8 12 1190 http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/a6a356dd44bde73d41b5b876a07178a3.pdf e541fd14f09382290320376cffc2e302 PDF Text Text MORECERJ EXECUTIONS IN GUATEMALA (Guatemala) Amilcar Mendez Urizar, the leader of the Council of Ethnic Communities Runujel Junam 'We are all Equal" (CERJ), was the victim of an attempted abduction and CERJ member, Camilo Ajqui Jimon was the victim of an extrajudicial execution on April 14th, 1991. Amilcar Mendez was about to get into his car on the Calzada (Avenue) Roosevelt in Zone 11 of Guatemala City, at 7:30 am on 15 April, when he was approached by four men in civilian clothing, wearing dark glasses. Two of the men attempted to seize him, but he managed to escape when people in the vicinity intervened. One of the men reportedly told Amilcar Mendez that he was going to die. Amnesty International is concerned for his safety, as well as for the safety of other CERJ members. CERJ was formed in July 1988 to protect indigenous people's lights. It has been particularly active in protesting at peasants being forced to join in the ostensibly voluntary Civil Defense Patrols (PAC). Article 34 of the Guatemalan Constitution, which recognizes the light to freedom of association, states that no-one may be forced to serve in self-defense groups. The authorities maintain the patrols are voluntary, but there are scores of cases where peasants who have not wished to participate or have tried to withdraw from them, have been labeled "subversives'' by the army and subjected to harassment, death threats and extrajudicial execution. The abuses have been carried out by uniformed soldiers as well as by men in plain clothes, believed to be members of theseculityforcesor acting under t~ orders. COSTA RICA FINALLY RECOGNIZES INDIANS' CITIZENSH I P (Costa Rica) President Rafael Angel Calderon last week formally signed into law a bill facilitating citizenship cards for thousands of undocumented Costa Rican Indians who for years had been denied citizenship. Many Indians were born in remote areas far from Civil Registry centers, so they never obtained the necessary papers to be granted citizenship. Once they have their citizenship cards, they will be eligible for Social Security health care and bank loans, benefits previously denied them. "After 500 years, we are being recognized as Costa Ricans," said Pablo Sibar at a stirling ceremony attended by hundreds of Indians in San Jose's Parque de Ia Paz. According to Enrique Rivera, president of the Telibe Indian Association of Terraba, the multinational fruit company Pindeco is growing papayas on land leased to it by a non-Indian inside the Indian reserve south of the Talarnanca mountains in eastern Costa Rica. Much of the land reserved for Costa Rica's 30,<XX> Indian communities is being worked by non-Indians or has been sold off. CERJ has, since its foundation, been the target of a wide range of human lights violations. Since March 1990, at least 8 members are known to have been killed in circumstances suggesting official involvement. This figure includes the recent killing of Camilo Ajqui Jimon and two further members of CERJ who have been killed since President Jorge Serrano Elias took office in January, 1991. Source: t\mlwty lnteriiQ/ioMI Vol6 Nos 1&2 33 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Costa Rica Finally Recognizes Indians' Citizenship Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Costa Rica Finally Recognizes Indians' Citizenship Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 33 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note Costa Rican Indians finally recognized by their government. Attachment Title abyayala_v06n01_02_p033.pdf abyayala_v06n01_02_p033.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] [No URL] Calderon Rafael Angel Costa Rica http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/9f66d30ffc6d03104e545463fb2a9b6c.pdf 6f87d29300763c9565dd108613212f4f PDF Text Text _ _ _ _ _ _ __,:....:: O_- J U S T I C E E C~ _ T he Urarina, who call themselves "KachA· , meaning people,'" are a ~'lhe semi~nomadic Amazonian people who have inhabited the Chambira and UrilUyacu river basins north o£ the Maral)on river in Peru for at least 500 years. The Uraril\a al\d the Mayorunas (Matses) remain the largest umitle:d Amazonian Indigenous groups in Peru. However, the relati\'e: isolmion of the Urnrina has been imen1.1pted as their traditional territory has occn invodcd by colonists. loggers. river traders, and drug· Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies + by Ritchie Witzig and Massie/ Ascencios voyeur tourists. All of these groups have brought significam disease pressure on Resource Exploitation Update the Urarina that threatens their 'vay of life and survival as documented in the article published in Abya Yala News Vol. 10. Nllmber 2 (Sllrnrner 1996). Vol. 10 No. 3 The most rcccm and grave threat to Urarina su ,.;val is disease importation caused by the three multinational oil companies who entered their territory in late january 1997 to build an oil d rilling site ror I>ctrolcum c;~traction. The Urarina people live in a Oood zone that is projected to have signifi~m oil rescn•es. Three multinational oil com· panics ocgan drilling from the Chambira oil field located at Santa Martha on the Chambira river. Santa Martha is an old Urarina corrummity located in the heart 17 �Eco-Jusr 1 ce of Urarina land that was temporarily vacated due to the semi-nomadic naturt of Urarina cuhure. The Chambira oil fields arc pan of Block 3 owned by Petroperu. the Peruvian national oil company, but the rights to drill directly on the Chambira river were transferred to Enterprise Oil Co., of Great Britain in 1996. The rights were sold because Petroperu did not have the capital to initiate drilling. Against the " "shes of the public, the Peruvian government now wants to privatize Petrope:ru. The s."le of the oil rights to Enterprise had the effect of privatizing the entire Chambim oil field withOUl privatizing Petroperu. Enterprise subcontracted Parker Oil Drilling Co. of Tuls.,, Oklahoma, and the Santa Fe Petroleum Co. of Lima. to drill the Sama Manha well. Constnlction of the oil field staned in January, 1997 and by May I. Enterprise/Parkert'S.,nta Fe had drilled a complete well but fonunately did not encounter enough oil to warrant funhcr exploration. The latest news is that the company has moved to lot 32. which is just nonhwest of their original site and is still deep in Urarina territory. to pursue further exploration in the next two years with a go\'emmcm contract. Spills Before Drills Even before ther struck oil, there were ecological disasters. On April 30, 1997, the steel bouom of a barge bringing up supply oil w 3S punctured by a huge capirona (Calycophyllum sp.) tree 10 kilometers from the oil well, causing oil contamination of the entire Chambira river downstream. The barge was then towed upstream, moored at Sama Manha, and surrounded by pylons tO control the oil leak (sec Figure 1). One Urarina cacique (leader) in the Hormiga river off the Chambira c01nplained that the fish entering his grounds had been contaminated from the oil, and were swimming imo the Hormiga looking for fresh water. Amazonian river dolphins (lnia geoffrensis) which were numerous in the Chambira river basin ha,•e since noticed to be scarce from the main Chambira. This is certainly only the firsl of many barge leaks as this accident occur·red when the river level was at Oood Stage in the rainy season . The Chambira is a nar· attempting 18 row river. at times only 30 meters wide. In the dry season when the river is 10 meters lower there arc certain to be more accidents of this type. There are no stud· ies ongoing by the government , any NGO. or the oil companies of this impending ecological deStruction. SIL and Missionary Control an Urarina individual under the control of the SlL and living in Nueva Esperanza. This Urarina man who signed the docu· mems is not a leader of the Urarina, and only represents himself. The total "com· pensation'" to the Urarina nation from this ·agteemtnt'" was a speedboat and monthl)' promises of gasoline given to the impostor "leader'". The total effect was to give an extra St>eedboat to SIL Unfortunately, it is difficult to undo a fr:.mdulent '"cont~ct'" as described above quickly. and it enables the oil companies to establish thetnselves while the legal defense of the Urarina is being organized. As they have done elsewhere in the \Vestern Amazon. the SIL have again proven 'vith the Urarina that Indigenous self·detenninmion is e.~actly the opposite of their mission. The Summer Institute of Linguistics (Sil or l LV· lnstitmo Linguist ito de Verano) used an impostor Urarina ~Je,adcr" to help the oil compar'lics create an appearance of legitimacy in their inva· sion of Urarina land. The Sll is an evan· gclical organization of atnateur and pro~ fe.ssional linguists who attempt to influ. ence the societies in 'vhich they work by transl:.uing the Bible into native ian· g.•ages. SIL has had .-- -,...- - - - - --.v;;:- - - - - ---,---, ~ a represemati\'C , (Ronald Manus) liv''"""' ~ ing intenniltently in the Urarina commlk 5 nity of Nueva ~ Esper:mza for the §: past 30 years. The ! Urarina have retained their cui~ i turc and spirituality ~ despite SILS anctnpt l! to influence them. As the outside agency with the longest domicilial experience in Urarina territory, the SIL has never tried to empower the Urarina in any way to protect their lands. Colb)• and g t Dennen's recent book about oil exploitation in the Amazon, ..Thy \Viii be Done· has documented that the histOry of the SIL has been to help divide Indigenous peoples L ......______s~t,;;~!li;!!!o_____:~.j,~_ _j and even help oil companies enter 1M tom.'"'"' rrid"P'rrid ptito6rotiM of oil righn in Indigenous areas. When the oil compa· Peru. m. lot~ ha>o""ntly been <iloogod. OJ nies needed to gain entrance into Urarina uplo<otiM is ax"ntly tnl:iig p/o<e oo lot 32 (formerly lot land, they received 1he nceessary help 8) ;, Urorina tttrfiGI'(. from the SIL. SIL helped arrange a paper deal that ·allowed" the oil companies acce:ss to S.1nta Martha that was signed by At::fta Yala News �E co - J u sT I CE Disease Importation Mtdrinarional oil txploration = Malaria, pertussis. and cm·ironmcntal contaminalion Oil drilling teams are renowned for transporting new su-aii\S of disease into territories they exploit. The oil explo· rmion and drilling teams are based in the field with support offices in lquitos and Lima, but their personnel are imponed from various areas in Peru. the United States, and Europe. The Sama Fe lquitos office use the small Nanay ri\'er port com· munity of S."lnta Ckua to lo.1d all their equipment onto barges for transtxm to the Chambim. Santa Clara is currently suffering the most intense and drug resistant P. falciparum epidemic of any area in Peru. as well as an outbreak of penussis (whooping cough). Pcnussis appeared last February in the Chambira. after drilling had started- it was almost cenainly brought by the oil teams. At least seven persons died from the two villages around ~nta Manha. The Umrina have not received the DTP vaccine which prOtects from penussis, and penussis can be among the most lethal diseases in children with multiple infections. Over sixty percent of the P. falcipannn strains in Santa Clara ncar to lquitos are resistant to chloroquine and pyrimcthamine/stllf~doxine. the two cheapest and most \.IS.Cd drugs against P. faldp.annn in Peru. The P. falciparum strains in the Chambira river still respond to pyrimethamine /sulfadoxinc, but sup· plies are small and infrequent. There is a Vol. 10 No.3 real danger that resistant P. falciparum strnins are being transt>Orted to \'CI'}' the Charnbira by the oil workers loading the