10/Aug/2023
The organization highlights the need for Amazonian countries to have defined actions involving the demarcation of indigenous lands, titling of quilombola territories and the creation of protected areas.
The eight presidents of the member states of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) signed last Tuesday, August 8th, the Letter of Belém . The Letter is the main document of the Amazon Summit, which ends this Wednesday (09/08), in the capital of Pará. The Articulação of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib), a national organization of reference of the indigenous movement, considers the Letter of Belém frustrating and demands concrete goals for the demarcation of indigenous lands.
“The document should be more ambitious. We understand there is a diversity of perspectives involving eight countries, and we recognize that political commitments were made, but the absence of specific and objective goals related to indigenous peoples and the environment is frustrating”, says Kleber Karipuna, executive coordinator of Apib.
Among the demands, Apib highlights the need for the Governments to define actions to address the point of no return in the Amazon (a term used by specialists to refer to the point at which the forest loses its ability to regenerate itself), which involves the demarcation of indigenous lands, titling of quilombola territories and the creation of protected areas. In addition to the monitoring and protection of territories and policies to support the sustainable use of those territories.
The indigenous movement also considers as disappointing the suspension of the announcement of demarcation of two indigenous lands during the Amazon Summit, as reported in the newspaper Folha de São Paulo . According to the report, the territories to be demarcated would be the Rio Gregório Indigenous territory, in Tarauacá (AC), and Acapuri de Cima, in Fonte Boa (AM). They are part of a list of 13 indigenous lands that are ready to be homologated , which was presented by the working group of Indigenous Peoples of the Transitional Government, of which Apib was part.
“The Government included the homologation of these 13 territories as part of the goals of the first 100 days of government. This goal was not met and, for the Summit, there was an expectation that other territories would be announced. The delay in this process has concrete Impacts on the indigenous peoples who are dealing with violence on a daily basis ”, emphasizes Dinamam Tuxá, who is also the executive coordinator of Apib.
Assembly of the Peoples of the Earth for the Amazon
Indigenous leaders from Apib and the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab) were in Belém for the Assembly of Peoples of the Earth for the Amazon , held between August 4th and 8th.
The Assembly was part of the political efforts of the indigenous movement to influence the IV Meeting of Presidents of the Signatory States of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), Amazon Dialogues and the Amazon Summit.
During the Assembly, protection policies for isolated peoples were discussed, threats of exploitation by large mining companies and the oil industry, demarcation of ancestral territories, in addition to the resumption of the “time frame” case in the Federal Supreme Court (STF) (This would deny the claims of Indigenous communities to their territories if the communities cannot show that they were present on their lands when the 1988 Constitution was enacted).
On August 7, indigenous organizations in the Amazon published a document, “Letter from the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin to Presidents” . Delivered to the Amazonian presidents, the letter highlights the importance of dialoguing with the Indigenous movement to stop and solve the global climate crisis.
“Without us, there will be no Amazon; and, without it, the world as we know it will no longer exist. Because we are the Amazon: its land and biodiversity are our body; its rivers flow in our veins. Our ancestors not only preserved it for millennia, but also helped to cultivate it”, says an excerpt from the document.
04/Nov/2022
Between 6 and 18 November, indigenous leaders of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), together with their grassroots organizations, will participate in the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27). The event will take place in the city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where the delegation will discuss the demarcation of Indigenous Territories (ITs) in the country as an essential action to face the global crisis.
The conference takes place after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory in the presidential elections, placing the country back on the climate and environmental agenda, especially in the international arena. The elected president accepted the invitations of governors of the Legal Amazon and the Egyptian presidency to attend the event.
The APIB reiterates that the Indigenous Lands are the areas with the greatest biodiversity and with the most preserved vegetation, since they are territories protected and managed by the native peoples. An example of this is the result of data crossing performed by APIB in 2022, in partnership with the Amazonas Environmental Research Institute (Ipam), with data from MapBiomas. It points out that in Brazil 29% of the territory around the Indigenous Lands is deforested, while inside the Indigenous Lands only 2% is deforested.
Dinamam Tuxá, executive coordinator of APIB, recalls that in 2018 one of the campaign promises of the current president, Jair Bolsonaro, was to not demarcate any ancestral territory. The measure is an attack on the rights of indigenous peoples guaranteed in the 1988 Federal Constitution and an incentive to deforestation and illegal mining.
“In Brazil there is no solution to the climate crisis without the demarcation of indigenous lands and, consequently, the protection of indigenous peoples. We have an intimate relationship with Mother Nature and we see up close the effects of the environmental destruction that Bolsonaro has caused, now with Lula we hope to work together so that the situation changes,” explains Tuxá.
The coordinator, who will be at the conference, will participate in the panel “Governmental transition and Brazilian socio-environmental policy” on November 9. Organized by the Climate Observatory, the panel will also include the Secretary of OC – Márcio Astrini, Tasso Azevedo – Coordinator of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimation System of the Climate Observatory (SEEG), Brenda Brito – researcher of the Institute of Man and Environment of the Amazon (IMAZON), Luis Fernando – Knowledge Director of SOS Mata Atlântica and a representative of the new elected government.
Global Collaboration
The COP27 also comes after Norway announced it would resume the Amazon Fund, an international cooperation program that allocated financial aid to Brazil to reduce deforestation. The Fund was created during the Lula government, but in 2019 Bolsonaro imposed new requirements that caused Norway and Germany to terminate transfers of resources that reached up to US$ 1 billion.
The proposed resumption of the Amazon Fund was only possible with the election of Lula, who has among his promises to end deforestation in the Amazon, respect indigenous peoples and recover the country’s protagonism in the fight for climate justice.
Eunice Kerexu, executive coordinator of Apib, says that having a government committed to these agendas brings relief and optimism to activists and indigenous organizations.
