering the ancient wisdom and knowledge of all our indigenous people along with the practitioners of this knowledge, to exchange that which can be exchanged, and respect that which should remain secret; to teach our youth the treasures of our culture and inspire pride and dignity in our future leaders; to unify in solidarity the indigenous people across the world to bring about our liberation." WORKING COMMISSION REPORTS "The national governments do not respect our ancestral territorial rights, which embrace not only the land itself, but the spiritual world of the Indian as well. Mother Earth is not for sale or rent." Quote from: Commission #1, Territorial Rights, in Working Commission Reports: Second Conference of Indian Nations and Organizations of South America. Tiwanaku, Bolivia. Published by SAIIC, 19B4. To order a copy, send a check for $3.00 made out to the American Friends Service Committee to: SAIIC, P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA 94707. Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 11 �FOR SALE IN THE U.S. THROUGH SAIIC Tengo Casa Propia (in Spanish), by Susan Lobo~ 1984. Published by the Institute of Peruvian Studies (Peru) and the Inter-~merican Indian Institute (Mexico). This book· presents an in-depth understanding of the building of community by Indian migrants in one of the squatter settlements of Peru. 20% of proceeds from sale of the book support -SAIIC Newsletter; 80% of proceeds will be donated to a community project in the squatter settlement discussed in the book. Send a check for$11.00 to: American Friends Service Committee/South American Indian Information Center. SAIIC, PO Box 7550, Berkeley, CA 94707. SAIIC RADIO PROGRAM Starting in December, SAIIC will host a half hour radio program "South American 11 Indian Update the first Friday of each month at 8:00 P.M. Ra.dio KPFA, (94.), listener sponsored radio, Berkeley, reaching northern and central California areas. Listen in! ~·{•************************************ To receive a copy of the Working Commission Reports: Second Conference of Indian Nations and Organizations of South America , please send a contribution of $3.00 to cover publication and mailing costs. To receive the South American Indian Information Center Newsletter for one and to remain on our mailing list, please send a donation of $5.00. year, Please check if you cannot send a donation at this time, but would like to remain on our mailing list. Make out all checks, which are tax deductible, to: American Friends Service Committee/the South American Indian Information Center, and send along with this portion of the Bulletin to P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, California 94707, U.S.A. ************************************** Special thanks for production assistance to: The Vanguard Foundation, The American Friends Service Committee, The Bay Area Indian Lutheran Ministery. Susan Lobo, Publications Editor Nilo Cayuqueo, SAIIC Coordinator Vol. 1, no. 2. Fall, 1984. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 12 � 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. 1, No. 2 (Fall 1984) 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. 1, No. 2 (Fall 1984) 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 1984 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Vol. 1, No. 2 (Fall 1984) Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Volume 1 No. 2.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Issue 2 Volume 1 Abstract Note Entire issue Pages 1-12 http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/44b9b1f5d265601518e057ac2ac61f49.pdf 22dadb150a6dad75c123ae7c9ab90df6 PDF Text Text Berkeley, 9o.1 FM, first Friday of each month, 8:00PM), discussing her participation in the New Song Festival in Quito, Ecuador: "This trip was a real eye opener. I was taken to a community. They talked to me about their struggles, trying to keep ahold of what land they have as a native people. Just like ours. Their struggle is our struggle. The same thing." "South American Indian Update, 11 broadcast throughout Northern California, is hosted by SAIIC and produced by Pat Collins for KPFA as part of the series "Living on Indian Time." LISTEN IN! ****************************** NEWSLETTER To receive the SAIIC Newsletter.f~· qne year, please send a donation of $5.00. - : . and to remain on our mailing list, ~. WORKING COMMISSION REPORTS ~; To order a copy of the Work~~~ Commission Reports: Second Conference of Indian Nations and Organizations of South America. Tiwanaku, Bolivia, published by SAIIC, 1984, please send a donation of $3.00. TENGO CASA PROPIA To order this book by Susan Lobo, published by the Instituto de Estudios Peruanas (1984), send a check for $11.00. All proceeds from sales are for SAIIC projects. Please make out all checks, which are tax deductible, to: American Friends Service Committee/The South American Indian Information Center, P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA, 94707, U.S.A. Special thanks for production assistance to: The Vanguard Foundation, The American Friends Service Committee, The Bay Area Indian Lutheran Ministry, Bobsey Draper, George Tinker, and the SAIIC Committee: Pete Hammer, Peggy Lowry, Anna Lugo, Maria Massolo, James Muneta, and Jo Tucker. Nilo Cayuqueo, SAIIC Coordinator Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. Susan Lobo, Publications Editor ®SAIIC. Page 11 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Subscription Information (Newsletter, Working Commission Reports, and Tengo Casa Propia) and Special Thanks to Production Assistants 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Subscription Information (Newsletter, Working Commission Reports, and Tengo Casa Propia) and Special Thanks to Production Assistants Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (11).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/3210a33011c71ef3e6e21de5d9178414.pdf 30d89213c4835a4c63729c87044945ab PDF Text Text Yah teeh (Greetings) Brothers and Sisters, As a North American Indian and a member of the Dineh (Navajo) Nation, I welcome Sophia to the United States or to the indigenous homeland of many tribal people. Her friends look foreward to her arrival and hope her visit will be a most enjoyable and successful one. May the Great Spirit be with her in her work for her people. Peace and harmony, James Muneta VIDEOS SAIIC has been visited by Alvaro Vasquez, a member of the Asemblea del Pueblo Zapoteco in Oaxaca, Mexico, who showed videos taped in various Zapotec communities by community members. He discussed the need for indigenous peoples to continue to build a strong network of direct communication, emphasizing in this instance the usefulness of video as a medium that combines visual images and sound. Maria-Helene Laroque who lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, and works with the Dene and other indigenous cow~unities, tells us that video is used in communities there. Several SAIIC members saw a work-in-progress version of the Mapuche video Marri-Chihueu described earlier in this newsletter. We would like to hear from readers who are using video or who could lend support to indigenous video efforts. COMPUTER NETWORKING For information about computer networking among indigenous people, contact: Indigenous Peoples Network Research Center, P.O. Box 364, Rochester, Vermont 05767. SAIIC RADIO PROGRAM Tawna Sanchez (Shoshone-Bannock), International Indian Treaty Council delegate, on "south American Indian Update" (KPFA in Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 10 �Berkeley, 9o.1 FM, first Friday of each month, 8:00PM), discussing her participation in the New Song Festival in Quito, Ecuador: "This trip was a real eye opener. I was taken to a community. They talked to me about their struggles, trying to keep ahold of what land they have as a native people. Just like ours. Their struggle is our struggle. The same thing." "South American Indian Update, 11 broadcast throughout Northern California, is hosted by SAIIC and produced by Pat Collins for KPFA as part of the series "Living on Indian Time." LISTEN IN! ****************************** NEWSLETTER To receive the SAIIC Newsletter.f~· qne year, please send a donation of $5.00. - : . and to remain on our mailing list, ~. WORKING COMMISSION REPORTS ~; To order a copy of the Work~~~ Commission Reports: Second Conference of Indian Nations and Organizations of South America. Tiwanaku, Bolivia, published by SAIIC, 1984, please send a donation of $3.00. TENGO CASA PROPIA To order this book by Susan Lobo, published by the Instituto de Estudios Peruanas (1984), send a check for $11.00. All proceeds from sales are for SAIIC projects. Please make out all checks, which are tax deductible, to: American Friends Service Committee/The South American Indian Information Center, P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA, 94707, U.S.A. Special thanks for production assistance to: The Vanguard Foundation, The American Friends Service Committee, The Bay Area Indian Lutheran Ministry, Bobsey Draper, George Tinker, and the SAIIC Committee: Pete Hammer, Peggy Lowry, Anna Lugo, Maria Massolo, James Muneta, and Jo Tucker. Nilo Cayuqueo, SAIIC Coordinator Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. Susan Lobo, Publications Editor ®SAIIC. Page 11 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource SAIIC Radio Program 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title SAIIC Radio Program Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (10-11).