suppl)' 1>.1rges in Santa Clara. The Peruvian government has no health post in the entire Chambim river basin. The nearest health post is In Maypuco. more thai\ I week by canoe from Urarina territory. Colonists on the lower Chambim have access to boats and motors which can shuttle sick persons to Maypuco and on tO lquitos. The Urarina or oil workers will take away any hope controlling the P. faldpanun cpidtqliC that is currcmly decimating the Urarina people. hnplimcmation or Convention 169. of which Peru is a signatory nation (199'1) would help to protect the cultural rights of the Urarina as well as legall)' title their land. Legal recognition of their territorial boundaries would lead to self determination for the Urarina giving them some recourse to protect their ,...,ay of life. '\!) have no transponation except canoes. As of May 1997. the Peruvian non· governmental organization CEDIA (Centro Para el Des.1rrollo del lndigena Amazonico) had counted over 3.200 Urarina in the Chambira basin alone (there are also Urarina in the Uritiyacu river and in ;\ffiuems of the Corrientes river). The final number wiH likely include over 4.000 individuals. a large number for a rcn'lotc Amazonian J>eople. Even though it has only juSt begun, the oil exploitation in Urarina territory has resulted in both serious hcahh impacts and environmental degradation. If it continues at this pace, the cultural, biological, and ecological effects of oil exploration on the Umrina w'ill likely be irreversible. The Urarina do not marry outside their group and sexually trans· 1niued diseases including AlDS arc not yet a problem in the communities. Cultural breakdown from exposure to oil workers may alter this trend. New drug resistant Strains of malaria brought in by R. Witzig ltos ptJiormed mtdical surveys, Jiseose lttot· mtnl, suppfftd mtdlcin~. end lraintJ UJorino village htafth warkm fYHWJ in bc!ir medirof and pvbfir htofth on strM sepatote flips Ia the (hombiJa basin silut /992, with a Iota/of 13 months in the lit/d. This ron· lintring ptojut w#lic.h the outbar for~ndtd ;s Ihe Amazonian lndigtn<Jvs Ptop{e\ Heahh Pro;.rt (AIPHPJ. The aul~r hos da<umtnled the epidtmics of m eosles, acute ttspiJotaty iU nesSfs, c~teto, and malaria offocl· ingthe UtatirNJ. His ptt-riCHJs trip ;, May, 1997, found ar10 of the Jhtet VHW~ deod hom malotio, ond wide· sprtad malaria in rht enlite (bombtro basin. This wos the firsllrip aflttlhs oil Jrilling storied, ond all of the Urarina communiti~ wtre lroumotized 6y Jbe incursion of htt!Y'( tquipmenl into lhtir rireJ. Tire ptttussis epi· demk if'l Jilt commMilies DrOQnd lbt ail driH silt wos ing docome.nttd. wM the oil worktJS/;ktly inltoductd. ch Sen n Uratino had ditd of ptJMsn in t~se riffcgts ol""' sinrt ftbruory 1997. avthot is th• only ptr· san (domtstic at fottign} to work with Ihe Urctino 10 Jocume.nl fffld Jrtol theit mtdico/ p1a6kms. Tht avlbots ore cumnlly iworking on m<~lor;a p1ojects i, lqvitos , ftJrJ, n.. 19 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ritchie Witzig Massiel Ascencios Language A language of the resource English English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Zotero Title Urarina Survival Update: Continued Resource Exportation and Disease Importation by Foreigners and Newly Initiated by Multinational Oil Companies Item Type Journal Article Author Ritchie Witzig Massiel Ascencios Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 17-19 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Language English Abstract Note The Kacha people are increasingly being exploited for their natural resources. Oil companies are spreading disease and ruining environments, with a negative impact on Indigenous life. Attachment Title Urarina_Survival_Update_Continued_Resource_Exportation_and_Disease_Importation_by_Foreigners_and_Newly_Initiated_by_Multinational_Oil_Companies.pdf Urarina_Survival_Update_Continued_Resource_Exportation_and_Disease_Importation_by_Foreigners_and_Newly_Initiated_by_Multinational_Oil_Companies.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] [No URL] Disease Kacha Urarina http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/7fbed328b34c08cd6622a298b7f64712.pdf e087ec9f36593625df25e61b3324d5b7 PDF Text Text DAUGHTERS 0 F A BY A YA L A t~~w~ Dr. Leticia Dianna Viteri Gualinga it is evident that while the chemical con- LLuy Virui is a Quiduw from Ecutulor. She is a r-ep~StiH<Hivc of CONAIE, rl1t Cmifedcration of the lmligcnous Nationalities of Eawdor. l.tuy is t~ doctor· \\'ho since O<rober of 1997 h<IS wor'ktd with cl1e Pcmcmterican Health Organitacfcn OPS wori~ing in rhe Promotion and Protection of Heal<h and heal<hy lif<s<yles division, spedfically in the mental health t>r~ram. She has also woi'Ju:d ou a numbu oJ lr1digtr1ous health fJrOjects and studies, In ~,n of your invesligations in nm'l.l communilics, what has been the pri ncipal cause of illnesses among the Indigenous people (colonialization. tourism . petroleum, etc.)? <tS well llS conducting reset1rch on Indigenous htal<h issu<s. SAilC asked Lelly <o disa•ss some aspurs of !ttdigenous l1calrh for our &o-]us<ice ami Htal<h issue of Abya Yala News. In this issue we're exploring the tamination of the environment has affected the health of these communities. il is imponant to substamiate this reality with serious Studies. rcla~ tion that exis ts between 1hc CXJ>Ioita· lion of natural resources like minerals1 petroleum, cac., and the negative e ffec ts of this type of exploitation on the health of the Indigenous cOonunu· nitics. In your work as a doctor ha"c you enco untered cases of this l'Y pe? There exists a number of facwrs that impact the health of the Indigenous com· munities. This new epidemic lrend which we arc living through is a just response tO the political violence, the ecological and e<:onomic violence. the social discrimination. the poverty, the anned conflict. among other things, and in this manner has given rist tO a new order o£ illnesses like alcoholism. Could you give us specific examples of communities? The P<'troleum devdopment brought One time when 1 visited Lake Agrio. in Sucumbios. 01~e of the 5 Amazonian provinces of Ecuador. we visited the oil wells where Texaco operated. Dt11ring the vish, we became acquainted with many of the J>eople who lived around these wells. l could observe various types o-f symp~ toms of the skin afflictions. rashes: one boy with a t)rpe of congenital m~lforrna· tion which I don't know whether il was related to the chemical contamination of the environment. or course the exploita· tion of any natural resource brings with it a disequilibrium of ecosystems and this directly affects the health of the commu· nitit~ in these regions, On <he other hand violence to the Huaorani communities of Tot\ampari and Quihuareno in 1988. They committed a terrible crime· an oil spill that destroyed the richness of the rivers. the land and the health of the trouble il~ the actual planning and execution !o( soltnionsl. There are some (com· rnuniticsl , like the case or Sarnyacu, Curnmy. which are sufficiently large and have the intention of doing many things. In the same way. the h~digenous organi· z:ations arc only now beginning to con· cern themselves with the health of our people. \Vhat are the mos1 common h eahh problems affecting Indigenous women? \Vhat arc the specific issues t hal 1hey face? The mental health of the women con- S<itutcs the principal health problem and 1lhis seems to be affected by <.:enain <.-aus· es wonh considering. 1t is important to point out that they [the women! have lost the tradilional knowledge concerning family planning. Along with this. they don't have access to the modern forms of birth control and they often don't have the right to choose the number of children they would like to have. [Other s.trcsses include) domestic violence. the excessive physical labor associated with domestic chores and !taking care on their fanns. the transporting of water. among other details that have a serious impact on the health or I he women. Huaorani communit)'· The emire city of Lago Agrio. the capital of the Sucumbios province, has been affected. as well as all of the villages of the Siona-Secoya and Cofan P<'Oples. \Vhal was your moth•e for slUdying m edicine and for serving Indige nous communities? 1 chose to stud)' medicine because \Vhat are the Indigenous organiza. tions doing to resolve this problem? ahvays liked it and the vocation 1 con· The communities are concerned s.tructed in the COtiTSe of the career. l always thought that medicine is a science which is esscmially social , and that about these problem$, but often har e 1hrough thi$ I could somehow makt a Continued on fXigc 34 22 A'cY-;a Yala News �S E L F DETERMINATION This organization is new and has not yet completely defined its course of action, which is something that we have to do soon. I've been working·for some time with the LIWEN Center for Mapuche Studies and Documentation. The objective of this institution is to generate knowledge from our own perspective and to disseminate it to all sectors, especially the Mapuche. For example, we work on topics relating to the Mapuche people, to the situation of other Indigenous nations' in their own countries, and on the issue of Bilingual Intercultural Education. What is the difference between the programs for Mapuche children and those for the youths? With the children you have to work in a playful context, where you keep the youngster entertained while they're learning, and of course you must involve the family in some way This is difficult, because many times the parents don't agree that their child should learn about Mapuche culture because they view this as negative but this is not their fault. We don't know what negative experiences they have had that have made them opposed to it. Working with young people or adolescents is a little more complex. They are going through a difficult stage, building their identity They have many fears, and to come to terms with being an Indigenous person in a racist country is not an easy thing. You have to gain their confidence slowly They must see that you as a woman can be a role model, thatbeing Mapuche is not bad or ugly, not at all. We know that you did some research on the oral history of the families of urban Mapuche youths. What were the most important points that came out of this research? This study came about due to the interest th at a group of us young Mapuche students had in retrieving our history, that history which was denied us for our having been born in a different context than our parents and grandparents. It was an arduous task, because from the beginning our families didn't 34 & TERRITORY understand our interest in understanding things of such little relevance to them. The people in the countryside usually don't value their legends, their family histories. They don't comprehend the richness of their own knowledge. We got them to change their attitude: they started to talk, to spill out a whole marvelous, unknown world for us. We really learned an enormous amount. It was magical to listen to it all, and the most important thing is that we were able to get our relatives, our aunts and uncles, cousins, etc., involved. We'd like to ask why you, as a young Mapuche woman, are involved in this type of work? I work with conviction, because I really feel that it's necessary to struggle for our rights as Mapuche people. The conditions of poverty and oppression in which we live today must change . Mapuche children should grow up in a healthy atmosphere, in peace and harmony with the environment. When I took consciousness of my identity, of my history, of my culture, it was really like a liberation. I strongly feel the need to support my people in every way that I can. It's a life choice. What