Indigenous Peoples mobilize for health care, education and demarcation of lands in the state of Amazonas

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Indigenous Peoples in Roraima protest agreement between Funasa and the state government

 

More than 350 indigenous representatives have been meeting in Barcelos, in the state of Amazonas, since July 1. The city, 360km from Manaus, is the site for the General Mobilization of Indigenous Peoples of Médio and Baixo Rio Negro. The manifestation is promoted by the Associação Indígena de Barcelos (Asiba). The objective of the participants is to seek joint recognition by the public powers to resolve various problems in the areas of health, education, in addition to seeking demarcation of the indigenous lands.

 

According to Maria Aparecida Duque, a Tukano leader and one of the coordinators of the Mobilization, the first step is for the authorities to recognize them as indigenous peoples. “It is necessary that they comprehend the indigenous peoples here, create some law of valorization of our culture or something like this, because to them, we do not exist”.

 

Paralysis – land

In relation to demarcation of the lands, Maria emphasizes that everything has been halted. “We are not able to demarcate our land here. When there was a study for identification it was not done correctly and here we are today still waiting for this”. The indigenous of Médio and Baixo Rio Negro protest the disturbances caused by the presence of commercial fishermen, hunters, fishing and sport tourism in their lands, in addition to the considerable increase of lumber sawyers.

 

Paralysis – health

Health, another point of discussion weighing heavily in the meetings, is a serious problem. “Nothing is functioning here. There is no specific place that deals with indigenous health here. There are no remedies and there have been no provisions that reach us from the accounts for monies designated for health”, the leader reveals. Maria states that they cannot blame the health agents because they are not provided conditions to work here. As for education, the communities are demonstrating for construction of a school with differentiated education for indigenous students. According to most recent information from the Ministry of Education, it has signed off on a school project in Rio Negro. Now the indigenous peoples await the work.

 

Resilience

The participants of the mobilization, meeting in the São Francisco school, will close the mobilization with march through the streets of the city culminating at City Hall to deliver a letter with their demands.

 

Present are representatives of 25 peoples and 26 communities, among them the Tukano, Tariano and Tuyuca. “Our goal is to strengthen the indigenous organizations and in this way, assure the rights of our communities”, concludes theTukano leader.

 

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Indigenous Peoples in Roraima protest agreement between Funasa and the state government

 

Indigenous leaders in Roraima protested in front of the headquarters of the Fundação Nacional de Saúde (Funasa) on Thursday July 2 against the partnership that the Funasa seeks to sign with the state government. According to Júlio Makuxi, coordinator of the Conselho Indigena de Roraima (CIR), indigenous health throughout the country is in chaos and Roraima is no different. “We do not want this agreement to be signed, because the state of Roraima already has a history of discrimination and works hard in opposition to indigenous peoples, which became very clear during our struggle for Raposa Serra do Sol”.

 

Autonomy

According to the leader, the government of the state is unable to cope with the indigenous peoples and that this is a political accord. “What we want is autonomy for the health districts. We do not want work outsourced [to third parties]. There has been no conversation with the indigenous peoples as mandated by Convention 169 of the UN ILO, regarding whether or not we want this type of covenant”. Júlio emphasizes that indigenous health concerns have become increasingly serious with many malaria cases and people dying due to the lack of care. “It is our good fortune that we still have voluntary health agents to help us, and this is what still saves some people”.

 

Ultimatum

The indigenous leaders have already represented to Federal Public Ministry their opposition the signing of the compact, and warn: “This is the ultimatum. If the health problems continue, we are going to denounce president Lula in the ILO, in the United Nations and in the Organization of American States (OAS). This disastrous situation cannot continue”.

 

Wednesday afternoon meetings were scheduled with the local Funasa administrator to resolve the situation.