“With Lula we have a more optimistic scenario, but the struggle does not stop. We will continue to fight for the demarcation of indigenous lands and the overthrow of the Temporal Milestone thesis. Just like Norway, it is also important that more countries take part in the debate and return to dialogue with Brazil so that together we can solve the climate crisis”, said Eunice Kerexu.
In 2021, Brazil emitted 2.42 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, which represents a 12% increase compared to 2020 and the highest increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 19 years, according to a survey by the Climate Observatory. Experts point out that the main cause of this increase is deforestation. Brazil and Mexico were the only two countries among the signatories of the Paris Agreement that regressed in their targets in the 2020 review, according to the UN.
Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB)
The Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) was created in 2004 and is the national reference for the indigenous movement. It gathers regional indigenous organizations and was born with the purpose of strengthening the union of the peoples, the articulation between different regions and indigenous organizations of the country, in addition to mobilizing the peoples and indigenous organizations against threats and aggressions to indigenous rights.
SERVICE
What: APIB takes its demands for Indigenous Land recognition to Egypt and reinforces climate change agenda for Lula Government
When: November 6th to 18th, 2022
Where: United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Contact:
[email protected]
09/Sep/2022
On September 13th, the European Parliament will vote on the Proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products (FERC law), also called the Deforestation-free products law. APIB has been following the construction of the legislation since 2020 as it has some gaps that prevent from guaranteeing the effective protection of Indigenous Peoples against the pressure of commodity production.
The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib) promotes a campaign to guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples in the FERC regulation, which will be voted on by the European Parliament on September 13th. With the campaign named “We are all ecosystems” (Somos Todos Biomas), the organization also seeks to include all Brazilian ecosystems in the new legislation.
The FERC law provides sanctions to minimize the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products placed on the EU market. However, the definition of forest defined by FAO and considered by the legislation is very reduced and excludes a good part of biomes and natural areas, which would be left out of protection. Increasing the traceability of production chains only in some biomes announces a threat of displacement and intensification of commodity production in the unsupervised natural areas, which historically have already suffered such pressure.
In the case of Brazil, if the law is applied according to the current proposal, the Amazon forest would be the only biome with the largest protected forest area (84%) from the threats of illegal deforestation for the production of commodities, followed by the Atlantic Forest, Mata Atlántica, (71%). By contrast, only a small part of Cerrado (26%), Caatinga (10%), Pantanal (24%) and Pampas (11%) biomes would be considered as forest to be protected by Deforestation-free products law, according to data from MapBiomas.
The Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, which are distributed throughout all the country and located in all biomes, are already suffering today the pressure of commodity production through: 1) illegal invasion and deforestation of their lands; 2) violence, threats and killings of indigenous leaders and activists who struggle for environmental and indigenous rights; 3) socio-environmental pressure through deforestation, fires and the intensification of large-scale agricultural activities around Indigenous Lands with the use of pesticides that pollute lands and rivers.
According to a crossing data study carried out by APIB with the location of Indigenous Lands in Brazil and the IPAM database about the land-use changes in a buffer of 25 km distance around: 29% of the territory around the Indigenous Lands is deforested, while within indigenous borders there is only 2% of deforestation. The data also shows that most of the deforested areas around Indigenous territories are lands under permanent cattle pastures (producing meat and leather) and soybean production, but also sugarcane, rice or cotton stand out among other commodities.
As a result of the growing risk of environmental degradation caused by some productive sectors, the proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products aims to minimize consumption of products coming from supply chains associated with deforestation or forest degradation, and increase EU demand for and trade in legal and ‘deforestation free’ commodities and products. This, in turn, is expected to reduce GHG emissions and global biodiversity loss.
Nevertheless, all biomes have the same importance in achieving an environmental balance and APIB requests, first of all, that all natural areas should be protected by this legislation. We also demand respect for international treaties and agreements that protect human rights and indigenous rights, in particular, to provide a greater guarantee for the protection of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil. In this regard, National legislations become insufficient when governments such as the current one of Jair Bolsonaro, with an openly anti-indigenist position, risk the lives of the guardians of the forests and biodiversity. Even with the pressure of globalization and commodities production, Indigenous Peoples struggle to continue living in an interrelationship of respect and sustainability with the forest. For this reason, APIB asks for the European Parliament to consider a more comprehensive deforestation-free products law that claims the protection of all types of vegetation and the world’s biodiversity, the survival of Indigenous Peoples and traditional populations, as well as the global climate balance to guarantee a good life for current and future generations.
27/Jun/2022
The European Parliament’s Environmental Commission is currently debating the text of the Proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products (FERC), also called the deforestation-free law, which will be voted on in September. The legislation contains some extremely important gaps to guarantee the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the protection of their territories.
European countries, importers of Brazilian commodities such as beef, soy and leather, need to take responsibility for the impacts that these large-scale production chains have on Indigenous Lands in Brazil. Europe is the second largest market for selling soybeans produced in Brazil, as well as a major importer of Brazilian beef and other forest-risk products. Agribusiness, mining and other large-scale exploration put strong pressure on the protection of Brazilian biomes, the guarantee of indigenous rights and climate change. European demand for commodities amplifies these conflicts. Therefore, it is necessary to impose limits and create traceability mechanisms committed to human rights and the environment. Brazil is currently experiencing a delicate moment of dismantling of policies and institutions, in addition to an increase in violence in the countryside, as the murder of indigenist Bruno Araújo and journalist Dom Phillips has shown. According to the 2021 Global Witness report, Brazil is the fourth most violent country for environmental and human rights defenders.
To focus on this debate, APIB toured Europe with a delegation of indigenous leaders between June 8th and 17th. In the first days, the delegation was in Paris, France, following the investigation of the Casino case, an international supermarket retailer accused of selling products linked to deforestation and land grabbing in Brazil and Colombia (you can read more about the case and the APIB tour in Europe here). In the second part of the trip, between the 13th and 17th of June, the entourage of indigenous leaders from APIB was in Brussels, Belgium, and held several meetings with members and committees of the European Parliament to position themselves on the law on deforestation-free (FERC) and to demand that Parliament include the demands of Indigenous Peoples in that legislation.