would you like to see in the future for Mapuche youth? And what would you like to do to make it happen? The future of the youth and children is a worry that we have as a people. In many communities, the young people must migrate to the urban centers to find any work they can. Their dreams of studying are dashed at a very young age and that's not fair. I'd like to do many things, but we need to design strategies at the community level. Individual initiatives should be within a larger context to make the desired impacts and changes. We're working for this. We know that you've been working on a project on Indigenous Women and Gender in Washington, DC. Could you tell us what the focus of your research has been? In September, 1997, I was selected by the Development Fund for Indigenous Peoples to develop a work apprenticeship in the Indigenous Peoples' Union of the Interamerican Development Bank, located in Washington, DC I'm specifically working on editing a report about the topic of gender relations in Indigenous communities and development. It is a reflective work, whose main objective is to understand Indigenous women's thoughts and perceptions about development. Essentially, the idea is to propose certain strategies that can be incorporated into the Bank's policies in relation to Indigenous women. ..., Continued from page 22 contribution to society, not only the Indigenous on e of Ecuador, but in whichever place throughout the world. What have been the challenges that you have had to face as an Indigenous woman doctor? I don't like being labeled as an Indigenous woman doctor; well, I feel like any other woman of any other culture and nation. But in fact I've had to face certain challenges, like knowing that the people of my community viewed me as the savior from the health problems affecting the community The leaders of my provincial community trusted so in my abilities. One demonstration of this was their inviting me to work in the SAMAY Project, financed by the European Union. I'm talking about a pro-life project that would permit us, in a significant manner, to build our society, that would allow us to control our own destiny Being a representative of the Confederation of the Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, CONAIE , is another challenge. To respond positively to all these challenges, I always try to learn more to better understand the culture of Globalization, to learn how to manuever myself within the dynamics of the modern age, in distinct levels and spheres of human actions. For me, it is important to take into account the advice and the points of view of the great Indigenous leaders, and of the great ideologies, both old and new. ..., Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview with Dr Leticia Dianna Viteri Gualinga Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Zotero Title Interview with Dr Leticia Dianna Viteri Gualinga (Not attached) Item Type Journal Article Language English Abstract Note Interview with a Quichua from Ecuador, who works in the health field. Discusses exploitation of natural resources, and the negative social and health implications of continued exploitation. Issue 1 Volume 11 Publication Title Abya Yala News Pages 22, 34 Exploitation Health http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/97f2399097c9aa0c697adc4d889d40aa.pdf 123f00a33edc77789ad32e2d9a11f87d PDF Text Text E c o - J u S T I CE radioacth•e waste dump in \Vard Y.lltey in Environmental Racism: The J U! N ear lndusty An Nat Americans the C.1.lifomia Mojave descn, tt.n area which is sacred for five native peoples, the Fon Mojave. Chemehuevi, Quechan. Ux:opah and Colomdo Ri\'Cr Indians. An estimated 30.000 tons of m1clet\r W.Stc are in tempor.\ry stor<lge m the US.• 'J either in underw3ter pools or il\ steel and concrete casks. at 109 nuclear reactors across the country. Btu these .stores are almost full. Some plants may have to shut down within the nex't few years unless more swrnge space is round.. There is no cemml facility in the US for handling, processing. stOring or disposing of nuclear waste. The 11\tclear industry IS :\ttempting to force the t'latiotkal government- specifi· by Ul/a Lehtinen cally the D<panmem of Energy-to take resJ>Onsibility for nuclear waste, bm the MSAATW:IJ AlSO~~O ~ ~ ·~ t:.'l.~i'IAI. ~ depanmcnt ma.intttins il docs not have ,;f \ o,«( l•.t'WS, \ Q.). f!,St.lf J 'l the cap.1city to do so. ll is howevtr, mandated to "provide" a ccmral underground or decades. the United States has stOr-.tg,e site for the comnryS entire stock mined Native American lands for of high-level nuclear waste. The onl)' can· urnnium and has tested nuclear didate it hn.s come up " fith 1$ Y\ICCft weapons on them. Some 75 J>Crcent of Moumain. + F the coumryS trranium reserves lie under native lands- lands once considered so wonhless that the authorities did not mind designating them as reservationswhile all nuclear testing within the United Stat<s has been carried out on native Lands. Children now play on radioactive ,....aste from the mmes sio1ply left where it was piled up. Some of the waste has been used to build houses or schools. In man)' areas, the death rate among children is higher than among the miners. In New Me11:1Co, Arizona :\nd Somh Dakota, radi- ation from uranium mining tailings has contaminated water resources. The Shoshone have fought for decades to end nuclear tesung on tht1r land m the Nevada desert which has exposed them to levels of radiatior\ many times higher than that generated b)' the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ~~ the end of the Second World War. Now the authorities want to dump nuclear 'vastt on nath·c lands as well. 1\vo propos.-lls are currcmly being moOI· ed: a high-level rad1o:.t<:tive dump on Yuc<:a }.·loumain Ill the lands of the Shoshone in Nevada, and a low le\'cl 20 Millions of dollars 1\ave been spent studying the safet)' of burying nuclear waste at Yucca. the results of whJch arc ttnything but promlsing.. Located in a vol· canic area and potential canhquakc zone, the proposed site is also near ground water. Even though the site has not been approved as an underground nuclear \ WI.SlC dump, funhcr S\UdiCS have been commissioned and its opening has been postponed until 2010 at the earliest, sev· eral proposols current!)' going through the US Sel\3te and Congress aim tO send radioactive waste tO Yuoca Mountain from 199$ on,vards. H approved, this waste would simply sit in the nuclear cquh'a· lem of a parking lot without adequate controls or equ1pment .. 6cside the permanent site of Yucca Mountain, the Oepanmem <>f Energy has also suggested 21 temporary dump sites in the US for high-level \OJ<\Ste, IS of which arc on native lands. L·n-gc sums of money ha,·e been offered to "persuade'" the various tribes to ~tcept these propos· als; so far 311 but two nations. the Goshule and the Paiute-Shoshonc, ha"e refused. In neither of these two cases did the 1" ribal Council put the decision to the Abya Yala News �Eco-JusTICE tribe as a whole. Probably for good r<a· son: prc,iously the Goshute rejected a proposed ~oxic \WlS\e incincr:nor Ol'l Lheir lands and decided lO Start a recycling business instead, while, in a survey of the Paiute~Shoshone, tribal members opposed the nuclear dump by 4 to I. The go\'emment and nuclear indttStl')' are also forging ahead with plans for the low- level radtoactive waste dum(> in Ward Valley in the California Mojave dcS<n. Despite misltading terminology. low-level radioactive waste comains the: s.1mc ingredients as high-level waste~ the half-lire of some low level waste is tens or Lhousands of years. The waste would be placed in steel drums inside scaled plastic or steal comainet'$ and then buried in shallow, unlined trenches. Tile propoS<d dump Is right above • major aqu.Her and about 30 Kilometers from the Colorado River which Oows through the vaUey on its way to Mexico. Scientists of the US Geological Survey warn thaL leaking mdioactivity n\<\)' eod up in the river. Even the National Academy of Science's Soard on Radioactive Management has recom- mended further s.1fety studies. The river and its caMls bring drinking water to o"er 20 million people in Los Angeles to Vol. 11 No.1 the west and Ph04nix and Tucson to the south, as well as providing water for agriculture and caule. In Bcauy, Nevada, ::t.n e:." istil"1g dump, similar in design to Lhc proposed Ward V..lley site and also in a descn. has stal't· ed to leak and contaminate ground w:uer. even though it is only 20 years old. from there and now the native lands are mmcd into dump sites. They take our water, then the pOison IS hU,l'ling an Jiving things there. I don't really appreciate what the government is doing. They know it is dangerous bm ~ill they move nuclear waste through roads to seas. We the people should be out there at the front. ThatS why we have asked the non· Indian people to Stop the government. Ward Valley 1S in the m1dst o£ eight Ncn only here but everywhere: in designated wilderness areas :mel is a pro- England. Puerto Rico. Russia-we should tected area because it encomp.1SSCS the really unite! \Vein Nevada have too much few remaining habitats for the endan- mining and chemk:nls th;\l go to the water gered descn tono>Se. Tile valley IS also t.'tble.. .ln my pa.n of the coumry, we saw S.1Crtd tO five native peoples Of the area. that I'Uclcar radiation was making our Their ancestors have walked there, their lives shorter. I've seen children bom ancestors arc buried there and their spir· without legs: l've seen ems bom with juSt its .still roam there. It is their church and too legs. I've. seen a lot or hun.1a11S die of grave)'ard. The Mojave believe they are disc•scs eat>Sed by radiation ... Everybody g<•ardians of the land. caretakers of ll•e has been polluting !this Iandi and every· water and neighbors of the dtsen ani· body has to pitch in and make 1hings bet· mals. If the Colomdo River dies. the ter. If we continue to destro)' lhings, than Mojave believe they will disappear as nobody will be able to smvive at all. l( we ,..,ell. Together wilh the other native peo.. doni Start working togeLher to d .. n up pks of Lhe area. the Mojave have orga· the planet soon . there won't be :.\nyone 'ies nized protests and ccremo1 in the area. left to dean up our messes tomorrow. We They have set up a 1x:rmanem camp on have w unite to understand 'vhat nuclear the proposed dump site where some of en•'l>Y does: ~ the elders stay. Corbin Harney, a Shoshone Elder and healer. said: ier •This nuclear pov is :;lhvays taken to nath·e Lands. First ilS mined 21 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Environmental Racism: The US Nuclear Industry and Native Americans Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ulla Lehtinen Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Zotero Title Environmental Racism: The US Nuclear Industry and Native Americans (not attached) Item Type Journal Article Author Ulla Lehtinen Abstract Note Uranium mining and testing has occurred in the United States for decades, mostly on native lands. It has been proposed that nuclear waste should be dumped on these already radioactive lands. This could have significant social and health implications for the natives of southwestern United States. Attachment Title Environmental_Racism_the_US_Nuclear_Industy_and_Native_Americans.