 |
::01 |
 |
The following is a summary, in the form of a chronology,
of the most significant events in the history of the
struggle for the demarcation of the Indigenous Lands
of the Upper Rio Negro:
•1971: Indigenous leaders of the upper Tiquié
and Uaupés, encouraged by the Catholic missionaries,
began to demand the demarcation of their lands. FUNAI’s
response is slow;
•1979: The Funai declares to be of “indigenous
occupation” three contiguous areas: Pari-Cachoeira,
Iauareté, Içana-Aiari. Leaders from the Tiquié send
a proposal for the delimitation of the Upper Rio Negro
as a continuous area (a proposal which was made again
in 1981);
•1984-85: The Funai makes a proposal for delimitation
of three more areas: Taraquá, Cubate, Içana-Xié, and
proposes the inclusion of the region of the Traíra mountain,
recognized as being of permanent possession of the Maku,
within the Pari-Cachoeira Indigenous Area. In January,
1985, leaders assembled in Taraquá send a new proposal
for delimitation of the region of the Upper Rio Negro
as a continuous area. A Work Group from the Funai prepares
a proposal to delimit the region of the Upper Rio Negro
as a continuous indigenous reserve with identical surface
area;
•1986-87: Growing resistance from the military
sectors, especially the National Security Council against
the demarcation of extense and continuous indigenous
lands located on the borderlands. The Security Council
essentially superceded the administrative power of the
Funai. The Upper Rio Negro became the principal laboratory
of the military for implementing the strategy of demarcating,
reducing and fragmenting the Indigenous Lands located
on the borders. The National Security Council negotiated
with the Tukano of the Tiquié, a process which culminated
in the holding of a large assembly of leaders in April,
1987. More than 300 indigenous leaders from various
ethnic groups assembled in São Gabriel da Cachoeira
for the 2nd Assembly of the Indigenous Peoples
of the Upper Rio Negro at which representatives of the
federal government, the state government, the church,
mining companies and indigenist organizations were present
to discuss the Northern Channel Project, mining company
activities, and the regulating of Indigenous Lands.
The assembly was unanimous in demanding the urgent demarcation
of a continuous area, rejecting the proposal of the
National Security Council. On that occasion, the Federation
of Indigenous Organizations of the Rio Negro (Foirn)
was founded, the principal mission of which was to struggle
for the demarcation of a continuous area. In response,
the National Security Council proposed an intermediate
solution, consisting of a mosaic of Indigenous Colonies
and National Forests (Flonas);
•1989-90: Presidential decrees ratify the administrative
demarcation of three Indigenous Areas in Pari-Cachoeira;
and create two Flonas in Pari-Cachoeira. Following this,
other decrees ratify the administrative demarcation
of indigenous areas in the old reserves of Iauareté,
Taraquá, Içana-Xié, Içana-Aiari and Cubate; other decrees
created nine more Flonas (National Forests) in the region.
The indigenous areas, or “islands” were actually physically
demarcated, however most of the concrete markers put
in place by the Army were ripped out by the Indians
and thrown into the river. The Indians filed a complaint
in the Ministry of Justice, making use of instruments
of the new Federal Constitution then in effect;
•1990-92: The Federal Public Ministry proposes
a Declaratory Action before the Federal Justice against
the Union, the Funai and Ibama, with the objective of
recognizing the traditional occupation of the Indians
of the upper Rio Negro to a continuous area, and the
repeal of the decrees that created the 14 Indigenous
Areas and the 11 Flonas. Two years later, an expert
anthropological report was requested on the area. Also
the definition of a new technical system for the demarcation
of Indigenous Lands made it possible for a new technical
opinion to be approved which joined the discontinuous
Indigenous Areas together as well as encompassing the
areas of the Flonas, once again establishing the limits
of the so-called Indigenous Area of the Upper Rio Negro
according to the desire of the Indians. The Foirn repeated
to the authorities their demand to demarcate the Upper
Rio Negro as a continuous area;
•1993-95: The proposal for administrative review
of the Indigenous Lands of the Upper Rio Negro continues
on its way through the official channels of the Ministry
of Justice, going through various negotiations with
the military sectors until finally, between December,
1995, and May, 1996, the Minister declared the area
to be one of permanent possession of the Indians and
delegated to the Funai the administrative demarcation
of five contiguous indigenous lands in the region of
the upper and middle Rio Negro;
•1996-1998: The Funai relinquishes the task
of the direct administration of demarcation and the
Foirn officially indicates the Instituto Socioambiental
(ISA) to take on the task. The ISA and the Foirn formulate
a project for the consolidation of the demarcation and
a plan for protection and fiscalization of the area.
Demarcation is done between April, 1997, and April,
1998. Finally, on April 15, 1998, during the 6th
General Assembly of the Foirn, the Minister of Justice
delivers the ratification decrees for the five demarcated
Indigenous Lands, which was commemorated by the leaders
as an historic victory.
|
::02 |
 |
Having concluded the demarcation phase, the
Foirn and affiliated associations, with the support
of various partnerships, went on to concentrate its
work on the great challenge of formulating a program
of long-term ethnodevelopment for the region of the
Upper and Middle Negro, including activities related
to protection, fiscalization, technical training, cultural
expression and sustainability of the indigenous communities
(agroforestry management, pisciculture, comercialization
of artwork and other products, implantation of indigenous
schools, training of indigenous health agents, publication
of works by indigenous authors and others). To learn
more about these projects, see the section Indigenous
Program for sustainable development. |