The ministers representing the member states of the European Union will put their positions in relation to the law at the next European Environment Council, which will take place on June 28th. Subsequently, the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee – which is responsible for drafting the FERC law – will vote in mid-July on the proposed amendments to the draft presented, with the aim of having the final text for voting by the law in the plenary of Parliament in September 2022.
What is currently proposed by the Law on deforestation-free (FERC)?
The European Commission’s Proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products (FERC) pretends to avoid the importation of products that promote illegal deforestation within their production chains. The proposed law, presented on November 17th 2021, seeks to create sanctions for products that pose a risk to the environment, but would only be implemented on lands considered forests according to the definition of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). This definition disregards a large part of the Brazilian biomes and, as a consequence, also excludes the reality of a good part of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil.
If the FAO definition of forests is the only criterion taken into account, Brazilian biomes would be at risk due to large-scale commodity production chains: 75% of the Cerrado, 89% of the Caatinga, 76% of the Pantanal and 74% of the Pampa, according to data from MapBiomas.
The proposed law would be applied in only 15% of the Pantanal region, one of the biomes most affected by fires in recent years, and completely disregards the Pampas biome in the south of the country, where historical processes of invasion and occupation of indigenous lands are taking place, caused mainly by the advance of soy and livestock. The Cerrado biome, with only ¼ of its area recognized as forest within the FAO definition, is today one of the regions with a significant advance in agribusiness and livestock, in addition to the expansion of the agricultural frontier in the MATOPIBA (forest region between Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia States), which already brings impacts to the contamination of soils and water due to the excessive use of pesticides. The Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlántica) and Caatinga would also not be fully recognized as a forest despite being intensely consumed and threatened by industrial activities and agribusiness, respectively. The Amazon would be the only biome with the greatest extent recognized as a forest within the considerations of anti-deforestation legislation. However, about 15% of the biome would be unprotected by this law, as in the case of Lavrado (vegetation present in parts of the state of Roraima, in addition to other patches of Cerrado present in the Amazon).
Another loophole in the FERC proposal is that it only requires each country to be responsible for complying with its national laws. However, this implies a great risk in the current context of dismantling of public policies promoted by the current and anti-indigenous Brazilian government that could continue marketing certain products without violating any national law. The proposed law also does not talk about the exclusive right of possession and usufruct of Indigenous Peoples over their lands or the obligation to comply with international laws such as article 169 of the ILO (International Labour Organization).
And the third and final weakness of the legislation pointed out by APIB is what it says in relation to the products that could be traced and the commercialization deadline. The draft text proposes that six commodities, coffee, cocoa, cattle, palm oil, soy, wood, and derived products, will have to go through due diligence before being placed in the EU market. Importers and traders will have to ascertain that the commodities were not produced or grown in a land that suffered deforestation or degradation after December 31st, 2020 and are in accordance with the producing country’s laws. The law excludes the traceability of canned meat, corn and cotton, among other products at forest risk. At the same time, the time frame for commercialization allows, for example, that frozen meat, as well as stored cereals (such as soy) that were produced on deforested pasture in 2019 can be commercialized.
What are APIB’s demands in relation to deforestation-free legislation (FERC)?
APIB appeals to the European Parliament to recognize the reality of the multidimensional impacts and responsibility of European economic and commercial dynamics on indigenous lands in Brazil. To that end, it specifically requests:
- Effective mechanisms for tracking commodity production chains are needed because productive, economic and financial pressures have a major environmental impact and an increase in violence against Indigenous Peoples, especially against their leaders.
- All of Brazil’s biomes need to be included in the European deforestation-free law, as a concrete response to the climate emergency and the cases of violence that have multiplied in our territories, with the encouragement of the Brazilian government. APIB wants the FAO definition of forests not to be used, and thus allow that, in addition to the Amazon, this legislation also includes the protection of the Cerrado, Pantanal, Pampas, Mata Atlántica and Caatinga.
- It is necessary to consider the position of Indigenous Peoples: to go beyond the goals established in international agreements, to consider the vital role that indigenous communities play in climate responsibilities as guardians of the forest and to take into account the opinion of those who directly suffer the impacts of the predatory production chains of commodities in Brazil.
“For us Indigenous Peoples, no biome is different, they are all part of the Brazilian territory, which is an indigenous territory. And we, the indigenous people, live in all these biomes. So it is important that European anti-deforestation legislation considers all of them”, declares Kretã Kaingang, executive coordinator of APIB. “What hurts with soy, what hurts with murders, what hurts with the invasion of territories, what paralyzes the demarcation of indigenous lands happens in all biomes. With the inclusion of all biomes in this legislation, we have more strength to defend these biomes. We already do this without law, but we know that European countries buy products from all these biomes, not just from the Amazon, and their protection influences our daily lives”, adds Kaingang.
More details in the document prepared by APIB: “Message to the European Parliament on the urgency of passing the European Deforestation-Free Law (FERC)”.
How was the APIB advocacy campaign carried out in the European Parliament?
On Thursday, June 16th, the APIB delegation and Extinction Rebellion spoke out in front of the European Commission to demand that parliamentarians include the demands of Indigenous Peoples in the deforestation-free legislation (FERC). (See photos of the act here).
“Our influence in the European Parliament was very necessary for us to spoke out our situation as Indigenous Peoples of Brazil. Thanks to this dialogue with the European Parliament, it may be possible to modify the draft law. We are here with an opportunity to intervene internationally as indigenous organizations, as it is difficult to be heard in the current context of Brazil with this anti-indigenous and fascist government, which only seeks profit at the expense of those who live on that land like us”, explains Crisanto Rudzö Tseremey’wá, leader of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB).