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Issue 1 Language English Volume 11 Publication Title Abya Yala News Pages 20-21 Native American Nuclear Waste United States http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/93955106c601e328473b04cf3cc0805d.pdf 11d59f8c8b0ca9f8b8daefb32e293e6f PDF Text Text Eco - Jus r 1cE T o protest the World Bank's Pro-Mining Conference last May, the Latin American Project of Minewatch (UK) and Acci6n Ecol6gica (Ecuador) organized a parallel conference in Quito. The alternative conference attracted more than sixty participants from Indigenous communities and NGOs in nine countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica , Panama, Nicaragua , Chile, Brazil and Ecuador). Due to its regional importance, the event was discussed on television and in national newspapers of several of the participating countries, thus contributing to the general debate on mining. According to many delegates, the benefits of mining have yet to appear. "It may sound quaint to say that communities don't want the type of "modern" development that mining brings, but its consequences for us are often literally a matter of the life or death of the community" said Luis Robelino of Ecuador. "Why basins of the Huallaga, Mantero and Alto Mararl.on rivers due to mining. He also revealed to the audience strategies usecl, by the multi-nationals in order to avoid discussing the 'fesult of environmental studies, as well as their policy of securing exclusive access to rivers through the acquisition of large extensions of land. As a result , communities have seen their rivers confiscated , with drinking water rationed to every other day during the summer months and to only a few hours a day in the winter. Gladys Marquez, from the Peruvian organization LABOR, spoke about their long battle against the Southern Peru Corporation. The air in the city of Ilo is highly polluted and each day several spells of heavy mist are experienced, causing breathing difficulties among the population and forcing them to remain indoors until the fog disperses. Levels of S02 in the air are 30 times the guidelines established by the WHO. In addition, arsenic and lead levels exceed those found in the Tacoma smelter of the company in Washington State , an indication that the corporation applies different environmental standards in different countries. The effect of these air pollutants is not restricted to Ilo alone. A video shown demonstrated that as the air travels it affects an extension of approximately 30 thousand hectares, the smog being responsible in 1995 for destroying about 4 thousand hectares destined for agriculture use. The Parallel Conference on Mining and the Community It is worth mentioning that the World Bank conference included the participation of Mr. Hans Flury, a spokesman for the corporation. In his speech he did not address any of the environmental problems for which the Southern Peru Corporation is responsible. Ecuador: Carlos Zorilla spoke in defense of the Cotacachi-Cayapas ecological forest reserve (Ecuador's last remaining coastal rainforest) ,which is affected by the mining activity around the buffer zones, leading to further invasion of land and deforestation of thousands of hectares of pristine woods. Local delegates from this area spoke of their frustration over the past five years , due to the refusal of by Glevys Rondon THi s ARTICLE ALso APPEARED IN THE MINEWATcH su LLETIN : HIG HER vAL uEs Bishimetals to provide the Indigenous community with the requested environmental study Despite the should we accept something that is imposed on us by institu- absence of a management plan for the activities , the company tions like the World Bank, on behalf of a system which benefits has built a 9km road through primary forest , and dug various only rich people in the north and in the large cities of the south, holes near the Junin river, which two years later were gushing and which wastes the materials it uses and destroys the com- 300 liters of water per minute. As no environmental managemunities and land from which they are extracted?" he added. ment or contingency plans were ever formulated , the community is unable to hold the company responsible for the damages. During the parallel event, Indigenous and NGO delegates Shortly after the conference ended, local inhabitants organized discussed what they felt to be the true cost of mining and their several pacific actions with the aim of confiscating the equipown real needs. Amongst other topics , representatives were ment and occupying the installations of the company briefed on the role of the World Bank in the new impetus, to· open up mining in Latin America, and the strategies used by Brazil: Marina Kahn, from the Instituto Socio Ambiental corporations to win over or to divide communities. Several case spoke about the implications of the privatization of the state studies were presented from mining operations in various coun- mining company Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) . The Indigenous tries of the region. Among the most striking were: communities will be affected as the company previously contributed up to US $26 million annually to the local budget. The Peru: Miguel Palacino , spokesman for the "Frente de fate of the some 17,000 Indigenous people who live within the Defensa Ecol6gico de las Comunidades Campesinas y Pueblos forest region may also depend on the goodwill of the new ownde la Zona Alto Andina" referred to the contamination of the ers. Thirteen Indigenous groups distributed in 24 reserves could Quito, Ecuador May 7th-9th I 997 + Vol. 10 No. 3 15 �Eco - J u s rac E be affected by the C.1rnjas Projw. The reje<t the neo-libernl model of the ·free pressures to '"develop· resources could market', which serves Lhe. imerests of a herald major consequences ror these globa1 minority whose: objective is the communities as well as the biodiversity of indi.scrimmatc consumption of rtSOtlrtCS and which is bringing the mitliOl'\S of the l'<gion. · people surplus to the system to the edge Chile: Urb.1no Alfaro, a diver from a of ex-tinction ... States the declaration. small fishing village in the region of Antofagasta. discussed the impact of the The delegates also promised to carry Minerra Es<:01\dida Ltd, whose acdvilies om wide-ranging educational campaigns ha\'C led tO comamination of the fish and on indh-i.dual and collective rights. and to shellftsh they depend on for their living. strengthen the coordination of the strug· The company boasts that it produces 80 glc againSt mining at the local, national thous.1od tons of copper per year, ttsing and regional level. the mOSt advanced technolog)' in the world. In h1s exposition, he added lh~n the company fttds to expl~i.n that no other was willing to :\cccpt the plam CO\lOll')l due to the enonnous environmental con· se-quences. ·rhe treatment of the ore mvolves dischatging into the sea highl)' toxic chemicals. which among other problcn'ls have raised the temperature of the waters and produced dcfonmties, especially in prawns. The problems do not circumscribe themsclv~s to the sea. The company transports these toxins right through the town in ordinary trucks which have h~d no modification. The viltagers greatest rear is that in the event or a brake faihu·e or cr:\sh, these chcm1cals will esc."tpc, contaminating the air. soil and even causing an explosion. Again, at the World Bank Conference the comp.--my's representative concentrated on the economic benefits, highlighting that the production of "La Escondida" represents 6% of the total exported by the country. Ftmhcnnore, as there are plans for incre-asing production. Chile will become a world leader in the producuon of copper. Resolution : Towards the end of the conference the ddegates prepared a state· rnent which v.ras read out to the press during a speech in the Congl'<ss Press Office. The document, known as the "Dcdaraci6n de Quno", rcje<;tS ..mining activity in latin America and the pernicious role of the \Vorld Bank in promot· mg. and financing mining in the r.::g:1on". Delegates asscned "the right of lndigenous people and communities to continue their ham1onlous ways of life and decide their own destiny". Nor were delegates in agreement with the 6:mk's macro·economic poh~>~ "'\V~ 16 Their demands can be summarized as urging national govemmems to prioritize quality of life, food, security and environmcnt:'tl prestrvation above anything else., thC)' requested that alternath•es to mining should be sought and that aU mining development monC)' be channeled to other sectors of the economy managed by communities. World Bank Conference: Delegates from Latin Amcrie<~n NGOs attending the: \Vorld a'lnk Conference expressed their reservations about the event in a letter addressed to the President of the B.·mk, which was read · out during their speeches in the final panel. understanding of the unpact or numng at the local level. To be more precise. they stated in the lener that out of the 40 delegates to the \Vorld Bank Con(erence there was j\ISt one Indigenous person. and he w~ from canada and reflected in his spee<:h cxa>encnces far removed frorn those of laun Americans. In addition, rcprescmatives from L<uin America had been unable: to auend the workshop "Processes used during consuhauon"' on the 7th of May due to the absence of a Spanish-Engli'h tmnshnor. This unfonunate example of how liule the organizers had thought about the needs of delegates from the rt":gion happened not just on<;c. On two more ex<:asions and due to the same problem , Spamsh-speaking delegates were left without :my option but to abarldon the diSC\ISSions. As a result, they expressed doubts about the value of the consu.hation process msugated by the B nk, concluding that their partidpiltion . a wns mcrdy token. This is in marked contrast to a promise of "'lncan~ngful" panic~ lpation made by the Bank in a leucr addressed to the l....'\tin America Project. dated April 18th. ~ 11tt outhtN now works (CJ tht Lorin Ameri<o Minjng !Mnitoril>g frogtomme {wu.if/ I I 3 Hig~/and ,d., 8tomley, Kenl, Eng/end, m 4AA. Tti:OI81·280107. (·moil: <glevys@ul<l"'eb.demon.<o.Uh> UPDATE: During the debace many fa~ and Indigenous people spoke about e Mir wishes to •see• rite real extenc of environmental deceriorarion c open-pic har mining has produced in Peru. by far one of rhe v~t cas presented during e che conference. As a follow up to chis requescThe Latin suongly·worded letter was used by the delegates to express their di53greement with the orgttnizatlon of the event and the conclusiot\S reached dunng discussions. Reading. from a lencr prepared b)" the group. Hector Huenas Gonzalez ( a Kuna from Pan,ma) <:ommunic~ncd the .. groupS diS(lppointmcnt at the absence of a significant number of NGOs and commtmtty delegates. They felt the confer· encc had not been able to reach an A America Mining Monicoring Program (LAMMP) and Accion Ecologica are ~ntfy organizing an incemac ional exchange crip berween farmers and Indigenous people from E cuador and Peru. It isthe inrenrion of the group co >is in Peru the communiries of Cerro it de Pasco, Oroya and the ciry of 1/o and ro offer inlerflaCional wppon co c hese communities. Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Parallel Conference on Mining and the Community Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gloves Rondon Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title The Parallel Conference on Mining and the Community Item Type Journal Article Author Gloves Rondon Language English English Abstract Note More than 60 participants from Indigenous communities and NGOs in nine countries contributed to a general debate on mining. The representatives spoke on the true costs of mining, and the needs of those they represented. Issue 1 Volume 11 Publication Title Abya Yala News mining Parallel Conference http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/4d0c299cf37909e950db05dd9d9fcac8.pdf aaa63783558b831de889a5de963768e1 PDF Text Text I N B R I E F Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast Update: Logging Stopped! The Oineh communnyS long history Qf rtsJStance reached a pivotal I>Oint in 1974, when the US Congress appro,·ed the Navnjo-Hopi S<:ulemem Aet. The previous am:mgement of dual ownership of lhe lands by the Dlneh and the Hopi complicated the mining companies ability to seek land leases for co.1.l extr~u:· tion. This new law. sponsored in part by the mining indu$try, resulted in the £on:ed relocation of 12.000 traditional Oineh from their land. In 1996 the US government attempted another Oineh·l-lopi settlement act that offered land le:ases to a few ftun· i1ies while authorizing the forcible relcx-ation of those who did not qualify for a lease pemlit, The Oineh art feeh ng the pressure to rtsettle w oper1 1nore land for mining. he 16th of February, Nicaragua's Environment .and N:nur:.