RIGHTS-BRAZIL: Deni Natives Demarcate Lands to Halt Intrusion

By Mario Osava Reprint | | Print |

Mario Osava

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 15 2001 (IPS) - Indigenous peoples living in the deep interior of the Brazilian Amazon have taken it upon themselves to mark the boundaries of their lands, given that the government has delayed in doing so and they face the threat of invasion by a Malaysian logging company.

The Dení peoples took action because they have been waiting since 1995 for an official resolution, explained the leaders of this community, located between the Purús and Juruá rivers, 700 km southwest of Manaos, capital of Amazonas state.

A census conducted six years ago indicates that the group is made up of some 570 people. Demarcation of their territory began Sep 11, 21 days after the deadline for Justice Minister José Gregori to sign a decree officially recognising the boundaries of Dení lands.

The lines were established according to a study conducted by an interdisciplinary team led by anthropologist Rodrigo Chaves.

To carry out the demarcation, the natives requested logistical assistance, particularly for transport and food, from the non- governmental organisations (NGOs) Greenpeace, the Missionary Indigenist Council (CIMI, a Catholic group linked to the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil) and ‘Operaçao Amazonia Nativa’.

On Sep 27, the National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), a division of the Justice Ministry in charge of matters related to Brazil’s native populations, told the environmental group Greenpeace that it should suspend the boundary demarcation efforts.

“The order arrived at the wrong address because the initiative belongs to the Dení, not to the NGOs that are only providing technical assistance,” Paulo Adario, Greenpeace-Brazil’s coordinator of Amazon issues, told IPS.

The Dení, after finally receiving the message themselves, responded to FUNAI Sep 30. “Dení waited a long time for the demarcation, but the demarcation did not happen. Dení decided to do the work,” says the letter, written in the Arawá language and signed by 10 leaders, though written in the singular on behalf of the group to underscore its unity.

“Dení will only halt the work if FUNAI gives a precise date of the beginning of demarcation and accepts the work that Dení has already completed. I await response the third (of this month). Not receiving response, Dení continues working,” says the letter.

Gregori finally signed the decree recognising the native territory last week, which should put an end to the conflict and represents a triumph for the Dení, said Greenpeace’s Adario.

But it will be difficult to validate the work already done by the Indians, according to Wagner Pereira Sena, head of FUNAI’s Department of Indigenous Heritage and Environment.

Territorial delineation, says the Brazilian Constitution, is the federal government’s responsibility and involves certain technical and legal norms, such as the right to appeal, which means that boundaries cannot be determined exclusively by one of the interested parties, he explained.

FUNAI “does not impede”, but rather encourages “the participation of indigenous communities” in what it calls an “interactive” demarcation process, recognising the native groups’ traditional knowledge of their surroundings and their deeply-rooted feelings towards the land.

But the government agency cannot ignore its prerogatives, said Sena.

As far as the FUNAI delays in carrying out its duty to the Dení, Sena admitted that the institution lacks material and financial resources – for example, no new jobs with the agency have been posted since 1986. But he reports that 360 of the 580 indigenous territories existing in Brazil have been officially demarcated.

The Dení area boundary should have clear physical markers, with landmarks and clearings made in the forest by next year, according the FUNAI schedule, which covers demarcation efforts up until 2007.

The request for an exception, as the Dení seek to make their case a priority, depends on some important issues, Sena stated.

The technical requirements to delineate territory are complicated and there are areas in which the work has had to be redone three or four times, said the FUNAI official.

As a result, he fears that the Dení initiative, whether encouraged by the NGOs or not, will ultimately lead to frustration.

The Indians and the activists counter that, according to the 1988 Constitution, the government should have completed all territorial delineations in 1993.

Furthermore, Greenpeace discovered in 1999 that part of the Dení lands had been “acquired’ through irregular means by WTK, a Malaysian company with a subsidiary in the Amazon region known as Amaplac, which was exporting lumber illegally.

The firm then became the target of a lawsuit filed by international environment and native rights organisations.

WTK executives even acknowledged that 150,000 of the 313,000 hectares purchased in 1996 are located within Dení territory, says Greenpeace activist Adario.

But there are also two Brazilians who claim to own lands that coincide with part of the indigenous area, which totals 1.53 million hectares.

Faced with the threat of invasion by loggers, the natives began to mark the more vulnerable sections of their territory’s boundaries, cutting clearings in which they planted palm trees that will ultimately also serve as a source of food, providing coconuts and palm hearts.

The Greenpeace activist hopes that FUNAI will recognise this partial demarcation, as it would represent a reduction in costs for the government agency. He said there are no technical reasons to invalidate the work already completed because the Indians involved in the task have been receiving training from professional surveyors and other experts since last year.

The Dení had asked Greenpeace to help them obtain the training so that they could “participate in the demarcation,” taking action to prevent their lands from being taken over by WTK or by Brazilian companies, Adario said.