During the delegation’s stay in Brussels, other important meetings took place, such as meetings with José Manuel Fernandes, chair of the Brazilian delegation to the European Union; Jérémy Decerle, French Member of the European Parliament ; and Anne-Margreet Sas, representative on agriculture on the UK Netherlands standing committee in the European Parliament. In the three meetings, members of parliament were interested in understanding the current situation in Brazil suffered by Indigenous Peoples, but claimed that at this moment it would not be possible to include other biomes in the anti-deforestation law. Possibly, after the law is passed by Parliament (which should take place in September 2022), the inclusion of other biomes and/or a broader definition of forests/vegetation could be included in the regulatory review, which should take place in 2024. This was the same speech used by technicians from the General Council for the Environment and the European Parliament Research Center on the inclusion of biomes. They also reiterated that Human Rights, including those of Indigenous Peoples, should be established in other due diligence legislation (still being drafted by Parliament) rather than in a deforestation-free law. These meetings frustrated the APIB delegation, seeing that the European Parliament is not that committed to mitigating its trail of destruction to guarantee a real deforestation-free supply of commodities.
On the other hand, there were moments of support, such as the meeting with members of the European Parliament’s Group of the Greens, formed by Michèle Rivasi, Grace O’Sullivan, Francisco Guerreiro, Anna Cavazzini, among others. At lunch with part of the indigenous delegation, they strengthened the support network for the construction of an ambitious deforestation-free law, which meets the demands of indigenous peoples and those who are most impacted by the production of commodities. In addition to meetings with members of the European Parliament, the APIB delegation took the opportunity to meet with its network of partners in Europe, such as FERN, Greenpeace, Global Witness, Friends of Earth to strengthen alliances and discuss strategic actions to promote guarantee the fulfillment of the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
See more photos from the APIB Tour in Europe:
How important is an international mobilization of Indigenous Peoples?
In a scenario of dismantling of public policies in Brazil and the illegal advance of industries (agribusiness, livestock, mining, energy, hotels), the productive and economic demand coming from the European Union and other countries or economic blocks feeds and accelerates the processes of invasion, expropriation and destruction of Indigenous Peoples and their lands. The right to the territory is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution of 1988, through the demarcation process, being the responsibility of the Brazilian Executive Power. However, in a scenario where the president of Brazil is the greatest enemy of Indigenous Peoples and reinforces the advance of agribusiness and the fragility of inspection institutions, it is up to Brazil’s economic and commercial partners to demand and press for the fulfillment of the indigenous rights.
In addition, APIB denounces that the murders of indigenist Bruno Araújo and journalist Dom Phillips are not isolated cases, but a consequence of systematic violence promoted by the militarist and anti-indigenous state commanded by the genocidal Jair Bolsonaro. “They found the bodies of Bruno Araújo and Dom Phillips. This is the real situation in our country and that is why we are here in Belgium, to make these complaints and to dialogue with the deputies about the laws that are being created here in Europe and that directly affect our lives in our territories”, says Eunice Kerexu, executive coordinator of APIB. “We are not here to say stop this export, but to reinforce the need to create a legislation that helps us protect our lives and our territories”, adds Kerexu.
About the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB)
APIB is the largest instance of representation of the Brazilian indigenous movement and has, since its creation, fulfilled its commitment to fight for the guarantee of the constitutional rights of Indigenous Peoples. Whether nationally or internationally, APIB and its seven grassroots organizations are mobilized to protect territories, communities and people.
The Indigenous Peoples, articulated through their regional organizations and APIB, seek in all instances the accountability of those responsible for this destruction. Internationally, APIB, in addition to participating in climate events and debates, seeks to make the agents responsible for the dynamics of invasion, illegal exploitation and destruction of indigenous territories accountable, as well as influencing the debate on the formulation of the new Regulation on deforestation-free products (FERC). In Brazil, APIB has historically mobilized the indigenous movement and faced the anti-indigenous policies that are being processed in the Federal Supreme Court and in the Chamber of Deputies, forming the front line of protection of Indigenous Peoples and Lands, and consequently, of the environment and the environment’s future. To protect indigenous territories and ensure respect for constitutional rights, APIB resists and advances on different scales.
24/Jun/2022
The voices of Brazil’s indigenous peoples echoed through the deepest corners of the country and in social networks on Thursday (23). The mobilizations called by Apib (Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil) marked the day when the Federal Supreme Court (STF) was supposed to vote on the thesis of the Milestone Thesis or Xokleng Case, a decision that will affect all indigenous territories in Brazil, however, the matter was postponed for the third time. “When we are faced with an authoritarian government, we expect courage from the Supreme Court to safeguard the fundamental rights of indigenous peoples,” demanded Eloy Terena, legal representative of Apib.
Also among the demands were justice for the murders of journalist Dom Philips and indigenist Bruno Pereira, and the exoneration of the president of the National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), Delegate Marcelo Xavier, for conducting an anti-indigenous policy at the head of the agency. In all, there were 39 actions, in all regions of Brazil, involving dozens of territories, including political acts and closures of roads, in addition to acts in 40 FUNAI headquarters carried out by the workers on strike. For Eloy, today’s actions “demonstrate categorically how much the indigenous peoples are victims of this genocide policy implemented through an anti-indigenous FUNAI. And how the delay in judging the Milestone Thesis is causing violence against indigenous peoples to increase”.
In São Paulo, hundreds of people showed solidarity with the cause by gathering with the indigenous people in front of the Art Museum of São Paulo (Masp) in the late afternoon. In Brasília, the mobilization took place in the Três Poderes square, in front of the STF, where sacred rituals were performed. Afterwards the documentary “Luta pela Terra”, made by young indigenous people, was released. The work brings together images and feelings in one of the most important moments of the struggle of indigenous peoples against the Milestone Thesis and the judgment of the Extraordinary Appeal 1.017.365, which deals with the demarcation of indigenous lands in the country.