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note Radio Program transcript Issue 3 Language English Pages 10-11 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 1 Radio Programs saiic http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/0045a61a758b95cb82554976e5d13dcc.pdf 97daff1f895a9da62a64a075733ae314 PDF Text Text Yah teeh (Greetings) Brothers and Sisters, As a North American Indian and a member of the Dineh (Navajo) Nation, I welcome Sophia to the United States or to the indigenous homeland of many tribal people. Her friends look foreward to her arrival and hope her visit will be a most enjoyable and successful one. May the Great Spirit be with her in her work for her people. Peace and harmony, James Muneta VIDEOS SAIIC has been visited by Alvaro Vasquez, a member of the Asemblea del Pueblo Zapoteco in Oaxaca, Mexico, who showed videos taped in various Zapotec communities by community members. He discussed the need for indigenous peoples to continue to build a strong network of direct communication, emphasizing in this instance the usefulness of video as a medium that combines visual images and sound. Maria-Helene Laroque who lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, and works with the Dene and other indigenous cow~unities, tells us that video is used in communities there. Several SAIIC members saw a work-in-progress version of the Mapuche video Marri-Chihueu described earlier in this newsletter. We would like to hear from readers who are using video or who could lend support to indigenous video efforts. COMPUTER NETWORKING For information about computer networking among indigenous people, contact: Indigenous Peoples Network Research Center, P.O. Box 364, Rochester, Vermont 05767. SAIIC RADIO PROGRAM Tawna Sanchez (Shoshone-Bannock), International Indian Treaty Council delegate, on "south American Indian Update" (KPFA in Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 10 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Note from James Muneta, and Indigenous Video Efforts, and Computer Networking among Indigenous People 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Note from James Muneta, and Indigenous Video Efforts, and Computer Networking among Indigenous People Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (10).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note SAIIC has been visited by Alvaro Vasquez, a member of the Asemblea del Pueblo Zapoteco in Oaxaca, Mexico, who showed videos taped in various Zapotec communities by community members. Issue 3 Language English Pages 10 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 1 Computer Networking SAIIC radio program Videos http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/593ec1a8f2a7a2e1af4fac5101b34ee4.pdf f542499454ee07b57fa66889b9f5d1bd PDF Text Text ****************************** U.N. COMMISSION The 41st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 4 through March 15, 1985. All the official member countries of the commission will be attending to give testimony on human rights violations. The primary issues of concern are human rights violations in South Africa, Central America, and Arab territories. There will be a special emphasis on religious freedom and the situation in Chile. Various sub-commission member 'countries and non-governmental organizations such as the International Indian Treaty Council, the World Council of Indigenous Peoples, the South American Indian Council, and the Regional Indian Council of Central America will be participating. SOFIA PAINQUEO Sofia Painqueo, a Mapuche from Chile, will be visiting the United States during March under the sponsorship of the Institute of Policy Studies (1901 Que Street, Northwest, Washington, D~ 20009). She will be singing traditional Mapuche music and speaking throughout the United States on the. history and current situation of the Mapuche in Chile. From March 19-27 she will be in northern California, hosted by SAIIC in the Bay Area and by CASA (128 Pearl Alley, Santa Cruz, CA 95060) in Santa Cruz. Since 1979, Sofia has helped to promote the establishment of the Mapuche cultural centers which were precursors to the Mapuche organization AD-Mapu. While living. in Santiago, Sofia worked with other Mapuche to form a group which coordinated their activities with AD-Mapu. She says, "I have been especially active in organizing artistic events which reaffirm the Mapuche identity. We have performed in shanty towns and churchs. I performed also at the Fourth Assembly of Indigenous Peoples in Panama in September, 1984, as a representative of Mapuche women." For information regarding Sofia's visit or her Institute for Policy Studies or SAIIC. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. speaking ®SAIIC. schedule, contact the Page 9 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United Nations Commission on Human Rights and Sofia Painqueo 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title United Nations Commission on Human Rights and Sofia Painqueo Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (9).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Issue 3 Language English Pages 9 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 1 Abstract Note An announcement about when and where the 41st session of the United Nations Committee of Human rights will be held. Geneva UN Commission of Human Rights Winter 1985 http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/9a572e68c45cd459857a74385b0a9d3a.pdf 28f12129ac218ede374f2cfc02170735 PDF Text Text BOLIVIA Indian organizations in South America mourn the death of Zenobia Ayala, who was a During his 43 years Zenobia was founding member and active participant in MITKA-1. involved in the Bolivian Indian movement, both as a strategist and an activist. An editorial in the CISA newsletter comments, "We will have your example to continue the struggle for the rights of our people." COLOMBIA In the Cauca region of Colombia there is an ongoing struggle over land between indigenous communities and those who use the land for growing sugar cane. Clashes between indigenous communities, hacendados and government forces have resulted in many deaths. In a recent letter to President Betancur of Colombia, Trino Morales, president of ONIC (Drganizacion Nacional de Indigenas de Colombia, Apartado Aereo 32395, Bogota, Colombia), stated: "Today we wish t~ live in reace, not at war. We are tired of this state of seige and for that reason urge you as president to respect our culture, our officials, our autonomy and to assure us of the maintenance of our indigenous lands." NICARAGUA The peace talks between the Nicaraguan government and the Miskito Indian organization MISURASATA have been postponed. They will be held in Bogota, Colombia, on February 22. Luis Carrion, Vice-minister of the Interior, will be representing the government of Nicaragua, and Brooklin Rivera will be representing MISURASATA. These talks are facilitated by the governments of France, Sweden, Colombia, and by organizations such as the World Council of Indigenous Cultural Survival. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Mexico, Peoples and and Page 8 � 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. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bolivia, Colombia, and Nicaragua 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Bolivia, Colombia, and Nicaragua Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (8).