• Indigenous peoples denounce violent actions by Federal Police in their lands
  
• Indigenous debate Indigenous School Education in Salvador

 

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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DENOUNCE VIOLENT ACTIONS BY FEDERAL POLICE IN THEIR LANDS

 

Today, March 12, the indigenous on the Comissão Nacional de Política Indigenista (CNPI) denounced violent practices by the Federal Police (PF) in indigenous lands and tendentious postures in police investigations conducted in various states in the country. The accusations were made by Delegate Carlos Santos, of the Divisão de Assuntos Sociais e Politicos da PF at the opening of the CNPI meeting, which closes tomorrow (13).

 

Indigenous representatives of Mato Grosso, Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pernambuco report cases of aggression against indigenous people during actions of reintegration of possession or in the conduct of investigations of police process in which the indigenous were persecuted.

 

Pierâgela Cunha, of the Wapichana people (Roraima) raised a question by affirming that the violence of the FP against indigenous peoples is not a systematic and generalized practice in all states of the country. “But I need to assume that in some states, as in Pernambuco and Bahia, many conflicts occur and PF need to act to resolve the question. Although the actions of reintegration  [of possession] are able to be done without violence”, the indigenous representative affirmed.

 

This was the second time that a representative of the PF participated in a meeting of the CNPI, with this the indigenous hope for answers to the questions already denounced. “It appeared to be a first contact again, because we did not receive answers on various cases that are already known by the PF”, Pierângela evaluated. She believes the actions that involve them, the conflicts can be solved without violence.

 

Carlos Santos reaffirmed various times that the police force used to fulfill a judicial order of reintegration of possession [of land] is decided considering different elements, among them the possibility of resistance. According to him, the action is only taken when the path of negotiation is exhausted.

 

In relation to violent action by the PF https://cimi.org.br/?system=news&action=read&id=3520&eid=275

denounced by  the Tupinambá (Bahia), this rule was questioned because the action by the PF to carry out the arrest order of cacique Babau was carried out two days after the Judge had decreed preventive imprisonment of cacique Babau – one day before the habeas corpus Babau had been granted. Suddenly, without sufficient time for negotiation.

 

Guarani Map and Statute

 

The second part of the meeting began with presentation to the CNPI of the map/notebook Guarani Retã, which locates 500 villages, where there live 100 thousand indigenous in the region of the border between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. The document can be used by organs of the government, it is presented to the meeting for the development of public policies for this people in a form integrated with other nations of the southern cone.

 

Immediately following this, the members of the CNPI initiated the discussion about the proposed for the Statute of the Indigenous Peoples, the legal process of which has been paralyzed for 14 years in the National Congress. The proposal by CNPI for the Statute, constructed from 10 regional meetings that united circa one thousand indians in 2008, will be concluded tomorrow (13).

 

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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DEBATE INDIGENOUS SCHOOL EDUCATION IN SALVADOR

 

From March 10 to 13, the Regional Conference on Indigenous School Education, in Salvador (BA), where representatives of 29 peoples from Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia elaborate proposals in this area. At the event, there will be 18 indigenous elected officials and delegates linked to institutions to participate in the National Conference on the topic that will occur from September 21 to 26, in Brasilia.

 

In the first three days of the meeting the circa 140 indigenous, 60 members of organizations or universities and the 40 invited guests will discuss on panels and in debate groups the axes proposed for the National Conference: education and territoriality; pedagogic policies of school; science pedagogy and the indigenous pedagogy (modes of life and transmission of knowledge); policies, management and financing of education (regimen of collaboration between the Union, states and municipalities); participation and social control of the resources of the schools; definition of new directions in indigenous school education (modalities and levels of instruction).

 

Tomorrow (13), the participants will approve a document with the proposals by region that will be taken to the National Conference. One of the demands of the document needs to deal with contracting of the teachers. The changing of teachers every two years, when they are on temporary contracts, is one of the principle problems of the peoples of the three states. In relation to the issue, the secretary of Education for Bahia, Adeum Sauer, declared at the opening of the regional conference that he would send to the Legislative Assembly of Bahia a draft lawthat creates the carrier of the indigenous professor in the state. An historic revindication of the indigenous proffessors, the news was well received by professor Reginaldo Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe.  “We know that for the project to be approved it is necessary to have pressure from the indigenous movement and also that the indians demonstrate reality as it is for our educators”.

 

Another much debated theme was indigenous pedagogic practices. “Our practice has to consider the livlihood of the people and return to the autonomy of the community. The professor has to present a reading of the world without forgetting what he already brings like experience”, said Núbia Tupinambá, indigenous coordinator of the Regional Directorate of Instruction of the Secretary of Education of Bahia. In this sense, territoriality constitutes an indissociable factor of pedagogic practice. “In addition to demarcation of the land, the territoriality signifies the history of the people, the teachings of the ancestors, the values, life”, she concluded.

 

The next conference will occur from March 24 to 27, in Caucaia, in Ceará, with the peoples of Ceará, Pernambuco and Paraíba. By September there will have occurred another 15 regional stages in preparation for the national conference.

 

(informações Clarissa Tavares – jornalista)

 

Brasília, 13 de março de 2009

Cimi – Conselho Indigenista Missionário