\1 Rt.SO\trctS Millisuy withheld permits to SOL· CARSA, the Korean Lumber company, declaring their logging concession null and void Two rears ago. the Violcta Chamorro government grnnted a 153,000 acre concession to SOLCARSA. a subsidiary of the Korean tronsnatlonal Kum K)~mg (~e Abya Y a!a News. Summer 1997, Vol 10. No.3. Pg.34). The rainforest concession violated laws protecting the nght of lnd•genous <:Oml'nunities of the North Atlantic Atonomous Zot•e (Rt\AN) to control their natuml resour:cts. The In addition lO being the primary SOU~C of deStruction for recent dcdaration has. come after the Nicaraguan Supreme Court has ruled that the logging concesston is unconstitutional traditional Oineh burial and sacred sites. the cool st rip~mine h:tS for a second time. The Korean logging g1ant has already paid 1 cr~U':d several etwlronmental problems. Tht mine threatens the million dollars in fines for violating logging regulations. sole sourc;e of water for the communities in the region. The coal from the Slack M~ mine is mixtd with ,.,:rater and ttansportcd For the Miskito and Sumo people. the eviction of SOI..- 273 miles through a slurry line to the Mojave Generation Station CARSA is the first step towards recognizing 'heir constitutional in laughlin. Nevad:t. To function properly. the slurry line must right to title their lands. Armstrong \Viggins, a M~skito lawrer <U pump up to 1.4 billion g$llons of wt.\tcr each year frotn the the Indian Law Resource Ccncr s.1id that '"this was an imj>Ort.arn Oineh aqtlifer. battle, hard fought ... but to keep this from happening again. we In his four·day visit , Mr. Amor heard from lndtg.cnous have to press now for the demarcation of all lndigneous lands in nations m Arizona on other maaers 3S well. including: the Nicaragua.'" Un1versity of Arizol'H\'s plac:eme1\l of tcltsc:opes on tOp of Momu lnformmion from: R csoutce Ctrucr of rite AmcrfcM and GlolHd Graham , a place sacred to the Apa<:he people: urnnium mining Resp<>11se: globrrsp<>nse@igc.apc.org on the high pl:ueatt~ of the Grand Canyon, which is s.'\cred to the Havasupai and many other Indigenous peoples nath•c to Arizona. Nevertheless. Mr. Amor refustd to validate or refute "''l' until he h.•d time to United Nations Investigates Human Rights Abuses :.md allegations he had rccti"ed fromdigest the documentation testim<m)' more than one hundred Against Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Cif~y people in his four day vish. Amor's report from lus U.S. vlsit will likely be: heard by lhc U.N. Commiss1on on Hum:m February 1-4, Mr. Abdelfauah Amor. the UN Special Rights in March 1999. It is possible the UN may rcle•~ the Rapponcur of Religious Intolerance of the Unitt.-d Nntions report to the public by the end of 1998. Comm~ssion on liuman rughlS, l'nCl With traditional Olnch The aides to the stateS congression:t1 delegation in Arizona (N~wajo) elders to investigate charges of humatl rights violations by the Un i u:~d States govcmmcnL A comingem of various non· said they had never heard of Amor nor had any idea why he had government organizations, most of them faith based. were 1nvlt· selected AriZOI\9. tO ilwestigate the subject or re.hgious lntOicrcd by the Dineh to participate in the event. More chan one: htm· anct. dred people sat on the din floor of a hogan liStenit'lg tO u:sti· \tfars.ha ~\lf<mc~.rcr.sl()l, monies about rtligiotts violations. This was the firs~ time that For more irifomuuion please comacr: 1 the United States has ever been £onnally investigated by the UN Consultam to So\'trtign Dine.h Nmior1. Co-Chair, NCO Huma~~ Rights Caucus at 'he VN Commi.ssior~ on Su.stairwble De\'elopmeru for violations the right lO freedom of rclig.ton. T I or Abdelfauah Amor came in response to n fonnal complaim filed by the lntcn>atlonallndian Treaty Council (liTC) on behal£ of the Sovereign Oineh Nation of Big Mountain, Arizona focus· ing on forced relocation and its impacts on religious freedom. The religious rights of the Dineh Nauon are thrc:uencd by the British-owned Peabody Coal Company (PCC). the world~ largest pri\'Otcly-owned coal company. which operates the Black Mesa/Kayenta strip mine in the heart of Black Mesa. Over 4.000 burial and sacred snes have been destroyed as a result of strip mining. There is no protection given to Oinch burial grounds and sacred sites. Members of the: t.:olnmunit)t are ba.rrtd access 10 cenain s.1cred sites to pray. which interferes with the.ir abibty to practice thc1r religion. which is land~bascd and sile Sj>ecific. 4 (718) 349-1841 t•mail: sdmuiorJ@tarlhlhlk.P~tl Roraima, Brazil: Forest Fires Reach Yanomami Territory T he raging fires sweeping the Amazon have r!!ached the Yanomami's dense jungle territory. for the past two months. fires set by subsis(ence fam1ers to cle:tr the1r land ha\'e ravaged the s.wanna highlands of Roraima state. The dcv.. · asuuing Orcs are coupled with one or the worst droughts the region has e.ver faced. Thous..1.nds of Macuxi, \ V3ptxan:t. Taurcpangi, \Vai \ Vai, Pcmon. Maiongong and Patamona pc:oA~Yala News �IN pies arc also <hrca<cned as <he drough< has ruined their crops. The fire:; arc now t:uing their way into the jungle, which is usually far too h\nnid and wet w burn. According to meteorolo· gists. 1:1 Nil)o may be affecting the bizarre weather, which has caused Oooding in 6raz1l's south and drought in the Amazon region to the Nonh. Romima has not seen rail'\ for five months. .and the winds push lhc names quickly lhrough !he foreSl aided by lhe exuemel)• low levels of the rivers and creeks, natural firebreaks. At this writing. the Orcs had already entered seven miles into the Yanont."mi's vast ttrritory along, the 8ra:ii-Vcnczuela border. The rivers in the :li'Ca ha\'C dried up to such an extent that heahh care providers-arc unable to reach Yanomami villages affected by 1nalaria. 1'he fires come at a time when the. garimpenos, poor gold miners who swanned into Yanoma.m1 lands by the tens of 1hous.1nds in <he 1970s and 80s. have finally been rc,novc by the gov~mmem this j3J\\I3_y. Yanomami leader Oavi Kopcnawa t Yanomami has -appealed for help to stop the f'ires from encroaching fun her into the jungle and desnoying any villages. He expressed concern <hal <he fires will open <he way for gold miners and landless farmers who would normally be slopped by <he dense jungle. The Consdho lndlgena de Rornima (CIR) has appealed 10 the imcrn::nional community for dis.'1Ster aid to help fight the severe eondi<ions created by the fires ond drough<. As pan of <heir solidari<y campaign. CIR is trying <<> drill wells, build water c.xmals and provide food for the Jndigenous t>eoples in Roraima. where the f'ircs ha\'e alr~ad)• consumed 25% of the state's forests. Pft<lS€ tonwa CIR at: cir@technec.com.br BRIEF d:.uncotal, a.nd rtj>rtscms the first time that the multiculturalism of the nation has been legally recognized. To comply with the Convention, the government must con· suit '''lth the Indigenous communities before nlSlituting any projccl <ha< could ~ffect <he communi<ies directly. The S<a<c is atso obliged to establish the means through which the commu. nities can panicip:ne freely in decision-making with govem.. ment authoritu~.s. In the Constituent Asstmbl)·. whlch was seated in late December and is charged with rtwriting the Ecuadoran ConStitution. members of the 1~chakutik mo\'emem , cemer.Jeft panics and former Presidem Osvaldo Hunado ( 1981·84). head of <he Peoples Democracy pany and speaker of the assembly. have promised to defend the ILO conventiOI\. In tts debates Ol\ plurinatiOilttlhy. the assembly is considering the issues addressed in Convention 169 including such topics as: juridical pluralit)', which would pcnnil Indigenous communities to have their own laws. legal t-ode.s and s.t~nctions, and provide legal recognition of some decisions made under traditional juStice systems. nlthotlgh many aspects of these decisions would be subordinate lO t:cuadorian law; making the official govcmmcm rcprcscmative in a locality an elected post in Indigenous tcrrito· ries, rather than a political appoimcc or I he provincial govemor; m<'tking Quich\13 n nauonal langunge, on the same level as Sp~nish. while less·"~dely spoken Indigenous <ongues would be recognized as official languages i1\ the areas where they are SJ>okcn: allowing 1ndigcnous communities to organize themselves according to their own traditions. Even if Ecuador joins the eight other Uuil\ Amcrican coun· . tries that have. ratified Convcmion 169. signing this interna- tional agreemem is not a guaramee of compliance Lluco ciles the example of Mexico. who ratified the accord in 1990 but is Ecuador- Indigenous People Push for Ratification now persecuting the ln<ligenous commtmitie-s in Chiapas. Many of ILO Convention 169 Indigenous leaders think that it is necessary lO incOrJ>arate the Convention into the national constitUtion. According to Lluco " Congressional recognition is fundamental , but it is only the f'irst in Ecuador, Indigenous people kicked off the momh of step ... February with demonstrntiOJ\S and marches tO pressure 1he govemmtnt tO ratify the International labor Org;,lnization's The recent discussions In Congress surrourlding: the ILO Convention 169 ~hat rtcognizcs the rights of Indigenous and Convention 169. have sp.·u kcd nationwide debmcs about mul· Tribal People. Their rcccm efforts include the massive march of ticuhuralism and what il mC'ans to be a muhi·ethnic state. "Our more than 1,500 Indian that arn"ed in Quito on the 4th or nonns are pan of a survhral system that hM- nothing to do wilh Fcbruaf)\ On Feb. 5th interim President Fabi~n Alarc6n sent western laws. ·nU\t is why it is imperative for Indigenous com· Congress his report on the issues addressed in the convention. mur~ities to be give'' the J>Ower to re-solve their own internal Congress is now deb~Uil\g the ratification or the international conOicLS. For this reason. it is indispensable that the constitu· tion include judicial pluralhy. Obviously there is a need to ere· accord. ate a l.aw to harmonize gtncral legislation with that of the Since it was ratified by the lntemationa] Labor Org~t.nization Lndigenous communities. where matters of justice are ::tlso in Geneva in 1989. the dose 10 3.5 million Indigenous people decided collectively and where the entire commun1ty panid· in Ec.ttador have been fighting for hs ratification. lndigcnoll$ pates.. Lluco concluded . leader Miguel Lluco. congressional representative of the P<tchakmik Plurinational Movement. has conti0\.100 to raise the Information from: Nolicias Ali(ldas. Pc:n• issue of rmineation or the convention tn Congress. Lluco says that there ,..,.~ "nn unjustified delay on the. part or 1he executive bmnch" in handing over the convcmion to Congress for mtifi· cation. For the 11 Indigenous nations in t:cuador. -a country of J 1 million inhabitants. the ratification of the Convention is fun· l Vol. 11 No.1 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. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Roraima, Brazil: Forest Fires Reach Yanomami Territory Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Roraima, Brazil: Forest Fires Reach Yanomami Territory Item Type Journal Article Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 4-5 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1988 Language English Abstract Note The combination of drought and forest fires have threatened thousands of indigenous people. Attachment Title Roraima_Brazil_Forest_Fires_Reach_Yanomami_Territory (1).pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Conselho Indigena de Roraima Roraima Yanomami http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/ae81ea38c6a7d0efabca35de83162929.pdf e541fd14f09382290320376cffc2e302 PDF Text Text MORECERJ EXECUTIONS IN GUATEMALA (Guatemala) Amilcar Mendez Urizar, the leader of the Council of Ethnic Communities Runujel Junam 'We are all Equal" (CERJ), was the victim of an attempted abduction and CERJ member, Camilo Ajqui Jimon was the victim of an extrajudicial execution on April 14th, 1991. Amilcar Mendez was about to get into his car on the Calzada (Avenue) Roosevelt in Zone 11 of Guatemala City, at 7:30 am on 15 April, when he was approached by four men in civilian clothing, wearing dark glasses. Two of the men attempted to seize him, but he managed to escape when people in the vicinity intervened. One of the men reportedly told Amilcar Mendez that he was going to die. Amnesty International is concerned for his safety, as well as for the safety of other CERJ members. CERJ was formed in July 1988 to protect indigenous people's lights. It has been particularly active in protesting at peasants being forced to join in the ostensibly voluntary Civil Defense Patrols (PAC). Article 34 of the Guatemalan Constitution, which recognizes the light to freedom of association, states that no-one may be forced to serve in self-defense groups. The authorities maintain the patrols are voluntary, but there are scores of cases where peasants who have not wished to participate or have tried to withdraw from them, have been labeled "subversives'' by the army and subjected to harassment, death threats and extrajudicial execution. The abuses have been carried out by uniformed soldiers as well as by men in plain clothes, believed to be members of theseculityforcesor acting under t~ orders. COSTA RICA FINALLY RECOGNIZES INDIANS' CITIZENSH I P (Costa Rica) President Rafael Angel Calderon last week formally signed into law a bill facilitating citizenship cards for thousands of undocumented Costa Rican Indians who for years had been denied citizenship. Many Indians were born in remote areas far from Civil Registry centers, so they never obtained the necessary papers to be granted citizenship. Once they have their citizenship cards, they will be eligible for Social Security health care and bank loans, benefits previously denied them. "After 500 years, we are being recognized as Costa Ricans," said Pablo Sibar at a stirling ceremony attended by hundreds of Indians in San Jose's Parque de Ia Paz. According to Enrique Rivera, president of the Telibe Indian Association of Terraba, the multinational fruit company Pindeco is growing papayas on land leased to it by a non-Indian inside the Indian reserve south of the Talarnanca mountains in eastern Costa Rica. Much of the land reserved for Costa Rica's 30,<XX> Indian communities is being worked by non-Indians or has been sold off. CERJ has, since its foundation, been the target of a wide range of human lights violations. Since March 1990, at least 8 members are known to have been killed in circumstances suggesting official involvement. This figure includes the recent killing of Camilo Ajqui Jimon and two further members of CERJ who have been killed since President Jorge Serrano Elias took office in January, 1991. Source: t\mlwty lnteriiQ/ioMI Vol6 Nos 1&2 33 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource More Cerj Executions in Guatemala Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Amnesty International Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title More Cerj Executions in Guatemala Item Type Journal Article Contributor Amnesty International Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 33 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note More people are being targeted by the military if they do not help out. Attachment Title abyayala_v06n01_02_p033.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Guatemala paramilitary attack http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/7bfe4407af57a382fcb0d8640ba8ab6e.pdf 412598f4866c3d617137d29ffdf712b8 PDF Text Text I N B R I E F Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast Update: Logging Stopped! The Oineh communnyS long history Qf rtsJStance reached a pivotal I>Oint in 1974, when the US Congress appro,·ed the Navnjo-Hopi S<:ulemem Aet. The previous am:mgement of dual ownership of lhe lands by the Dlneh and the Hopi complicated the mining companies ability to seek land leases for co.1.l extr~u:· tion. This new law. sponsored in part by the mining indu$try, resulted in the £on:ed relocation of 12.000 traditional Oineh from their land. In 1996 the US government attempted another Oineh·l-lopi settlement act that offered land le:ases to a few ftun· i1ies while authorizing the forcible relcx-ation of those who did not qualify for a lease pemlit, The Oineh art feeh ng the pressure to rtsettle w oper1 1nore land for mining. he 16th of February, Nicaragua's Environment .and N:nur:.\1 Rt.SO\trctS Millisuy withheld permits to SOL· CARSA, the Korean Lumber company, declaring their logging concession null and void Two rears ago. the Violcta Chamorro government grnnted a 153,000 acre concession to SOLCARSA. a subsidiary of the Korean tronsnatlonal Kum K)~mg (~e Abya Y a!a News. Summer 1997, Vol 10. No.3. Pg.34). The rainforest concession violated laws protecting the nght of lnd•genous <:Oml'nunities of the North Atlantic Atonomous Zot•e (Rt\AN) to control their natuml resour:cts. The In addition lO being the primary SOU~C of deStruction for recent dcdaration has. come after the Nicaraguan Supreme Court has ruled that the logging concesston is unconstitutional traditional Oineh burial and sacred sites. the cool st rip~mine h:tS for a second time. The Korean logging g1ant has already paid 1 cr~U':d several etwlronmental problems. Tht mine threatens the million dollars in fines for violating logging regulations. sole sourc;e of water for the communities in the region. The coal from the Slack M~ mine is mixtd with ,.,:rater and ttansportcd For the Miskito and Sumo people. the eviction of SOI..- 273 miles through a slurry line to the Mojave Generation Station CARSA is the first step towards recognizing 'heir constitutional in laughlin. Nevad:t. To function properly. the slurry line must right to title their lands. Armstrong \Viggins, a M~skito lawrer <U pump up to 1.4 billion g$llons of wt.\tcr each year frotn the the Indian Law Resource Ccncr s.1id that '"this was an imj>Ort.arn Oineh aqtlifer. battle, hard fought ... but to keep this from happening again. we In his four·day visit , Mr. Amor heard from lndtg.cnous have to press now for the demarcation of all lndigneous lands in nations m Arizona on other maaers 3S well. including: the Nicaragua.'" Un1versity of Arizol'H\'s plac:eme1\l of tcltsc:opes on tOp of Momu lnformmion from: R csoutce Ctrucr of rite AmcrfcM and GlolHd Graham , a place sacred to the Apa<:he people: urnnium mining Resp<>11se: globrrsp<>nse@igc.apc.org on the high pl:ueatt~ of the Grand Canyon, which is s.'\cred to the Havasupai and many other Indigenous peoples nath•c to Arizona. Nevertheless. Mr. Amor refustd to validate or refute "''l' until he h.•d time to United Nations Investigates Human Rights Abuses :.md allegations he had rccti"ed fromdigest the documentation testim<m)' more than one hundred Against Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Cif~y people in his four day vish. Amor's report from lus U.S. vlsit will likely be: heard by lhc U.N. Commiss1on on Hum:m February 1-4, Mr. Abdelfauah Amor. the UN Special Rights in March 1999. It is possible the UN may rcle•~ the Rapponcur of Religious Intolerance of the Unitt.-d Nntions report to the public by the end of 1998. Comm~ssion on liuman rughlS, l'nCl With traditional Olnch The aides to the stateS congression:t1 delegation in Arizona (N~wajo) elders to investigate charges of humatl rights violations by the Un i u:~d States govcmmcnL A comingem of various non· said they had never heard of Amor nor had any idea why he had government organizations, most of them faith based. were 1nvlt· selected AriZOI\9. tO ilwestigate the subject or re.hgious lntOicrcd by the Dineh to participate in the event. More chan one: htm· anct. dred people sat on the din floor of a hogan liStenit'lg tO u:sti· \tfars.ha ~\lf<mc~.rcr.sl()l, monies about rtligiotts violations. This was the firs~ time that For more irifomuuion please comacr: 1 the United States has ever been £onnally investigated by the UN Consultam to So\'trtign Dine.h Nmior1. Co-Chair, NCO Huma~~ Rights Caucus at 'he VN Commi.ssior~ on Su.stairwble De\'elopmeru for violations the right lO freedom of rclig.ton. T I or Abdelfauah Amor came in response to n fonnal complaim filed by the lntcn>atlonallndian Treaty Council (liTC) on behal£ of the Sovereign Oineh Nation of Big Mountain, Arizona focus· ing on forced relocation and its impacts on religious freedom. The religious rights of the Dineh Nauon are thrc:uencd by the British-owned Peabody Coal Company (PCC). the world~ largest pri\'Otcly-owned coal company. which operates the Black Mesa/Kayenta strip mine in the heart of Black Mesa. Over 4.000 burial and sacred snes have been destroyed as a result of strip mining. There is no protection given to Oinch burial grounds and sacred sites. Members of the: t.:olnmunit)t are ba.rrtd access 10 cenain s.1cred sites to pray. which interferes with the.ir abibty to practice thc1r religion. which is land~bascd and sile Sj>ecific. 4 (718) 349-1841 t•mail: sdmuiorJ@tarlhlhlk.P~tl Roraima, Brazil: Forest Fires Reach Yanomami Territory T he raging fires sweeping the Amazon have r!!ached the Yanomami's dense jungle territory. for the past two months. fires set by subsis(ence fam1ers to cle:tr the1r land ha\'e ravaged the s.wanna highlands of Roraima state. The dcv.. · asuuing Orcs are coupled with one or the worst droughts the region has e.ver faced. Thous..1.nds of Macuxi, \ V3ptxan:t. Taurcpangi, \Vai \ Vai, Pcmon. Maiongong and Patamona pc:oA~Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United Nations Investigates Human Rights Abuses Against Indigenous Peoples in the United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Language A language of the resource English English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Zotero Title United Nations Investigates Human Rights Abuses Against Indigenous Peoples in the United States Item Type Journal Article Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 4 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Language English Abstract Note Delegates from the United Nations met to discuss the United States violation of the right of freedom of religion reguarding the Navajo and the Soverign Dineh Nation of Big Mountian. Attachment Title Nicaragua's_Atlantic_Coast_Update-_Logging_Stopped.