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note Indian organizations in South America mourn the death of Zenobia Ayala, who was a founding member and active participant in MITKA-1. Issue 3 Language English Pages 8 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 1 Bolivia Colombia Nicaragua http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/12b0763c3eb55cadd1a9aff02fba9750.pdf 158958e1b7212f383dda5e8b1902e21b PDF Text Text PERU The violence in Peru continues to escalate, and Indian people, along with many others, suffer; those who are on the political left, those on the right, and the vast majority who find themselves caught in a dilemma where survival for themselves and their families is their primary goal. Letters we receive from Indian friends living in small communities and cities in Peru tell us of fear of the future and great economic insecurity. One of the effects of violence centered in the highlands has been an acceleration of migration to coastal cities, particularly the metropolitan Lima area. Like many South American cities, the population of Lima has increased phenomenally, from about 400,000 in 1930 to over 4,608,000 in 1981. Well over half of the population of Lima now consists of migrants from the highlands, and the vast majority of these people are of Indian ancestry. Thus, another indigenous reality takes place in an urban context. Now, many peale from communities in the highlands have fled the violence there to take refuge with family members living in the city, most often in the Pueblos Jovenes, neighborhoods built through the efforts of those who live there, and often called squatter settlements or shanty bJwns. These additional migrants are putting a strain on the already scarce resources of relatives living in the city, and friends write us that many adjustments must be made to assure that everyone has enough to eat and a place to sleep. Also affected are lands, crops and stock left behind by these migrants from an internal war, further reducing the food and agricultural resources available. This displacement of communities and the loss of land is only one other short term tesult of the current violence in Peru. Indians wonder what the long term effects will be, as well as the institutionalized violence that may result. Ashaninka-Campa Abel Chapay Miguel, president of FECONACA (Federacion de Comunidades CampasAshaninkas) writes that a total of 31 native communities in the area of the Rio Ene and In December of 1984 titles were Rio Tambo have received titled to community lands. given to eleven more communities and work is proceeding to finalize these land issues. FECONACA works with OCARE (Organizacion Campa del Rio Ene-Apurimac) and CART (Central Ashaninka del Rio Tambo) as member organizations of TOAK (Central Unida de las Organizaciones Campas). This federation unites Ashaninka-Campa communities found in these three river valleys. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 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. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Peru 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Peru Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (7).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note The violence in Peru continues to escalate, and Indian people, along with many others, suffer... Issue 3 Language English Pages 7 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 1 land rights Lima Peru Pueblos Jovenes http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/86bc93f717e8eade323ddaa4ab262a06.pdf b0eefe99216b65fb3e66411ddcb60ca0 PDF Text Text 1Uth regions. According to INDAP, by late 1983, 1,365 reservations totaling 235,000 hectares had been divided. This means that only 701 reservations have not yet been divided. • . . "The implementation of this law has meant that several thousand Mapuches have robbed of their lands and have been left without territorial rights. been "One of the immediate effects which can be see by the implementation of this new law is the severe social and ~conomic situation. There is a high percentage of unemployment, hunger, and misery in all communities, both those which have been divided and those which have not. This is leading towards a situation of racial explosion of unforeseeable consequences, caused by the neglect, discrimination, and repression suffered during these years of military rule." Mapuche Film A film called Marri-Chihueu (Ten Times, We Will Overcome), in which the Mapuche give their testimony to the world, is now being made in 16mm and video. It presents the life, culture, and current reality of the Mapuche Nation, but it has not yet been completed due to lack of funds. If you would like to collaborate in any way, please write to: The Mapuche Film Project, 135 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238. Juan Neculqueo We would like to thank all those who were concerned about and collaborated with Juan Neculqueo, the Mapuche leader who was being sought by the military government of Chile (see our last newsletter). Juan spent some time in Panama but was denied visas to both Canada and the U.S. Through the assistance of SAIIC and other organizations, he is now exiled· in Argentina under the sponsorship of the Centro Kalla. Juan is expecting his family to join him there and sends his thanks to all who, th~ough SAIIC, have helped him. BRAZIL Contemporary scholars estimate that 500 years ago, before the European invasion of the New World, there were as many as 5 million people living in the Amazon basin in South America. The first Europeans to explore the Amazon River described sections where for mile after mile after mile the densely-clustered homes of the indigenous residents lined the river's banks. Today Brazilian Indians estimate their numbers at 200,000 people, organ- Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 5 �ized into about 150 tribes scattered throughout the country, some 115 of 1~om retain their non-European language. Ciseas8s ar,o the demands of European-style economic enterprises have reduced the indigenous population to a mere three or four per cent of its original total. Most of the news reaching SAIIC about Indians in Brazil during the last year centers on two topics, the continuing struggle to cqntrol their lands and their increasing success in joining the widely-scattered, linguistically-diverse Indian groups together for political action. Among the major events of 1984 were: ® The Second Meeting of Indian Leadership, held in Brasilia in April. Organized independently of FUNAI, the government department for Indian affairs, the meeting resulted in the creation of the Indian Council of the Union of Indigenous Nations (Uniao das Nacoes Indigenas--UNI), with representatives from 44 Indian peoples. ® The appearance of Jornal Indigena, published by UNI, which contains news on the organization and Indian people from throughout Brazil. Direct correspondence to Jornal Indigena; Rua Caiubi, 126; Perdizes 05010; Sao Paulo, S.P., Brasil. ® An assembly of Guarani and other indigenous people in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, November 24-25, to mark the first anniversary of the assassination of Marcal de Souza and press Indian demands for control of their land. In a letter to the president of FUNAI, the assembly gave the government until April 30, 1985, to act on their demands, after which the Indians will 11 go ahead and set our own boundaries." ® The replacement of the non-Indian director of the Xingu homeland by an Indian after pressure from Indian groups living in the area. URGENT ACTION BULLETIN from Survival International, 29 Craven St., London, WC2N 5NT, England: "Isolated Indians of the Javari valley of western Brazil have been involved in violent clashes with petroleum prospectors invading their lands. Several people have Following the killings, the oil prospectors withdrew been killed in these encounters. from the region only to recommence their seismic surveys in another Indian area." The Catholic missionary organization CIMI has been active in denouncing oil prospecting in this area and pressuring FUNAI to take a more positive role regarding indigenous rights. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 6 � 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. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Brazil 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Brazil Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (5-6).