In Brasilia, indigenous people from the Terena, Kaingang, Tuxá, Xokleng, Tupinambá, Karapó, Guarani Nhandeva, Guarani Kaiowá, Takaywrá, Cinta Larga, Karipuna, Tukano, Macuxi, Wapichana, Taurepang, Mura and Marubo peoples participated: with parliamentarians at the National Congress; at the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH); at the National Justice Council (CNJ); at the Supreme Court; at the National Indigenous Foundation (Funai); in addition to the “Seminar on the Constitutional Regime of Indigenous Lands in Brazil,” at the University of Brasília (UnB), which brought together indigenous people, partners, academics and jurists.
Militarized Funai
Under the command of a Bolsonarist delegate, Marcelo Xavier, Funai has completely stopped the land demarcation processes. Recently, during the searches for Bruno and Dom, the role of the foundation was restricted to defaming the indigenous organizations and accusing the indigenists of entering the territory of the Vale do Javari without authorization, which was not true.
In response to this, the foundation’s employees went on strike and joined the demonstrations today. Along with the Funai workers, Dinamam Tuxá, of the Apib coordination, condemned the practices of the institution. “Today FUNAI is under the power of large corporations, people linked to the armed forces who do not have the technical and scientific knowledge to conduct any kind of process related to indigenous policy. And the reflection of this is the criminalization of the indigenous movement, the persecution of the FUNAI staff, of those who have notorious knowledge about the subject, and the violence”.
About the Milestone Thesis
The milestone thesis intends to restrict the demarcation of indigenous lands only to those areas that were under the proven possession of the original peoples on October 5, 1988, date of the promulgation of the Federal Constitution. The thesis of indigenato, on the other hand, recognizes indigenous possession of the land as original, that is, prior to the creation of the Brazilian State itself. For the indigenous movement, it is fundamental that the Milestone Thesis be denied by the STF as soon as possible, because the proposal is an incentive for traffickers, gold miners, loggers and invaders of the territories.
22/Feb/2022
Brasília, February 22, 2022 – Today the Association of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), alongside environmental and human rights organization Amazon Watch, launched Complicity in Destruction IV: How mining companies and international investors drive Indigenous rights violations and threaten the future of the Amazon. This research is the first compilation of case studies exposing International actors’ risks of potentially financing illegal mining interests on Indigenous Lands – such as Xikrin do Cateté, Waimiri Atroari, and Sawré Muybu – in the Brazilian Amazon. U.S.-based corporations remain some of the main financiers complicit in this destruction. Together, Capital Group, BlackRock, and Vanguard invested US$ 14.8 billion dollars in the nine companies investigated due to their research applications overlapping Indigenous lands, and track record of rights violations.
“While we struggle to guarantee our right to life, both in our territories and around the world, the Brazilian government and mining companies are trying to advance a ‘project of death.’ We cannot go on living side by side with activities that force Indigenous peoples to mourn the daily murder of our relatives, or to witness the destruction of biomes which we guard, in order to give way to projects that generate no real development, but only destruction and profits for a handful of individuals,” says Sonia Guajajara, of APIB’s executive coordination.
Complicity in Destruction IV reveals that over the last five years, Vale, Anglo American, Belo Sun, Potássio do Brasil, Mineração Taboca and Mamoré Mineração e Metalurgia (both from Grupo Minsur), Glencore, AngloGold Ashanti and Rio Tinto received a total of US$ 54.1 billion in financing from U.S., Brazilian and international investors. The companies profiled share a history of human and environmental rights violations and a long-lasting interest in expanding their operations into Indigenous territories – where mining is currently illegal.
“There must be a general understanding that these areas are not available for mineral exploration, nor should they be, both because there must be respect for our constitutional right to self-determination as Indigenous peoples over our territories, and because of our lands’ importance in combating climate change and guaranteeing life on the planet. The same goes for traditional territories and other areas of preservation. This understanding must come from the Brazilian government, but also from the companies – which are fully capable of proactively knowing in which areas they are filing requests – and from the financial corporations that finance them,” adds Dinaman Tuxá, from APIB’s executive coordination.
Brazilian institutions also hold a substantial share in the financing of large mining: PREVI (Banco do Brasil’s Employee Pension Fund) holds the highest investments in these mining companies, with more than US$ 7.4 billion, followed by the private bank Bradesco, with almost 4.4 billion dollars, Caixa Econômica Federal, with US$ 786 million. International private banks also stand out for their investments in these companies, including Crédit Agricole (France), Bank of America and Citigroup (U.S.), Commerzbank (Germany), and SMBC Group (Japan). All of these financial actors are complicit in mining-driven destruction.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, instead of bringing extractive industries to a standstill, actually drove the mining sector to break profit records over the last two years. These banks and asset managers still believe that investing in mining is ‘good’ for business, ignoring the extensive history of violations and impacts caused by this industry. Although many financiers were featured in previous editions of the report, this new edition demonstrates the urgency with which they need to commit to actual change in order to stop mining’s destructive trail. Their risk and exposure are only growing,” says Rosana Miranda, Campaign Advisor of Amazon Watch.
The company that received the most investments and loans in this period was Vale, with US$ 35.8 billion, showing that not even the successive disasters in the towns of Mariana and Brumadinho reduced investors’ appetite for the mining company. The data, obtained with the support of the Dutch institution Profundo Research and Advice, also show Canada’s interest in financing mining in Brazil. The Royal Bank of Canada, the country’s largest private bank, poured US$ 512 million into mining companies, and is the main institutional investor of the Volta Grande gold mining project, by Belo Sun Mining Corp, which is considered both socially and ecologically unfeasible.
