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| Xerente territory
- comprised of the Xerente and Funil indigenous lands
("terras indígenas") - is located in the
brushlands of the State of Tocantins, to the east of the
Tocantins River, 70 kilometers to the north of the capitol
city, Palmas. The city of Tocantínia, located between
the two indigenous reserves, has been over the past century,
the stage of tensions between the local non-Indian population
and the Xerente. Since the creation of the State of Tocantins,
in 1989, their territory has been the focus of regional
(and national) attention due to its strategic location.
It is presently surrounded by development projects stimulated
by the federal and state governments, in partnership with
private initiative. Noteworthy among these projects are:
PRODECER III, the Hydroelectric complex of Lageado and
the expansion of the capitol of the state, Palmas. The
Araguaia-Tocantins waterway, which is in process of environmental
licensing, will have as one of its channels the right
bank of the Tocantins River, passing through the 12 kilometers
of the western border of Xerente territory. These projects
are mostly supported by international capital (particularly
from the Japanese), which is interested in the production
of grains, mainly soybeans. As a result, the Xerente have
been pressured, principally by the state government administration
and by non-Indian residents of the neighboring cities,
to accept the paving of roads which would cut through
their territory and interconnect most of the projects
referred to above. |
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Luís Roberto de Paula
Doctoral student in Anthropology - Universidade de São
Paulo
Researcher of MARI - Indigenous Education Group
lrpaula@usp.br
August, 1999
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