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Exploitation Religion Soverign Dineh Nation of Big Mountian http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/5c7363e024308c2a1860a1147e04b408.pdf c8c23b7a70c77de5aa6d6cfbf5c2e102 PDF Text Text ASSASSINATION OF INDIAN LEADERS IN HONDURAS (Honduras) Vicente Motute and his colleague Francisco Guevara were killed September 30. They were both leaders of the Xicoque people and Vicente Motute was president of the Federation of the Xicoque Tribe (FETRIXI), the president of the Honduran Advisory Council for the Development of Autochthonous Ethnic People (CAHDEA), and the general coordinator of the Commission for the Confederation of Ethnic People of Honduras. The tribe has been developing legal claims to the government and landowners who hove been increasingly encroaching on Indian lands to cut timber. lawsuits were sucoessful in providing legal rulings and precedents for retention of indigenous control over their lands. The news was reoeived by the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH) and the Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared People of Honduras (COFADEH). On September 30, 1991, of about 5:00 AM in Plan Grande Village, in the Deportment of Yoro, the two leaders of the indigenous peoples of Tolupon (Xicoque) were executed while travelling in o truck. They were both • riddled with bullets when they deoeloroted in order to cross o narrow pass. The perpetrators were stoked out nearby, in the shrubs of the pass." The assassinations ore evidently the result of declarations mode by the two leaders at o press conference lost September 18th, in which they drew attention to death threats by landowners Eugenio Chavez, Nondo Murillo and the mayor of Duloe Nombre de Culmi, Silvio Morin Juarez, against 130 families of the Pech Tribe, located in the Municipality of Duloe Nombre of Culmi, Olancha Province. At this conferenoe, Motute declared that the Xicoque Tribe of the Yoro deportment fooe similar problems, adding that one of FETRIXI's members, Marcelino Polonce, was wounded by Source: AFSC two men dressed in civilian clothing. Please urge the Honduran Government: 1) To defend and guarantee the right to life of the inhobitonb of Honduras, as provided few in the Inter American Convention on Humon Rights, 2) To investigate and clarify these extrajudicial execvtions and to punish the parties found responsible. Send your pleas to: Rafael Callejas, Presidente de Ia Republica Palacio Nocionol, T egucigalpa, Honduras Phone: 011·504·22·82087, Fox: 011-504-37·96-56. 32 First National Encounter of Indigenous People and Campesinos Held in EJ Salvador (EI Salvador) The First National Encounter of Indigenous People and Campesinos was held in Sonsonate on September 6-8, and organized by the National Association of Indigenous Peoples (ANIS), the Anthropological Center of El Salvador (ClADES), and the Ecumenical Ministry for Development and Peace (MEDEPAZ). The main themes were: appropriate technology, indigenous legislation, ecology and culture. Among the participants were international organizations, government representatives and the national press. The goal of the meeting was to recuperate indigenous cultural values such as language, history and overall culture, in order to promote development on education, ecology and appropriate technologies which can apply to indigenous cultures as welt as to the rest of the nation. This was an effort initiated by the indigenous peoples and the campesinos of El Salvador. Among the activities were the inauguration of an indigenous school, workshops on human rights, indigenous rights, and indigenous legislation, and appropriate technologies and natural resources. SAIIC Newsletter � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource First National Encounter of Indigenous People and Campesinos Held in El Salvador Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title First National Encounter of Indigenous People and Campesinos Held in El Salvador Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 32 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note The first national encounter of indigenous people and campesinos was held. Attachment Title abyayala_v06n01_02_p032.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Campesino El Salvador http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/1309161250b756654d84c998a0ac3589.pdf c8c23b7a70c77de5aa6d6cfbf5c2e102 PDF Text Text ASSASSINATION OF INDIAN LEADERS IN HONDURAS (Honduras) Vicente Motute and his colleague Francisco Guevara were killed September 30. They were both leaders of the Xicoque people and Vicente Motute was president of the Federation of the Xicoque Tribe (FETRIXI), the president of the Honduran Advisory Council for the Development of Autochthonous Ethnic People (CAHDEA), and the general coordinator of the Commission for the Confederation of Ethnic People of Honduras. The tribe has been developing legal claims to the government and landowners who hove been increasingly encroaching on Indian lands to cut timber. lawsuits were sucoessful in providing legal rulings and precedents for retention of indigenous control over their lands. The news was reoeived by the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH) and the Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared People of Honduras (COFADEH). On September 30, 1991, of about 5:00 AM in Plan Grande Village, in the Deportment of Yoro, the two leaders of the indigenous peoples of Tolupon (Xicoque) were executed while travelling in o truck. They were both • riddled with bullets when they deoeloroted in order to cross o narrow pass. The perpetrators were stoked out nearby, in the shrubs of the pass." The assassinations ore evidently the result of declarations mode by the two leaders at o press conference lost September 18th, in which they drew attention to death threats by landowners Eugenio Chavez, Nondo Murillo and the mayor of Duloe Nombre de Culmi, Silvio Morin Juarez, against 130 families of the Pech Tribe, located in the Municipality of Duloe Nombre of Culmi, Olancha Province. At this conferenoe, Motute declared that the Xicoque Tribe of the Yoro deportment fooe similar problems, adding that one of FETRIXI's members, Marcelino Polonce, was wounded by Source: AFSC two men dressed in civilian clothing. Please urge the Honduran Government: 1) To defend and guarantee the right to life of the inhobitonb of Honduras, as provided few in the Inter American Convention on Humon Rights, 2) To investigate and clarify these extrajudicial execvtions and to punish the parties found responsible. Send your pleas to: Rafael Callejas, Presidente de Ia Republica Palacio Nocionol, T egucigalpa, Honduras Phone: 011·504·22·82087, Fox: 011-504-37·96-56. 32 First National Encounter of Indigenous People and Campesinos Held in EJ Salvador (EI Salvador) The First National Encounter of Indigenous People and Campesinos was held in Sonsonate on September 6-8, and organized by the National Association of Indigenous Peoples (ANIS), the Anthropological Center of El Salvador (ClADES), and the Ecumenical Ministry for Development and Peace (MEDEPAZ). The main themes were: appropriate technology, indigenous legislation, ecology and culture. Among the participants were international organizations, government representatives and the national press. The goal of the meeting was to recuperate indigenous cultural values such as language, history and overall culture, in order to promote development on education, ecology and appropriate technologies which can apply to indigenous cultures as welt as to the rest of the nation. This was an effort initiated by the indigenous peoples and the campesinos of El Salvador. Among the activities were the inauguration of an indigenous school, workshops on human rights, indigenous rights, and indigenous legislation, and appropriate technologies and natural resources. SAIIC Newsletter � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Assassination of Indian Leaders in Honduras Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Assassination of Indian Leaders in Honduras Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 32 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note Indian leaders are attacked for speaking out against government encroachments onto their land. Attachment Title abyayala_v06n01_02_p032.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Honduras paramilitary attacks http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/32490315434cc21a8a2599f69cd047d7.pdf 5eafafc36d93c9f380f621331ae7e5c4 PDF Text Text I N B R I E F Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast Update: Logging Stopped! The Oineh communnyS long history Qf rtsJStance reached a pivotal I>Oint in 1974, when the US Congress appro,·ed the Navnjo-Hopi S<:ulemem Aet. The previous am:mgement of dual ownership of lhe lands by the Dlneh and the Hopi complicated the mining companies ability to seek land leases for co.1.l extr~u:· tion. This new law. sponsored in part by the mining indu$try, resulted in the £on:ed relocation of 12.000 traditional Oineh from their land. In 1996 the US government attempted another Oineh·l-lopi settlement act that offered land le:ases to a few ftun· i1ies while authorizing the forcible relcx-ation of those who did not qualify for a lease pemlit, The Oineh art feeh ng the pressure to rtsettle w oper1 1nore land for mining. he 16th of February, Nicaragua's Environment .and N:nur:.\1 Rt.SO\trctS Millisuy withheld permits to SOL· CARSA, the Korean Lumber company, declaring their logging concession null and void Two rears ago. the Violcta Chamorro government grnnted a 153,000 acre concession to SOLCARSA. a subsidiary of the Korean tronsnatlonal Kum K)~mg (~e Abya Y a!a News. Summer 1997, Vol 10. No.3. Pg.34). The rainforest concession violated laws protecting the nght of lnd•genous <:Oml'nunities of the North Atlantic Atonomous Zot•e (Rt\AN) to control their natuml resour:cts. The In addition lO being the primary SOU~C of deStruction for recent dcdaration has. come after the Nicaraguan Supreme Court has ruled that the logging concesston is unconstitutional traditional Oineh burial and sacred sites. the cool st rip~mine h:tS for a second time. The Korean logging g1ant has already paid 1 cr~U':d several etwlronmental problems. Tht mine threatens the million dollars in fines for violating logging regulations. sole sourc;e of water for the communities in the region. The coal from the Slack M~ mine is mixtd with ,.,:rater and ttansportcd For the Miskito and Sumo people. the eviction of SOI..- 273 miles through a slurry line to the Mojave Generation Station CARSA is the first step towards recognizing 'heir constitutional in laughlin. Nevad:t. To function properly. the slurry line must right to title their lands. Armstrong \Viggins, a M~skito lawrer <U pump up to 1.4 billion g$llons of wt.\tcr each year frotn the the Indian Law Resource Ccncr s.1id that '"this was an imj>Ort.arn Oineh aqtlifer. battle, hard fought ... but to keep this from happening again. we In his four·day visit , Mr. Amor heard from lndtg.cnous have to press now for the demarcation of all lndigneous lands in nations m Arizona on other maaers 3S well. including: the Nicaragua.'" Un1versity of Arizol'H\'s plac:eme1\l of tcltsc:opes on tOp of Momu lnformmion from: R csoutce Ctrucr of rite AmcrfcM and GlolHd Graham , a place sacred to the Apa<:he people: urnnium mining Resp<>11se: globrrsp<>nse@igc.apc.org on the high pl:ueatt~ of the Grand Canyon, which is s.'\cred to the Havasupai and many other Indigenous peoples nath•c to Arizona. Nevertheless. Mr. Amor refustd to validate or refute "''l' until he h.•d time to United Nations Investigates Human Rights Abuses :.md allegations he had rccti"ed fromdigest the documentation testim<m)' more than one hundred Against Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Cif~y people in his four day vish. Amor's report from lus U.S. vlsit will likely be: heard by lhc U.N. Commiss1on on Hum:m February 1-4, Mr. Abdelfauah Amor. the UN Special Rights in March 1999. It is possible the UN may rcle•~ the Rapponcur of Religious Intolerance of the Unitt.