Mining companies hold active applications to explore Indigenous lands
Complicity in Destruction IV reveals that, despite recent statements by big mining companies claiming they would abandon their interests in Indigenous territories in Brazil, thousands of mining applications overlapping these areas are still active in the National Mining Agency’s (ANM) database. Opening up Indigenous lands to mining and prospecting remains at the center of Bolsonaro’s agenda. With the advancement of federal policies such as Bill 191/2020 and Bill 490/2007 in Congress, these applications serve to grant mining companies priority to explore these territories if the bills succeed.
“The environmental damages and threats against the lives of forest peoples by mining activities are brutal and have only worsened under Bolsonaro’s administration. Last year, mining-related deforestation in the Amazon increased by 62% compared to 2018 – the year he was elected. We are aware that the approval of Bill 191 could cause the loss of 16 million hectares of the Amazonian rainforest. With the rainforest at the tipping point of ecological collapse, we need to involve all the actors behind this industry. Governments, companies, and investors must all be held to account and stop this destruction. If companies fail to act, investors must divest,” says Ana Paula Vargas, Brazil Program Director of Amazon Watch.
Following the release of Complicity in Destruction III, APIB and Amazon Watch began mapping the interests of large mining companies overlapping Indigenous lands in 2020. Despite statements by giants such as Vale and Anglo American, claiming they would withdraw their applications for research and mineral exploration in these territories, our research shows that many applications remain active in ANM’s system—in some cases, there was even an increase in the number of requests. Additionally, some applications were resubmitted so that exploration areas remained directly adjacent to Indigenous lands, still causing enormous impact.
The report focuses on the mining interests in Indigenous lands from nine companies: Vale, Anglo American, Belo Sun, Potássio do Brasil, Mineração Taboca/Mamoré Mineração e Metalurgia (both from Grupo Minsur), Glencore, AngloGold Ashanti and Rio Tinto. Together, as of November 2021, they had a total of 225 active mining applications overlapping 34 Indigenous Lands — an area that corresponds to 5,700 square kilometers or more than three times the city of London.
The Indigenous lands that are most affected by these applications are Xikrin do Cateté (PA), Waimiri Atroari (AM), and Sawré Muybu (PA). The bulk of applications are concentrated in the Brazilian state of Pará, which increased twofold between July and November 2021. The data was obtained through a partnership with the Mined Amazon project, from the InfoAmazonia portal, which resulted in an interactive dashboard — launched in tandem with the report — allowing real-time searches into the ANM database.
Complicity in Destruction IV also details the impacts and rights violations carried out by the mining companies Vale, Anglo American, Belo Sun, Potássio do Brasil, and Mineração Taboca in five case studies. With the support of the Mining Observatory, the history of these conflicts and their current developments were outlined, ranging from the invasion of traditional territories, contamination by heavy metals, and disregard for the right to Free, Prior, Informed consultation and Consent. Through testimonies from the affected communities, which challenge the companies’ official statements about their initiatives, the report shows how the presence and activities of these corporations forever alter the lives of these peoples and communities. Mining in the Amazon, specifically within Indigenous communities, can also destroy ecosystems and contribute to climate change.
To access the full report, videos, and Mined Amazon’s dashboard, visit: https://complicityindestruction.org/
29/Oct/2021
We, Indigenous Peoples of the Brazilian Amazon, have long observed climate change and its effects due to our relationship with the Mother Earth. From her, we receive all our sustenance needs in addition to the explanations for the phenomena that affects the lives of all living and cosmological beings.
In Brazil, climate crisis is directly related to the greed over Indigenous lands and the natural resources therein, coupled with the ongoing regression and rollback of Indigenous and environmental safeguards and rights. It is essential to think seriously about the need to respect the socio-biodiversity present in our territories, especially at this time that we are living in, in which a virus stopped the world and affected the routines of billions of people from all social classes and different cultures. However, the current government in Brazil is acting in lethal ways with anti-environment, anti-climate, and anti-Indigenous policies. Our territories, which belong to us by our Constitutional right, are being invaded by illegal miners and loggers; villages are surrounded by large-scale cattle and soybean farms; rivers are being contaminated with pesticides and mercury; and the Amazon rainforest is burning to ashes. Yet, governments and funds that operate internationally continue to finance this unbridled greed, this economy of destruction that kills and destroys lives and the planet.
Now more than ever, everyone needs to hear our call, that we Indigenous Peoples have been warning for centuries based on our traditional knowledge that guides our way of seeing and understanding the world. It is in this context that we once again call attention to the need to construct a climate justice that is inclusive and participatory with respect to our cosmologies, our safeguards, and our territories. It is necessary to go beyond the targets established in international agreements and begin to consider the vital role that we play in this process. All this in consideration of social and environmental responsibility.
We have now reached the tipping point. The recent report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, titled “Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis,” clearly demonstrates that man-made changes to the climate are irrefutable, irreversible, and will worsen in the coming years and decades if we do not have practical actions to change the narrative of the climatic, environmental, and societal crisis. Likewise, even if we zeroed greenhouse gas emissions, we would already have had a significant increase in global temperatures with catastrophic effects.
There is no other way forward but to recognize, strengthen, and promote the very important role played by us, Indigenous Peoples, within our territories. For us, talking about climate justice is precisely thinking about the fate of the present and future generations, as well as those who have chosen different forms of social structures like the Indigenous Peoples in isolation or recent contact who live in the Amazon. This is related to the need of respecting diversity. Indigenous cosmology makes us understand the signs of Mother Earth, imposing the duty to recognize ecocide. The rivers, lakes, animals, forests, and all cosmological beings that live within are subjects of rights just like us human beings, and their rights must be respected. Therefore, when talking about climate crisis, it requires recognizing the important role of Indigenous lands, and our own, who give our lives to protect the forests and its biodiversity, in balancing the climate and benefiting all Humanity.
Yet, there exists a practical solution that we Indigenous Peoples have been pointing out. That is, demarcating our territories, shifting the production system, planting more trees, ending reliance on fossil fuels, and reducing the pressure on the Earth’s natural resources. This must be a commitment from everyone, including governments, the private sector, and individual people.
