Indigenous April in the Alto Rio Negro region, in Amazonas, has gained new reasons for celebration in recent days, with the appointment of indigenous people for local coordination in federal bodies. 

Maria do Rosário Piloto, known as Dadá Baniwa, will take over the regional coordination of Rio Negro from the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai CR-Rio Negro), being the first woman to hold the post. Luiz Brasão dos Santos, from the Baré people, took over the coordination of the Alto Rio Negro Special Indigenous Health District (Dsei-ARN), a position that had not yet been occupied by an indigenous person. 

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“It is a historic moment. Funai's regional coordination has already been occupied by indigenous people, but this is the first time that it will be assumed by a woman and an indigenous woman”, celebrated Dadá Baniwa. “It won't be easy, we know that there is still a lot of machismo everywhere. But I was nominated by the movement and I accepted this challenge”, she pointed out. 

According to her, the first year of activities will be dedicated to rebuilding the local Funai, to leave the agency “with an indigenous face”. Born in the region of the Içana River, in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Dadá Baniwa is a political scientist and master in Linguistics and Indigenous Languages. In 2021, she was elected coordinator of the Department of Indigenous Women of Rio Negro (Dmirn / Foirn). 

Other priorities are the resumption of demarcation processes, Local Technical Coordinations (CTLs) and inspection barriers to act in the territorial protection and monitoring of Indigenous Lands.

In a note released on social networks, the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) reinforced the importance of the appointment of Dadá Baniwa for the role of women in the indigenous movement and politics of Rio Negro and the country. 

"It is a unique and unprecedented moment. They are leaders who know the territory, the politics of the indigenous movement and will be responsible for coordinating and working together with indigenous organizations", celebrated the CEO of Foirn, Marivelton Barroso, from the people Baré.

“The moment reaffirms the Lula Government's commitment to indigenous peoples, as promised in the campaign. It shows respect for the representativeness of Foirn, its peoples, communities and all the years of struggle, whether for the improvement of the indigenist policy – ​​at Funai –, or for the indigenous health care policy in Rio Negro”, he added. 

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Luiz Baré, the new Dsei-ARN coordinator, was born in the Santa Maria community, on the Jurubaxi River, in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, and is a nursing technician. He has been in the indigenous movement since 1988 and served as executive director of Foirn. 

It was also part of the first sanitary district implemented in the Alto Rio Negro region, called the Yanomami Sanitary District (DSY). Between 1996 and 1999, he participated in the discussions and implementation of the DSEI-ARN.

“As an indigenous movement, we have been discussing and fighting for many years to assume positions at the extremes, whether in the Federal, State or Municipal Government, since we are the protagonists of the discussions. From these nominations, this fight is becoming a reality for us, for the entire indigenous movement,” he said.

“Decreasing infant mortality is a major challenge. We need to reduce malnutrition and various preventable diseases. We are in the XNUMXst century and we need to look for instruments so that we do not lose indigenous children”, she defended. 

Among the priorities for the Dsei-ARN are the improvement of the structure to bring quality health to indigenous communities, many of them in remote areas. “We need to improve management to rebuild and give the Dsei the face of an indigenous institution”, he summarized. 

Funai - CR Rio Negro and Dsei-ARN are headquartered in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) and also serve the populations of the municipalities of Santa Isabel do Rio Negro and Barcelos. Together, the three cities have a population of 101.369 people, according to an IBGE estimate for 2021, the vast majority being indigenous.