During the first week of October, indigenous peoples staged protests throughout the country, including the capital, Brasilia, against the attempt of sectors of the National Congress, particularly a group of legislators with ties to mining and agribusiness companies, to modify the Brazilian Constitution with regard to indigenous rights. Their aim is to obstruct and diminish the rights of indigenous peoples to the territories they have traditionally occupied, which would seriously endanger the ability of these peoples to guarantee their physical and cultural survival, as well as their food sovereignty. For more information, see:http://mobilizacaonacionalindigena.wordpress.com/
Many different peoples are waging struggles. Take for example the campaign for the demarcation of the territory of the Tupinambá indigenous people in the south of the state of Bahia, who have been waiting for nine years for the completion of the legal demarcation of the Tupinambá de Olivença Indigenous Territory. It has been clearly demonstrated that this is traditional Tupinambá land, and the Brazilian Constitution guarantees the “original” rights of indigenous peoples to their territories, yet the Brazilian government has systematically failed to comply with the legal deadlines for the finalization of the legal demarcation process, exacerbating the conflict in the region and threatening the food sovereignty of the Tupinambá people. An international campaign has been launched to demand that the Brazilian state urgently complete the demarcation process, in order to end the violence and guarantee the rights of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples. If you agree, click here to sign the petition demanding the urgent demarcation of the Tupinambá de Olivença Indigenous Territory and please help spread the word!