Protected territories and respected rights are the solution. We cannot let ourselves be seduced by the idea of carbon markets, false solutions based only on nature and financing mechanisms that is not consistent with our reality. Rather, we offer alternatives based on our traditional knowledge, which can be associated with technological innovations. For example, agricultural practices must be linked to food security. Therefore, we call attention to the joint responsibility of all stakeholders involved. Corporations and governments are responsible for the destruction in the Brazilian Amazon; however, criticism alone is not enough. Now more than ever, much more is needed to adopt measures to safeguard ecological interests.
It is urgent and essential to strengthen Indigenous funds and financing mechanisms that correspond to our reality,as the Brazilian Amazon Indigenous Fund – Podaali. Such resources should promote the implementation of Indigenous Peoples’ life plans in addition to socio-environmental policies. Nonetheless, none of these efforts will have an effect until all Indigenous lands are demarcated, 80% of the Amazon biome is protected, and all stakeholders have committed to ambitious and achievable goals. In this way, it becomes clear that it is necessary to change the entire current political and economic system.
The time has come for the Indigenous Peoples of the Brazilian Amazon, through the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) – which is the largest Indigenous organization in Brazil, representing approximately 480,000 Indigenous Peoples from 178 different groups and covering 23% of the Amazon region – to mobilize the world to ally with Indigenous Peoples in defense of life on Earth as we know it.
The struggle of Indigenous Peoples is a global one!
Brazilian Amazon, October 15, 2021
29/Oct/2021
We are a Brazilian Indigenous delegation heading to Glasgow, Scotland, as representatives of the yearnings and bearers of urgent messages from more than 305 Indigenous Peoples of Brazil.
We are men and women, descendants of millennial generations of guardians of the biomes of South America, and we are united with the original peoples from every corner of our Mother Earth.
On all continents, native peoples fight to protect their lands and guarantee the right to live to all species. Our struggle is for our lives and our territories, for the defence of the last ancestral lands and to confront the climate crisis on our planet. Our struggle is for the healing of the Earth. Therefore, we reiterate the urgency of the demarcation and land tenure rights of our territories.
Indigenous Land is a guarantee of the future for all humanity. Our relationship with territory is not one of ownership, exploitation, expropriation or appropriation, but one of respect and management of a common good, which serves all humanity as barricades to the extractive dynamics that cause the climate crisis. Until today – based on reports from the UN and several research institutes with the highest reputation that western science can demand – it is we, Indigenous Peoples, who are the most responsible for the preservation of the biomes of the planet.
As we leave our villages and cross the Atlantic Ocean to the most important climate convention that global governance has instituted, we carry in our bags our traditional knowledge and the authority to affirm that our territories are oases of biodiversity and models of climate solution. Our culture and our knowledge are originally environmentalist, even before the term was invented.
Many of those who listen to us today are unaware of all the effort we put into this mission. We have shaped and protected our biomes at the price of the blood of millions of our relatives. The genocide of the native peoples, the persecution of the defenders of our territories and the illegal capture of our lands, is the greatest and most widespread crime that humanity has produced throughout its history. This is a continuing and present crime, which we denounce in all the instances we occupy.
It is fundamental that the world understands that there is no solution for the healing of Mother Earth that does not have its feet on the ground. Connecting with the earth, feeling its needs, understanding its cycles and its imbalances is fundamental to reverse the damage caused in recent centuries by the thirst for an irresponsible, unequal and ecocidal accumulation and disposal behavior.
What we feel in our villages, territories protected at such cost, are the devastating symptoms of the climate apocalypse. The indigenous genocide and the continuous expropriation of our territories by legislative onslaughts and predatory interests is a clear sign that our lands are the last Reserves of the Future. The massacre of indigenous peoples is an omen of the irreversible devastation that is claiming victims in forests, fields, savannahs, and all biomes throughout the world. If left unchecked, it will bring all living beings to a tragic, painful and unjust end.
To the authorities and experts meeting now in Glasgow, we ask them to take real action for the protection of our territories and to work tirelessly for a fairer and less polluting production system for all societies.
We are going to Glasgow to warn the world once again, and on this occasion with even more gravity: humanity is leading the destiny of us all to chaos and death! Our Mother Earth is exhausted.
The future of the planet and the species that inhabit it depend on our global capacity to cooperate to defend and strengthen indigenous peoples and local communities, to ensure the security of traditional territories in the face of predatory economic interests, and to create and promote effective climate solutions based on nature and the communities that protect it.
Therefore, we stand against false solutions based on technological innovations designed from the same developmental and productivist logic that causes climate change. We criticize solutions that do not recognize indigenous peoples and local communities as central to the defence of forests, the reduction of deforestation and fires, and as essential to ensure that we reach the stated goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
We hope that this message will reach global leaders, businessmen and civil society organizations present at COP26, vibrate in their hearts, and reforest their minds!
LAND BACK!
09/Sep/2021
A ancestralidade das guerreiras indígenas de todos os países latino americana é o elo que conecta a luta por suas vidas e por seus territórios
Brasília, 09 de setembro de 2021 – Um grupo de 7 mulheres, originárias de 7 povos da Amazônia Equatoriana vieram a Brasília se somar à Segunda Marcha das Mulheres Indígenas, em uma demonstração de solidariedade e apoio à luta de suas irmãs indígenas do Brasil.
“Viajamos milhares de quilômetros solidárias com nossas irmãs e companheiras brasileiras, pois suas lutas são similares às nossas, pois os Estados republicanos violam sistematicamente nossos direitos como mulheres, com indígenas, como seres humanos”, afirma Lineth Calapucha, vice-presidenta do Povo Kichwa, de Pastaza.
