ATY GUASU

KAIOWÁ GUARANI PEOPLE

TERRA INDÍGENA TAKUARA – MUNICIPALITY OF JUTI, MATO GROSSO DO SUL – 04 to 06 JUNE of 2009

 

FINAL DOCUMENT

 

*Celebrating the memory of Marcos Veron who in January of 2003 was killed by order of ranchers during the retaking of our Tekohá Takuara.

* For demarcation of our lands

 

We of the Kaiowá and Guarani people of Mato Grosso do Sul, reunited with more than 300 leaders of 23 villages, in our great assembly – ATY GUASU – in Terra Indigena Takuara, municipality of Juti, with the presence of our allies and authorities of Federal Public Ministry, Legislative Assembly and FUNAI, ardently holding the memory of our warriors who have fallen in the struggle for demarcation of our lands, we hereby present our final document with our revindications and the decisions of our people.

 

We are a peaceful people. Yet this reality causes our people to experience the highest index of violence against the indigenous peoples of Brazil. We have the worst situation of demarcation of indigenous lands in Brazil, less than 1% of the territory of Mato Grosso do Sul, for the second largest indigenous population in the country, in comparison, we see other states in the Federation that produce more and whose portion of indigenous land exceeds 10% of the territory. We have suffered every type of intimidation and threats from ranchers and gunmen who do not want to see our rights respected. And still in this way deny us the minimum of that which was taken from us! We do not see the Federal Government doing anything to solve our situation QUICKLY. What is worst is it assists the impunity, the lack of justice, against those who have for decades provoked by various means, a true genocide of our people. We do not see these assassins being judged and condemned, what we see is an unjust criminalization and imprisonment of our leaders who struggle and reclaim our rights. We are tired of awaiting a definitive solution from the Federal Government so that the identification procedures anticipated by the TAC settled between the FUNAI and the Ministério Público Federal, in 2008, be once and for all rendered concrete.

 

It is the unrestrained monoculture of soy, of sugar cane and of cattle, which is financed by public money, takes the space of family, indigenous and peasant agriculture, leaving thousands of indigenous, quilombola and landless rural workers in desperation, from not having any prospect for a life with dignity to produce their food and assure the survival of future generations. In addition to this, it is destroying what little remains of natural resources of our region.

 

We repudiate the posture of the Governor of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul who instead of seeking a solution for the demarcation of our lands, according to the direction set by the Ministério Público Federal, is undertaking all efforts to cancel the work for identification of our tekohá, spreading lies that only augment the racism and the intolerance against our people. Our rights are assured and never will our people abandon the struggle for demarcation of our tekohá! The state government needs to understand that to attempt to obstruct that from which we will never desist will only create greater conflict! The indigenous people of Mato Grosso do Sul seek peace and never violence! To demarcate the lands of our people will not affect the economy of the state and what we want is very little compared to all the evil that we are suffering and to all that has been taken from us! Solutions exist for the demarcation, what is lacking is the political will and the respect for our revindications and rights!

 

Our patience is at an end!

 

OUR STRUGGLE CONTINUES AND WE DEMAND:

 

1 – The immediate conclusion of the proceedings for identification of the 36 indigenous lands of our Kaiowá Guarani people of Mato Grosso do Sul, according to provision of the Term of Adjustment of Conduct (TAC) signed between the FUNAI and Ministério Público Federal.

2- That the Federal Government make available, as rapidly as possible, the resources necessary to guaranty the conclusion of the demarcations, prioritizing the lands whose proceedings have already been initiated prior to the signing of the TAC, as for example Yvy Katu, Ñande Rú Marangatú, Potrero Guassu, Sombrerito, Guyraroká, Takuara, etc, including seeking, together with the government of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the juridical solution adequate for the payment of eventual indemnifications of the non-indigenous occupants of good faith, but only those who respect the Brazilian Environmental Legislation as to areas of forest that must be obligatorily preserved on the farms and those who respect the preservation of the water resources of the region.

3– We demand that the Federal Police conclude, once and for all, the inquiry pertaining to the assassination of Juliet Lopes, of Kurusú Ambá, in Coronel Sapucaia, which since 2007 we have had no solution, and that, the FP investigate the death of Osvaldo Lopes Pereira, 24 years of age, murdered by gunshot on 29/05/2009 for struggling for the demarcation of their land, whose assassination is being fraudulently represented as a traffic accident on the side of BR0289.

4- The Ministério Público Federal denounce the two ranchers of Amambai that made attempts on the lives of our relatives of Kurussú Ambá shooting four persons and casting guilt on our leader as being responsible for shooting his own companions.

5- That they investigate the abuses of authority and threats against the community of Passo Pirajú, in Dourados, who are constantly suffering with the imprisonment of their leaders and members of the village, in addition to constant gunshots and threats by ranchers against the community that struggles only for recognition of their land and who work to feed their people.

6- That the situation be solved, once and for all, of indigenous identity records, which has been demanded for a long time by our people who are suffering from constant coercion and denial of their rights by the Mato Grosso do Sul society. We see as an advance the possibility of inclusion in our civil documents the field for entry of ethnicity, village of birth and name of mother tongue. That this commitment be fulfilled and that non-indigenous society be educated to respect it.

7- That FUANI attend to, as a priority, identification of tekohá Laranjeira Ñande Rú, in Rio Brilhante, according to determination given by the Tribunal Regional Federal of the 3^rd Region in the period of 03 months, sending the fortnightly reports to the Judge in Dourados in order to avoid a new attempt of dispossession of our community.

8 – That the situation be solved of indigenous health care by the FUNASA, of the lack of doctors, health agents, nurses for care of the communities.

9 – That the state and the municipalities, primarily Dourados and Paranhos respect the rights of the indigenous peoples to differentiated indigenous school education and promote the policies necessary to attend to the legislation. That security be assured in the schools whose children and adolescents are being constantly victimized with racial violence, by drugs, alcoholic beverages, and the formation of gangs. We demand the financial investment by means of scholarships for indigenous academics in Public Universities, having as criteria that these academics be involved with the struggle and winning of rights for the indigenous peoples. Also we demand financial investment in the formation of professors and that the managing organs of the projects elaborate these with the objective of not losing the guaranteed investments.

10 – We want the restoration and construction of more schools in the villages capable of sheltering the elementary and intermediate level students and, for the others, guarantee of dignified school transport.

11 – Strengthening of family agriculture, by means of investment in manual equipment and machinery, as well as technical capacitation. And, that the current technicians fulfill their obligations.

 

Long Live Ñande Ru, Ñande Sy, Long Live our warrior men and women!

Long Live the indigenous struggle

Long Live the Kaiowá Guarani Movement.

 

DEMARCATION NOW!

 

ATY GUASU – Terra Indigena Takuaru, Juti – MS

06 June of 2009