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Abstract Note Ciseases and the demands of European-style economic enter- prises have reduced the indigenous population to a mere three or four per cent of its original total. Issue 3 Language English Pages 5-6 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 1 Brazil Ciseases FUNAI Indigenous http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/e491b9b5f91e3856efa88935189e6ee6.pdf 7cef4f6c90dff95427a27ffa71f2196b PDF Text Text Generallv speaking, in Indian communities in Argentina today native language~ are still spoken, but in the schools the official language has always been Spanish. Indian religious ceremonies are still practiced, but Christian religious sectors try to destroy Indian culture by discrediting these ceremonies, saying that they are acts of the devil. These religious groups are backed by the local authorities and landholders, because the Christianity that they follow is that of not resisting injustice. They move the Indians off the land and use them as cheap labor under working conditions no different from slavery. While in Argentina, I had several meetings with Indian leaders from organizations such as Parcialidades Tobas (northeast), Federacion Diaguita-Calchaqui (north), Nehuen Mapu (Mapuches from the south), and Centro Kalla and Asociation Indigena in Buenos Aires. They expressed to me a great interest in coming in contact with Indian people from North America in order to exchange experiences. All Argentine Indian organizations will participate in a conference Discrimination in the Americas" which will be held in Buenos Aires in June, event has been organized by the World Council of Churches. on "Racial 1985. This CHILE About one million of the 11 million people who live _._,, Chile are Mapuche Indians. Many live in traditional communities in the bountiful rural area south of Santiago. They have been subject to serious violations of their human rights since the military government was installed under General Pinochet in the bloody coup in 1973. In their struggle to resist the military, the Mapuche have become the vanguard of the campesino (peasant) population. Their demands include the right to their ancestral lands, the right to maintain and develop their culture, language, and traditions, and the right to decide their own destiny. I'IU!Ui r f!UULI if./1'1 Ufl.u f)Fi!l'/.0 Iii:! /i/1/'!i/0 //!.l!li/UU! 1984 was a year of 11 despojo 11 (plunder) and severe repression against the Mapuche people. Mapuche leaders were arrested and beaten by the local police on several occasions. In January of 1984, a young Mapuche student was found assissinated, supposedly by the Alianza Chilena Anticomunista. Later this same paramilitary organization threatened the lives of all members of AD-Mapu, an organization which represents the Mapuche people. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 3 �Last D~cember, one of the members of AD-Mapu gave a moving presentation on the current situation of the Mapuche people to the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Chile. Part of this presentation follows: 11 The Pinochet regime has implemented, since the beginning, an open and s.ystematic policy of racial discrimination and genocide against the Mapuche people. This has been in the form of killings, arrests, exile, and disappearances of many members and leaders of the Mapuche communities from different regions of the country. This is generally unknown to organizations committed to human rights investigations. 11 We want to call the attention of human rights organizations to the Mapuche situation. In order to do this, it is important to keep in mind the vision of the cosmos and the cultural values of the Mapuche, which are not generally considered in reports. 11 We would like to point out that the Mapuches have a SACRED and COLLECTIVE concept of the earth and all it produces. There are no concepts like private property, commercial value, or constantly changing technology that industrial societies have. The religious and sacred dimensions have a global and general quality in Mapuche culture. To alter any aspect of Mapuche culture is to alter the sacred spirituality of Mapuche people. "Traditionally, for the Mapuche the earth is part of life itself and it also has a sacred dimension which encompasses the existence and culture as a whole of Mapuche society. 11 With this in mind, it is easy to see the vast damage caused to the spirit of the Mapuche people by the division of sacred and collective land. The consequences are unpredictable for the future of the culture of this people. 11 In documents recently issued by the AD-Mapu Mapuche organization, the current situation of the Mapuche people is characterized as the most critical in history. This is based on the weaking of social and cultural unity as a direct consequence of the arbitrary and unjust division of Indian communities. INDAP (Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario) representatives, with no consideration of the legitimate rights of the community, grant land titles to the OCCUPANTS, whether or not they have rights to the land. Many times these titles are granted to nonMapuche individuals and landholders. "When Decree Law 2568 was written in 1979, 2,066 Indian reservations covering 375,000 hectares existed within the 8th and Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 4 �1Uth regions. According to INDAP, by late 1983, 1,365 reservations totaling 235,000 hectares had been divided. This means that only 701 reservations have not yet been divided. • . . "The implementation of this law has meant that several thousand Mapuches have robbed of their lands and have been left without territorial rights. been "One of the immediate effects which can be see by the implementation of this new law is the severe social and ~conomic situation. There is a high percentage of unemployment, hunger, and misery in all communities, both those which have been divided and those which have not. This is leading towards a situation of racial explosion of unforeseeable consequences, caused by the neglect, discrimination, and repression suffered during these years of military rule." Mapuche Film A film called Marri-Chihueu (Ten Times, We Will Overcome), in which the Mapuche give their testimony to the world, is now being made in 16mm and video. It presents the life, culture, and current reality of the Mapuche Nation, but it has not yet been completed due to lack of funds. If you would like to collaborate in any way, please write to: The Mapuche Film Project, 135 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238. Juan Neculqueo We would like to thank all those who were concerned about and collaborated with Juan Neculqueo, the Mapuche leader who was being sought by the military government of Chile (see our last newsletter). Juan spent some time in Panama but was denied visas to both Canada and the U.S. Through the assistance of SAIIC and other organizations, he is now exiled· in Argentina under the sponsorship of the Centro Kalla. Juan is expecting his family to join him there and sends his thanks to all who, th~ough SAIIC, have helped him. BRAZIL Contemporary scholars estimate that 500 years ago, before the European invasion of the New World, there were as many as 5 million people living in the Amazon basin in South America. The first Europeans to explore the Amazon River described sections where for mile after mile after mile the densely-clustered homes of the indigenous residents lined the river's banks. Today Brazilian Indians estimate their numbers at 200,000 people, organ- Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 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. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Chile 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Chile Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (3-5).