O grupo foi recebido pelas lideranças da Articulação Nacional de Mulheres Indígenas Guerreiras da Ancestralidade, com muita alegria e respeito. “Nós entendemos que nossa irmandade nasce de uma ancestralidade compartilhada, dos tempos em que não havia fronteiras que nos separassem artificialmente, nem projetos genocidas de Estado que roubassem nossas terras e matassem nossos povos”, reforça Braulina Baniwa, da ANMIGA.
Elas participarão das atividades da Segunda Marcha das Mulheres Indígenas, que acontece até sábado, nos campos da FUNARTE, e tem como tema “Reflorestar mentes para a cura da terra”.
Sônia Guajajara, coordenadora executiva da APIB e dirigente da ANMIGA reforça o laço entre as mulheres indígenas do Brasil e da Amazônia: “A Amazônia é nossa casa comum e temos de unir nossas forças para impedir o avanço da ambição, do fogo, dos pastos e das motosserras. A situação é urgente, e por isso estamos aqui e sempre estaremos, juntas e fortes”.
Esta potente articulação de mulheres vem da percepção de que o inimigo que enfrentam é violento e destruidor, mas a força das mulheres indígenas é maior, pois são guerreiras ancestrais que oferecem ao mundo a possibilidade de impedir que a crise climática e ambiental que vivemos se agrave.
O papel das terras indígenas na preservação das florestas na América Latina é reconhecida pela ONU, conforme afirma a FAO no relatório Os povos indígenas e a governança das florestas, publicado em 2021. O relatório afirma que as terras indígenas são os territórios mais bem preservados da região – e as mulheres são agentes fundamentais para este resultado, pois são elas que cuidam mais diretamente e cotidianamente dos territórios.
“Somos mulheres, somos indígenas. Somos mulheres indígenas, mulheres da terra, mulheres curadoras que defendem a vida”, afirma Nina Gualinga, da Organização Mulheres Amazônicas, em uma declaração que resume a força e a diversidade cultural que se reúnem em Brasília.
09/Sep/2021
Organização da II Marcha Nacional das Mulheres Indígenas convoca imprensa para pronunciamento oficial da mobilização, em Brasília, hoje (9) às 17h
Por Assessoria de Comunicação da Anmiga
A organização da II Marcha Nacional das Mulheres Indígenas definiu acompanhar o julgamento do marco temporal e realizar, nesta sexta-feira (10), a Marcha que estava prevista para a manhã de hoje, 9 de setembro, na programação do acampamento montado no espaço da Funarte, em Brasília.
As mulheres indígenas estão na linha de frente para enterrar a tese do marco temporal e apoiar as ministras e ministros do Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) na votação que está em curso desde o dia 26 de agosto e irá definir o futuro de todas as demarcações de terras indígenas no Brasil.
Pela garantia dos territórios, com a força das que as antecederam e na luta para as presentes e futuras gerações, as mais de 5 mil guerreiras da ancestralidade, de 172 povos, seguem acompanhando o julgamento de um telão montado na tenda principal do acampamento da Marcha.
A sessão está prevista para esta quinta-feira, 9, às 14h, com a leitura do voto dos ministros e ministras da Suprema Corte. Iniciando com o voto do ministro Fachin, que agora deve apresentar a parte mais central de sua posição sobre o tema das demarcações de terras indígenas.
Na sequência, votam os outros ministros, do mais novo na casa, ministro Kassio Nunes, até o mais velho, o decano do STF, ministro Gilmar Mendes. Também há a possibilidade de um pedido de vistas por parte de algum ministro, o que resultaria na interrupção e no adiamento da votação.
Julgamento sobre marco temporal
Na pauta de discussões há três semanas, o julgamento tem como um dos principais pontos a discussão sobre a inconstitucionalidade da tese do marco temporal. Na prática, a Corte analisa a reintegração de posse movida pelo governo de Santa Catarina contra o povo Xokleng, referente à Terra Indígena Ibirama-Laklãnõ, onde também vivem os povos Guarani e Kaingang. O caso recebeu, em 2019, status de “repercussão geral”, o que significa que a decisão servirá de diretriz para a gestão federal e todas as instâncias da Justiça no que diz respeito aos procedimentos demarcatórios.
Para as mulheres indígenas guerreiras da ancestralidade, a demarcação dos territórios é uma garantia, também, de segurança para os corpos das mulheres, como sustentou Samara Pataxó, assessora jurídica da Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil (Apib).
“Esse julgamento, com repercussão geral, que, para além de definir uma tese que irá definir o futuro das demarcações de nossas terras, também decidirá sobre o futuro de nossas vidas e da nossa continuidade existencial enquanto povos originários desse país. Pois não há como falar de terras, construir uma tese sobre terras indígenas, sem considerar a vida dos povos indígenas, e não há como falar de vida, sem a proteção dos nossos territórios.”
Pela garantia de seus direitos originários e contra o marco temporal, defendido por ruralistas e outros setores interessados na exploração das terras indígenas, os povos originários têm se mantido em mobilização permanente para acompanhar o julgamento do STF.
A expectativa é que a Corte rejeite a tese do marco temporal e reafirme o caráter originário dos direitos territoriais dos povos indígenas e a tradicionalidade da ocupação como único critério para as demarcações, conforme previsto na Constituição Federal de 1988. Segundo a tese do indigenato, consagrada na Constituição de 1988 e oposta ao marco temporal, o direito dos povos indígenas à demarcação de suas terras é originário, ou seja, anterior à própria formação do Estado brasileiro, e independe de qualquer marco temporal.
Serviços
O quê: Pronunciamento da II Marcha Nacional das Mulheres Indígenas
Quem: Mulheres indígenas de todos os biomas brasileiros
Organização: Anmiga – Articulação Nacional das Mulheres Indígenas Guerreiras da Ancestralidade
Quando: 9 de setembro, 2021
Horário: 17h, horário de Brasília
Onde: Em Brasília, no acampamento instalado no espaço da Funarte
Programação: https://anmiga.org/marcha-das-mulheres/