-d Nntions report to the public by the end of 1998. Comm~ssion on liuman rughlS, l'nCl With traditional Olnch The aides to the stateS congression:t1 delegation in Arizona (N~wajo) elders to investigate charges of humatl rights violations by the Un i u:~d States govcmmcnL A comingem of various non· said they had never heard of Amor nor had any idea why he had government organizations, most of them faith based. were 1nvlt· selected AriZOI\9. tO ilwestigate the subject or re.hgious lntOicrcd by the Dineh to participate in the event. More chan one: htm· anct. dred people sat on the din floor of a hogan liStenit'lg tO u:sti· \tfars.ha ~\lf<mc~.rcr.sl()l, monies about rtligiotts violations. This was the firs~ time that For more irifomuuion please comacr: 1 the United States has ever been £onnally investigated by the UN Consultam to So\'trtign Dine.h Nmior1. Co-Chair, NCO Huma~~ Rights Caucus at 'he VN Commi.ssior~ on Su.stairwble De\'elopmeru for violations the right lO freedom of rclig.ton. T I or Abdelfauah Amor came in response to n fonnal complaim filed by the lntcn>atlonallndian Treaty Council (liTC) on behal£ of the Sovereign Oineh Nation of Big Mountain, Arizona focus· ing on forced relocation and its impacts on religious freedom. The religious rights of the Dineh Nauon are thrc:uencd by the British-owned Peabody Coal Company (PCC). the world~ largest pri\'Otcly-owned coal company. which operates the Black Mesa/Kayenta strip mine in the heart of Black Mesa. Over 4.000 burial and sacred snes have been destroyed as a result of strip mining. There is no protection given to Oinch burial grounds and sacred sites. Members of the: t.:olnmunit)t are ba.rrtd access 10 cenain s.1cred sites to pray. which interferes with the.ir abibty to practice thc1r religion. which is land~bascd and sile Sj>ecific. 4 (718) 349-1841 t•mail: sdmuiorJ@tarlhlhlk.P~tl Roraima, Brazil: Forest Fires Reach Yanomami Territory T he raging fires sweeping the Amazon have r!!ached the Yanomami's dense jungle territory. for the past two months. fires set by subsis(ence fam1ers to cle:tr the1r land ha\'e ravaged the s.wanna highlands of Roraima state. The dcv.. · asuuing Orcs are coupled with one or the worst droughts the region has e.ver faced. Thous..1.nds of Macuxi, \ V3ptxan:t. Taurcpangi, \Vai \ Vai, Pcmon. Maiongong and Patamona pc:oA~Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 11, no. 1 (Spring 1998) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast Update: Logging Stopped! Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Spring 1998 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast Update: Logging Stopped! Item Type Journal Article Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 4 Publication Title Abya Yala News ISSN 1071-3182 Date Spring 1998 Language English Abstract Note Logging which has been damaging to Indigenous communities of the North Atlantic Atonomous Zone has ceased, leading to greater control of there constitutional right to their lands. Attachment Title Nicaragua's_Atlantic_Coast_Update-_Logging_Stopped.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Autonomy Indigenous Rights Logging Nicaragua North Atlantic Autonomous Zone http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/files/original/1f98971c041129de869b0d074ae2eef8.pdf 44a2446fac7c189be286b2337f23eb53 PDF Text Text A Silent Strategy "The Clothes that We Wear" The following is~ and tnmsWtd from IM book. La Ropl Que l.lsamos, by Daniel EdUArdoMI>tul Momles,and published by Uga Maylllnlmladonal, Apdo. Postal 584 Oldigo 1100, San ]UAn de Tibas, CAsta Rica. "Our Maya humanity has a beginning, a start, an origin. We havea history.n Aj Pop For us, the Maya people of Guatemala, the c.lothcs we weave and wear are an eloquent representation of our historic continuity. Within them. we record abstract and cosmic principles in mathematical and geometric figures, some simple, others so complex as to be unidentifiable, all presented in extraordinary colors. The ideas represented in our clothes, beyond their aesthetic sense, carry a central theme which corresponds to the <:osmos, which brings us to the basic source of Maya thought. It gives us a formula to Interpret humankind, our relationship with nature, a.n d with God. We usc this formula for connecting the present and the past, and to remind us of our uncompromising decision to be free and original, like our ancestors. Our dothcs are genuine, well-defined, and revealing of our philosophy, customs, value system and collective consciousness. The fact that we wear them daily makes them an instrument for historic projection; it is a powerful social discipline. The main idea behind the clothes we wear has its roots in the original reflections of our civilization which can be traced back five to six-thousand years ago. The idea is that when a human is born, s/he is completely integrated into the Cosmos. Humankind and nature only make up tiny 30 parts of the total Cosmos. While conserving this cosmovision in our clothes, we are complying with our people's mandate. So the beauty and colorfulness of our weavings arc not merely aesthetically pleasing. but a brilliant way of keeping our writings and fundamental symbols alive. However, there is also a desire to protect these symbols from the greed of outsiders. Thus, in our wcavings we often present these symbols for the world to sec, but they go undccipheml and overlooked. They remain mute for those who don't Wlderstand their meaning. but they arc evocative elements when you know how to interpret them. Often, their main message remains hidden to those whose narrow vision impedes them from tuning into t.h e ancient expression of our collective art. It must also be mentioned that our art is not "art for art's sake," which would be absurd. Our woven messages are a silent strategy, within which is found a deep and fruitful knowledge which promotes respect Ph«o by Jmoe MinJr. and searches for equilibrium among people and nature. This equilibrium guarantees human survival. Thus, with our colors and designs, we have been struggling for five centuries against the destruction of our historical, social, psychological and mythological concepts. With plants, flowers and vegetables, we attempt to fonn consciousness of, and appreciation for the natural environment, in which everything has great value. It was nature's interaction with humankind which gave birth to our civilization. Our weaving is our way of admiring the world, but at the same time, we are transformed each day, SAIIC Newsletter �as the entire world is, even though it appears the same each dawn. Ourdothescanysymbolsthat teach one to 1espect one's place or origin, social status, and mythology. Some symbols, like those or Coban, tell or the romance between the Sun and the Moon in the framework or a magic scene or leaves, birds and day pots. In this legend, the Moon wove for the Sun, a gift which told or the day's events. In this way, we learn that life Is nothing more than the weaving or time. We have suffered since 1524, when the Invaders arrived. Our clothes have served as an expression or our solidarity and identification wherever we go. This is why we have kept our Native dress. For a very long time, the colors and figures we use have been chosen careruny without arbitrariness. They arc the result or systematic observa· tions. The four cardinal points illustrate this well. North is represented by white, because the clouds arc believed to come from there. The moon is also symbolized by white and the North. The South is symbolized by yellow, in tribute to the fertility or com and the legend or the Cosmic Tree which bore fruit in the union between the Sky and the Earth. The cross, in our ancient tradition, represents the four winds, the direction or the heavens, the four sides of our com fields, and the four cardinal points. When the cross has leaves on i~ this symbollz.es a very tall tree which, according to the Pop Wuj (Popol Yuh· the sacred book of the Quiche Maya), bore the fruits of life. "This cross is dearly visible in the sky on starry nights in the South. The East is ,ymbolized by red, the color or hope. It represents sunrise and eternity. West is symbolized by black, the death or light and the restive period begun at day's end. So we sec it is no coincidence that in our lives today, the link between people and their clothes remains ever strong, prevailing in Maya though~ because they bring us physlcal comfort and spiritual satisfaction. Archeology confinns the development of our garments. The murals or ancient Maya cemnonies in Bonampak provide testimony or how leaders, priests, chiefs and others of historical standing wore many kinds or precious jewelry, deerskin sandals, and woven clothes. The lower body was covered by an apron-like garment embel· llshed with brocade, embroidery, feathers and jewels. The upper body was covered with a huipll, shells, necklaces, beads, jade, metal and gems. Today, the huipils or Olimaltenango, San Pedro Sacatep6tuez, and San Pedro Ayampuc display a design Vol6 Nos 1&2 called "rush mat," which is the same as the one which appears In the sculpted figures of Stele 'H' or Quirigu<i.ln most huipils, the square is brocaded in a diamond position. "This can be seen in Untel24 at Yaxchil<in. Similarly, the jacket which appears in the woman's outfit at Yaxchil<1n is found stylized on many of the weavingsof the Western and Central Highlands. figure 54 or Codex Trocortesla.no clearly shows lxchel, the goddess of the Moon, weaving at her loom. The loom Is tied around her waist and to a tree, exactly like Mayan women today. Weaving has always been a sacred task. Usually, when a new piece is begun, a prayer is offered to the heart of the sky. And still, as before, our people value the role or the Maya woman as a historical thread that carries our deepest cultural roots. Our mythology states that Itz.amna, founder of Uxmal and Chichtm Itz<l, had lxchel as a consort. lxchcl was the one who taught us to weave, and also taught embroidery to her daughter, lxchebcl Yax. Spanish colonists gave vague, foggy descriptions or our dothes. Of course, this had to be the case; how could they understand a culture they ridiculed and discriminated against? We are sure that U we had abandoned wearing our clothes, they'd have been instantly hoarded away in museums. Today, wearing our cher· ishcd clothes makes us the focus or discrimination, humiliation, scorn and persecution in our country. The children of the invaders want to destroy the Maya culture. Ourdu1dren arc prohibited from wearing their own dress to school, yet the invade< portrays as quaint our abstract vision or the world and or life. The selling or our clothes is a very big international business today. The majority or the merchants arc ruthless non-Indian people who do not understand, nor care to understand the ancient symbolism. However, after 500 years of oppn$Sion, our custom or weaving our dothcs is s1ill going strong. As time goes on, we find our designs and colors more beautiful, and they introduce us to a vast universe or composition which reveals the dvoniclcs or Maya ure, from the earliest times to the brilliant future. They arc the testimony or our legiti· mate right to exist as a civilization, as a culture, and as a people. 31 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A Silent Strategy: "The Clothes that We Wear" Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Daniel Eduardo Matul Morales Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title A Silent Strategy: "The Clothes that We Wear" Item Type Journal Article Author Daniel Eduardo Matul Morales Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 30-31 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note The Importance of Native Clothing and Patterns Attachment Title A_Silent_Strategy_The_Clothes_That_We_Wear.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] art clothing Guatemala Maya