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Issue 3 Language English Pages 3-5 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Abstract Note Traditional communities are subject to serious violations of their human rights since the military government was installed under General Pinochet in the bloody coup in 1973. Volume 1 Alianza Chilena Anticomunista Chile Mapuche Pinochet http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/418ac21785d410c53360ecf6bf5f1fa3.pdf 218b0a75d8a5bccd27b13ce3235a3771 PDF Text Text sAne N E WS L E T T E R South American Indian Information Center (SAIIC) P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, California 94707 - USA Phone 415-521-2779 Dear Sisters and Brothers, Thank you for your interest and support! We appreciate your correspondence. We also welcome those who are reading the SAIIC Newsletter for the first time. As you will see, our goal is to facilitate the exchange of information among Indians and others interested in Indian issues in South, Central, and North America by providing summaries in English of news we receive from the non-English speaking areas of the Americas. As an all-volunteer organization, we are very aware of the need for collaborative effort. For those who wish to make a tax deductible donation to SAIIC (made out to the American Friends Service Committee), your contribution will be greatly appreciated and will go to further SAIJC projects, including our newsletter, radio program, and occasional publications. We are curr~nt:y raising funds to =pon~or the vi2it af S0fi3 Painqueo; R t~Rrlitional singer and active participant in AD-Mapu in Chile. Also, we urge those who haven't subscribed yet to the newsletter to do so. Sincerely, The SAIIC Committee ****************************** ARGENTINA Nilo Cayuqueo, Coordinator of SAIIC, has just returned from South America, where he intended to visit Indian communities in and Chile. Due to an unexpected wait in Argentina to renew his the latter part of the trip had to be canceled. Following is his Argentina. a trip to. Argentina passport, report 011 In Argentina, which together with Chile forms the southern part of the American continent, there are 13 different Indian nations which include Vol. 1, no. 3. Wi~ter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 1 �approximately 700,000 of the 28 million people who live in Argentina. The largest nations are the Kalla (approximately 250,000), living in Jujuy and Salta provinces uy the Bolivian border; the Tobas (approximately 80,000), living in the Chaco and provinces bordering Paraguay; and the Formosa Mapuche (approximately 150,000), living in Neuquen, Rio Negro, and Chubut provinces near Chile. During the military dictatorship, which took power in 1976 and lasted until its forced retreat in 1983 after losing the war over the Malvinas, the basic human rights of Indian peoples worsened. A large part of their land was seized and harsh repression was imposed on the leaders who protested. At the present there are six Indians who have "disappeared." It is believed that they were killed along with thousands of other people In 1982, nine Chanes Indian children from Salta died of starvation. Likewise, five Mapuche elders in the southern province of Neuquen died of cold and hunger last winter. With the return of democracy, Indian people have begun to organize once more. Several regional conferences have been held and federations have begun to form. Last November, the Diaguita-Calchaqui Congress was held in the northern province of Tucuman. Many peopled attended, supported also by worker and peasant organizations. At the request of the Indian organizations, the Senate has approved a general law for Indian people. This is the first time in Argentine history that Indian people have been publicly recognized as living legally in communities. Indians have also taken back part of their land which had been usurped by landowners and the military. The law will be voted on by the House of Representatives in March, 1985. Indian people have never had titles to their lands or the right to live in traditional communities. After the so-called "War for Independence," the criollos (Spanishdescended Arg~ntines) took power and created the political boundaries of the provinces as they appear today. The different Republican governments that followed, along with the landholders and the military, forced the Indian people off their lands, much as in the United States when the European population spread west. Today in Argentina most For example, in the Indians have only small parcels of land which cannot sustain them. southern province of Neuquen, where many Mapuche live, the army now owns a large farm called Pulmari which was formed from Indian lands. Since the army's latest acquisitions in 1979, this farm now totals 50,000 hectares. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 2 �Generallv speaking, in Indian communities in Argentina today native language~ are still spoken, but in the schools the official language has always been Spanish. Indian religious ceremonies are still practiced, but Christian religious sectors try to destroy Indian culture by discrediting these ceremonies, saying that they are acts of the devil. These religious groups are backed by the local authorities and landholders, because the Christianity that they follow is that of not resisting injustice. They move the Indians off the land and use them as cheap labor under working conditions no different from slavery. While in Argentina, I had several meetings with Indian leaders from organizations such as Parcialidades Tobas (northeast), Federacion Diaguita-Calchaqui (north), Nehuen Mapu (Mapuches from the south), and Centro Kalla and Asociation Indigena in Buenos Aires. They expressed to me a great interest in coming in contact with Indian people from North America in order to exchange experiences. All Argentine Indian organizations will participate in a conference Discrimination in the Americas" which will be held in Buenos Aires in June, event has been organized by the World Council of Churches. on "Racial 1985. This CHILE About one million of the 11 million people who live _._,, Chile are Mapuche Indians. Many live in traditional communities in the bountiful rural area south of Santiago. They have been subject to serious violations of their human rights since the military government was installed under General Pinochet in the bloody coup in 1973. In their struggle to resist the military, the Mapuche have become the vanguard of the campesino (peasant) population. Their demands include the right to their ancestral lands, the right to maintain and develop their culture, language, and traditions, and the right to decide their own destiny. I'IU!Ui r f!UULI if./1'1 Ufl.u f)Fi!l'/.0 Iii:! /i/1/'!i/0 //!.l!li/UU! 1984 was a year of 11 despojo 11 (plunder) and severe repression against the Mapuche people. Mapuche leaders were arrested and beaten by the local police on several occasions. In January of 1984, a young Mapuche student was found assissinated, supposedly by the Alianza Chilena Anticomunista. Later this same paramilitary organization threatened the lives of all members of AD-Mapu, an organization which represents the Mapuche people. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 3 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Argentina 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Argentina Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (1-3).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Issue 3 Language English Pages 1-3 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 1 Abstract Note Nilo Cayuqueo, Coordinator of SAIIC, has just returned from a trip to. South America, where he intended to visit Indian communities in Argentina and Chile. Due to an unexpected wait in Argentina to renew his passport, the latter part of the trip had to be canceled. Following is his report. Argentina Diaguita-Calchaqui Congress Malvinas Nilo Cayuqueo http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/73dc63c58bfa76fe62df23fdb970f70b.pdf 81ceba2e18c409419c1476125a825f52 PDF Text Text sAne N E WS L E T T E R South American Indian Information Center (SAIIC) P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, California 94707 - USA Phone 415-521-2779 Dear Sisters and Brothers, Thank you for your interest and support! We appreciate your correspondence. We also welcome those who are reading the SAIIC Newsletter for the first time. As you will see, our goal is to facilitate the exchange of information among Indians and others interested in Indian issues in South, Central, and North America by providing summaries in English of news we receive from the non-English speaking areas of the Americas. As an all-volunteer organization, we are very aware of the need for collaborative effort. For those who wish to make a tax deductible donation to SAIIC (made out to the American Friends Service Committee), your contribution will be greatly appreciated and will go to further SAIJC projects, including our newsletter, radio program, and occasional publications. We are curr~nt:y raising funds to =pon~or the vi2it af S0fi3 Painqueo; R t~Rrlitional singer and active participant in AD-Mapu in Chile. Also, we urge those who haven't subscribed yet to the newsletter to do so. Sincerely, The SAIIC Committee ****************************** ARGENTINA Nilo Cayuqueo, Coordinator of SAIIC, has just returned from South America, where he intended to visit Indian communities in and Chile. Due to an unexpected wait in Argentina to renew his the latter part of the trip had to be canceled. Following is his Argentina. a trip to. Argentina passport, report 011 In Argentina, which together with Chile forms the southern part of the American continent, there are 13 different Indian nations which include Vol. 1, no. 3. Wi~ter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 1 � 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. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Thank You to Subscribers and Donors 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Thank You to Subscribers and Donors Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Vol. 1, no. 3 (1).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Issue 3 Language English Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Volume 1 Abstract Note Same as "Thank you for your interest and support" Pages 1 Subscribers Thank you http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/8fedb00a05eba71d59384c0733ad762f.pdf 547610e91a01bb97022543a25869eb1a PDF Text Text sAne N E WS L E T T E R South American Indian Information Center (SAIIC) P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, California 94707 - USA Phone 415-521-2779 Dear Sisters and Brothers, Thank you for your interest and support! We appreciate your correspondence. We also welcome those who are reading the SAIIC Newsletter for the first time. As you will see, our goal is to facilitate the exchange of information among Indians and others interested in Indian issues in South, Central, and North America by providing summaries in English of news we receive from the non-English speaking areas of the Americas. As an all-volunteer organization, we are very aware of the need for collaborative effort. For those who wish to make a tax deductible donation to SAIIC (made out to the American Friends Service Committee), your contribution will be greatly appreciated and will go to further SAIJC projects, including our newsletter, radio program, and occasional publications. We are curr~nt:y raising funds to =pon~or the vi2it af S0fi3 Painqueo; R t~Rrlitional singer and active participant in AD-Mapu in Chile. Also, we urge those who haven't subscribed yet to the newsletter to do so. Sincerely, The SAIIC Committee ****************************** ARGENTINA Nilo Cayuqueo, Coordinator of SAIIC, has just returned from South America, where he intended to visit Indian communities in and Chile. Due to an unexpected wait in Argentina to renew his the latter part of the trip had to be canceled. Following is his Argentina. a trip to. Argentina passport, report 011 In Argentina, which together with Chile forms the southern part of the American continent, there are 13 different Indian nations which include Vol. 1, no. 3. Wi~ter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 1 �approximately 700,000 of the 28 million people who live in Argentina. The largest nations are the Kalla (approximately 250,000), living in Jujuy and Salta provinces uy the Bolivian border; the Tobas (approximately 80,000), living in the Chaco and provinces bordering Paraguay; and the Formosa Mapuche (approximately 150,000), living in Neuquen, Rio Negro, and Chubut provinces near Chile. During the military dictatorship, which took power in 1976 and lasted until its forced retreat in 1983 after losing the war over the Malvinas, the basic human rights of Indian peoples worsened. A large part of their land was seized and harsh repression was imposed on the leaders who protested. At the present there are six Indians who have "disappeared." It is believed that they were killed along with thousands of other people In 1982, nine Chanes Indian children from Salta died of starvation. Likewise, five Mapuche elders in the southern province of Neuquen died of cold and hunger last winter. With the return of democracy, Indian people have begun to organize once more. Several regional conferences have been held and federations have begun to form. Last November, the Diaguita-Calchaqui Congress was held in the northern province of Tucuman. Many peopled attended, supported also by worker and peasant organizations. At the request of the Indian organizations, the Senate has approved a general law for Indian people. This is the first time in Argentine history that Indian people have been publicly recognized as living legally in communities. Indians have also taken back part of their land which had been usurped by landowners and the military. The law will be voted on by the House of Representatives in March, 1985. Indian people have never had titles to their lands or the right to live in traditional communities. After the so-called "War for Independence," the criollos (Spanishdescended Arg~ntines) took power and created the political boundaries of the provinces as they appear today. The different Republican governments that followed, along with the landholders and the military, forced the Indian people off their lands, much as in the United States when the European population spread west. Today in Argentina most For example, in the Indians have only small parcels of land which cannot sustain them. southern province of Neuquen, where many Mapuche live, the army now owns a large farm called Pulmari which was formed from Indian lands. Since the army's latest acquisitions in 1979, this farm now totals 50,000 hectares. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 2 �Generallv speaking, in Indian communities in Argentina today native language~ are still spoken, but in the schools the official language has always been Spanish. Indian religious ceremonies are still practiced, but Christian religious sectors try to destroy Indian culture by discrediting these ceremonies, saying that they are acts of the devil. These religious groups are backed by the local authorities and landholders, because the Christianity that they follow is that of not resisting injustice. They move the Indians off the land and use them as cheap labor under working conditions no different from slavery. While in Argentina, I had several meetings with Indian leaders from organizations such as Parcialidades Tobas (northeast), Federacion Diaguita-Calchaqui (north), Nehuen Mapu (Mapuches from the south), and Centro Kalla and Asociation Indigena in Buenos Aires. They expressed to me a great interest in coming in contact with Indian people from North America in order to exchange experiences. All Argentine Indian organizations will participate in a conference Discrimination in the Americas" which will be held in Buenos Aires in June, event has been organized by the World Council of Churches. on "Racial 1985. This CHILE About one million of the 11 million people who live _._,, Chile are Mapuche Indians. Many live in traditional communities in the bountiful rural area south of Santiago. They have been subject to serious violations of their human rights since the military government was installed under General Pinochet in the bloody coup in 1973. In their struggle to resist the military, the Mapuche have become the vanguard of the campesino (peasant) population. Their demands include the right to their ancestral lands, the right to maintain and develop their culture, language, and traditions, and the right to decide their own destiny. I'IU!Ui r f!UULI if./1'1 Ufl.u f)Fi!l'/.0 Iii:! /i/1/'!i/0 //!.l!li/UU! 1984 was a year of 11 despojo 11 (plunder) and severe repression against the Mapuche people. Mapuche leaders were arrested and beaten by the local police on several occasions. In January of 1984, a young Mapuche student was found assissinated, supposedly by the Alianza Chilena Anticomunista. Later this same paramilitary organization threatened the lives of all members of AD-Mapu, an organization which represents the Mapuche people. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 3 �Last D~cember, one of the members of AD-Mapu gave a moving presentation on the current situation of the Mapuche people to the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Chile. Part of this presentation follows: 11 The Pinochet regime has implemented, since the beginning, an open and s.ystematic policy of racial discrimination and genocide against the Mapuche people. This has been in the form of killings, arrests, exile, and disappearances of many members and leaders of the Mapuche communities from different regions of the country. This is generally unknown to organizations committed to human rights investigations. 11 We want to call the attention of human rights organizations to the Mapuche situation. In order to do this, it is important to keep in mind the vision of the cosmos and the cultural values of the Mapuche, which are not generally considered in reports. 11 We would like to point out that the Mapuches have a SACRED and COLLECTIVE concept of the earth and all it produces. There are no concepts like private property, commercial value, or constantly changing technology that industrial societies have. The religious and sacred dimensions have a global and general quality in Mapuche culture. To alter any aspect of Mapuche culture is to alter the sacred spirituality of Mapuche people. "Traditionally, for the Mapuche the earth is part of life itself and it also has a sacred dimension which encompasses the existence and culture as a whole of Mapuche society. 11 With this in mind, it is easy to see the vast damage caused to the spirit of the Mapuche people by the division of sacred and collective land. The consequences are unpredictable for the future of the culture of this people. 11 In documents recently issued by the AD-Mapu Mapuche organization, the current situation of the Mapuche people is characterized as the most critical in history. This is based on the weaking of social and cultural unity as a direct consequence of the arbitrary and unjust division of Indian communities. INDAP (Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario) representatives, with no consideration of the legitimate rights of the community, grant land titles to the OCCUPANTS, whether or not they have rights to the land. Many times these titles are granted to nonMapuche individuals and landholders. "When Decree Law 2568 was written in 1979, 2,066 Indian reservations covering 375,000 hectares existed within the 8th and Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 4 �1Uth regions. According to INDAP, by late 1983, 1,365 reservations totaling 235,000 hectares had been divided. This means that only 701 reservations have not yet been divided. • . . "The implementation of this law has meant that several thousand Mapuches have robbed of their lands and have been left without territorial rights. been "One of the immediate effects which can be see by the implementation of this new law is the severe social and ~conomic situation. There is a high percentage of unemployment, hunger, and misery in all communities, both those which have been divided and those which have not. This is leading towards a situation of racial explosion of unforeseeable consequences, caused by the neglect, discrimination, and repression suffered during these years of military rule." Mapuche Film A film called Marri-Chihueu (Ten Times, We Will Overcome), in which the Mapuche give their testimony to the world, is now being made in 16mm and video. It presents the life, culture, and current reality of the Mapuche Nation, but it has not yet been completed due to lack of funds. If you would like to collaborate in any way, please write to: The Mapuche Film Project, 135 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238. Juan Neculqueo We would like to thank all those who were concerned about and collaborated with Juan Neculqueo, the Mapuche leader who was being sought by the military government of Chile (see our last newsletter). Juan spent some time in Panama but was denied visas to both Canada and the U.S. Through the assistance of SAIIC and other organizations, he is now exiled· in Argentina under the sponsorship of the Centro Kalla. Juan is expecting his family to join him there and sends his thanks to all who, th~ough SAIIC, have helped him. BRAZIL Contemporary scholars estimate that 500 years ago, before the European invasion of the New World, there were as many as 5 million people living in the Amazon basin in South America. The first Europeans to explore the Amazon River described sections where for mile after mile after mile the densely-clustered homes of the indigenous residents lined the river's banks. Today Brazilian Indians estimate their numbers at 200,000 people, organ- Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 5 �ized into about 150 tribes scattered throughout the country, some 115 of 1~om retain their non-European language. Ciseas8s ar,o the demands of European-style economic enterprises have reduced the indigenous population to a mere three or four per cent of its original total. Most of the news reaching SAIIC about Indians in Brazil during the last year centers on two topics, the continuing struggle to cqntrol their lands and their increasing success in joining the widely-scattered, linguistically-diverse Indian groups together for political action. Among the major events of 1984 were: ® The Second Meeting of Indian Leadership, held in Brasilia in April. Organized independently of FUNAI, the government department for Indian affairs, the meeting resulted in the creation of the Indian Council of the Union of Indigenous Nations (Uniao das Nacoes Indigenas--UNI), with representatives from 44 Indian peoples. ® The appearance of Jornal Indigena, published by UNI, which contains news on the organization and Indian people from throughout Brazil. Direct correspondence to Jornal Indigena; Rua Caiubi, 126; Perdizes 05010; Sao Paulo, S.P., Brasil. ® An assembly of Guarani and other indigenous people in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, November 24-25, to mark the first anniversary of the assassination of Marcal de Souza and press Indian demands for control of their land. In a letter to the president of FUNAI, the assembly gave the government until April 30, 1985, to act on their demands, after which the Indians will 11 go ahead and set our own boundaries." ® The replacement of the non-Indian director of the Xingu homeland by an Indian after pressure from Indian groups living in the area. URGENT ACTION BULLETIN from Survival International, 29 Craven St., London, WC2N 5NT, England: "Isolated Indians of the Javari valley of western Brazil have been involved in violent clashes with petroleum prospectors invading their lands. Several people have Following the killings, the oil prospectors withdrew been killed in these encounters. from the region only to recommence their seismic surveys in another Indian area." The Catholic missionary organization CIMI has been active in denouncing oil prospecting in this area and pressuring FUNAI to take a more positive role regarding indigenous rights. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 6 �PERU The violence in Peru continues to escalate, and Indian people, along with many others, suffer; those who are on the political left, those on the right, and the vast majority who find themselves caught in a dilemma where survival for themselves and their families is their primary goal. Letters we receive from Indian friends living in small communities and cities in Peru tell us of fear of the future and great economic insecurity. One of the effects of violence centered in the highlands has been an acceleration of migration to coastal cities, particularly the metropolitan Lima area. Like many South American cities, the population of Lima has increased phenomenally, from about 400,000 in 1930 to over 4,608,000 in 1981. Well over half of the population of Lima now consists of migrants from the highlands, and the vast majority of these people are of Indian ancestry. Thus, another indigenous reality takes place in an urban context. Now, many peale from communities in the highlands have fled the violence there to take refuge with family members living in the city, most often in the Pueblos Jovenes, neighborhoods built through the efforts of those who live there, and often called squatter settlements or shanty bJwns. These additional migrants are putting a strain on the already scarce resources of relatives living in the city, and friends write us that many adjustments must be made to assure that everyone has enough to eat and a place to sleep. Also affected are lands, crops and stock left behind by these migrants from an internal war, further reducing the food and agricultural resources available. This displacement of communities and the loss of land is only one other short term tesult of the current violence in Peru. Indians wonder what the long term effects will be, as well as the institutionalized violence that may result. Ashaninka-Campa Abel Chapay Miguel, president of FECONACA (Federacion de Comunidades CampasAshaninkas) writes that a total of 31 native communities in the area of the Rio Ene and In December of 1984 titles were Rio Tambo have received titled to community lands. given to eleven more communities and work is proceeding to finalize these land issues. FECONACA works with OCARE (Organizacion Campa del Rio Ene-Apurimac) and CART (Central Ashaninka del Rio Tambo) as member organizations of TOAK (Central Unida de las Organizaciones Campas). This federation unites Ashaninka-Campa communities found in these three river valleys. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 7 �BOLIVIA Indian organizations in South America mourn the death of Zenobia Ayala, who was a During his 43 years Zenobia was founding member and active participant in MITKA-1. involved in the Bolivian Indian movement, both as a strategist and an activist. An editorial in the CISA newsletter comments, "We will have your example to continue the struggle for the rights of our people." COLOMBIA In the Cauca region of Colombia there is an ongoing struggle over land between indigenous communities and those who use the land for growing sugar cane. Clashes between indigenous communities, hacendados and government forces have resulted in many deaths. In a recent letter to President Betancur of Colombia, Trino Morales, president of ONIC (Drganizacion Nacional de Indigenas de Colombia, Apartado Aereo 32395, Bogota, Colombia), stated: "Today we wish t~ live in reace, not at war. We are tired of this state of seige and for that reason urge you as president to respect our culture, our officials, our autonomy and to assure us of the maintenance of our indigenous lands." NICARAGUA The peace talks between the Nicaraguan government and the Miskito Indian organization MISURASATA have been postponed. They will be held in Bogota, Colombia, on February 22. Luis Carrion, Vice-minister of the Interior, will be representing the government of Nicaragua, and Brooklin Rivera will be representing MISURASATA. These talks are facilitated by the governments of France, Sweden, Colombia, and by organizations such as the World Council of Indigenous Cultural Survival. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Mexico, Peoples and and Page 8 �****************************** U.N. COMMISSION The 41st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 4 through March 15, 1985. All the official member countries of the commission will be attending to give testimony on human rights violations. The primary issues of concern are human rights violations in South Africa, Central America, and Arab territories. There will be a special emphasis on religious freedom and the situation in Chile. Various sub-commission member 'countries and non-governmental organizations such as the International Indian Treaty Council, the World Council of Indigenous Peoples, the South American Indian Council, and the Regional Indian Council of Central America will be participating. SOFIA PAINQUEO Sofia Painqueo, a Mapuche from Chile, will be visiting the United States during March under the sponsorship of the Institute of Policy Studies (1901 Que Street, Northwest, Washington, D~ 20009). She will be singing traditional Mapuche music and speaking throughout the United States on the. history and current situation of the Mapuche in Chile. From March 19-27 she will be in northern California, hosted by SAIIC in the Bay Area and by CASA (128 Pearl Alley, Santa Cruz, CA 95060) in Santa Cruz. Since 1979, Sofia has helped to promote the establishment of the Mapuche cultural centers which were precursors to the Mapuche organization AD-Mapu. While living. in Santiago, Sofia worked with other Mapuche to form a group which coordinated their activities with AD-Mapu. She says, "I have been especially active in organizing artistic events which reaffirm the Mapuche identity. We have performed in shanty towns and churchs. I performed also at the Fourth Assembly of Indigenous Peoples in Panama in September, 1984, as a representative of Mapuche women." For information regarding Sofia's visit or her Institute for Policy Studies or SAIIC. Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. speaking ®SAIIC. schedule, contact the Page 9 �Yah teeh (Greetings) Brothers and Sisters, As a North American Indian and a member of the Dineh (Navajo) Nation, I welcome Sophia to the United States or to the indigenous homeland of many tribal people. Her friends look foreward to her arrival and hope her visit will be a most enjoyable and successful one. May the Great Spirit be with her in her work for her people. Peace and harmony, James Muneta VIDEOS SAIIC has been visited by Alvaro Vasquez, a member of the Asemblea del Pueblo Zapoteco in Oaxaca, Mexico, who showed videos taped in various Zapotec communities by community members. He discussed the need for indigenous peoples to continue to build a strong network of direct communication, emphasizing in this instance the usefulness of video as a medium that combines visual images and sound. Maria-Helene Laroque who lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, and works with the Dene and other indigenous cow~unities, tells us that video is used in communities there. Several SAIIC members saw a work-in-progress version of the Mapuche video Marri-Chihueu described earlier in this newsletter. We would like to hear from readers who are using video or who could lend support to indigenous video efforts. COMPUTER NETWORKING For information about computer networking among indigenous people, contact: Indigenous Peoples Network Research Center, P.O. Box 364, Rochester, Vermont 05767. SAIIC RADIO PROGRAM Tawna Sanchez (Shoshone-Bannock), International Indian Treaty Council delegate, on "south American Indian Update" (KPFA in Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. ®SAIIC. Page 10 �Berkeley, 9o.1 FM, first Friday of each month, 8:00PM), discussing her participation in the New Song Festival in Quito, Ecuador: "This trip was a real eye opener. I was taken to a community. They talked to me about their struggles, trying to keep ahold of what land they have as a native people. Just like ours. Their struggle is our struggle. The same thing." "South American Indian Update, 11 broadcast throughout Northern California, is hosted by SAIIC and produced by Pat Collins for KPFA as part of the series "Living on Indian Time." LISTEN IN! ****************************** NEWSLETTER To receive the SAIIC Newsletter.f~· qne year, please send a donation of $5.00. - : . and to remain on our mailing list, ~. WORKING COMMISSION REPORTS ~; To order a copy of the Work~~~ Commission Reports: Second Conference of Indian Nations and Organizations of South America. Tiwanaku, Bolivia, published by SAIIC, 1984, please send a donation of $3.00. TENGO CASA PROPIA To order this book by Susan Lobo, published by the Instituto de Estudios Peruanas (1984), send a check for $11.00. All proceeds from sales are for SAIIC projects. Please make out all checks, which are tax deductible, to: American Friends Service Committee/The South American Indian Information Center, P.O. Box 7550, Berkeley, CA, 94707, U.S.A. Special thanks for production assistance to: The Vanguard Foundation, The American Friends Service Committee, The Bay Area Indian Lutheran Ministry, Bobsey Draper, George Tinker, and the SAIIC Committee: Pete Hammer, Peggy Lowry, Anna Lugo, Maria Massolo, James Muneta, and Jo Tucker. Nilo Cayuqueo, SAIIC Coordinator Vol. 1, no. 3. Winter, 1985. Published bi-monthly. Susan Lobo, Publications Editor ®SAIIC. Page 11 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Thank You for Your Interest and Support 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 Winter 1985 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Vol. 1, No. 3 (Winter 1985) Item Type Journal Article Attachment Title Volume 1 No. 3.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Issue 3 Language English Volume 1 Publication Title SAIIC Newsletter Abstract Note SAIIC committee thanks supporters for their continued interest in their newsletter. Pages 1