4. Appeals and News from Endangered Communities

Threat to Lands of Macuxi, Wapixana, Ingaricó and Taurepang - Raposa Serra do Sol. (in Portuguese)

Appeal from General Coordinator of CIR (Conselho Indígena de Roraima).

"Governo trai a nossa esperança"

A revogação da Portaria 820, de 11/12/98, assinada pelo Ministro da Justiça Renan Calheiros, que determina a demarcação da Terra Indígena Raposa Serra do Sol em Roraima, anunciada pelo Governador Neudo Campos nos dias 17-18/06/99 e confirmada pelo Diretor de Assuntos Fundiários da Funai, Áureo Falleiros, demonstra falta de seriedade, de respeito e de compromisso do governo para com os nossos povos e nossas organizações.

Sabedores das pressões das forças econômicas e políticas anti indígenas, defendidas principalmente pelo governo e pelos políticos do Estado de Roraima, uma delegação de 22 lideranças de nossos povos Macuxi, Wapixana, Ingaricó e Taurepang, e de nossas organizações CIR, APIR, TWM e OPIR, da terra indígena Raposa/Serra do Sol, foram até Brasília para se encontrar com o Ministro da Justiça. Ouvimos do próprio Ministro, em audiência no dia 20/04/99, a afirmação que está gravada: „Quando eu assumi o Ministério, eu deixei claro o meu compromisso com a demarcação das áreas indígenas e eu tenho intensificado essa luta. (...) Do ponto de vista político, com a possibilidade de haver recuo, vocês não contem com essa possibilidade. Não há a hipótese de revogação da Portaria (...) a decisão política está tomada. A Portaria que foi publicada eu não a revogarei.

Caso confirme-se a notícia da revogação da Portaria 820/98, Renan Calheiros tornar-se-á o quarto Ministro que, a exemplo dos seus antecessores Alexandre Dupeyrat, Maurício Correia e Nelson Jobin, a faltar com a palavra empenhada perante nossas lideranças e comunidades indígenas, com o agravante de voltar atrás numa decisão oficialmente tomada e publicada no Diário Oficial da União.

Após 30 (trinta) anos de luta pela demarcação e garantia da terra Indígena Raposa Serra do Sol, em que muitos dos nossos parentes tiveram suas malocas e retiros queimados, foram ameaçados, presos, torturados e até assassinados, como Juvencio André (1990), Lorival Ribeiro (1990), Damião Mendes (1990), Adão da Silva (1991), Donaldo Wilian (1988), Velario Tamir (1991), Mário Davi (1990), Claudemisson José Laima (1991),

Geraldo Mendes (1991) e tantos outros, acreditávamos que, com a assinatura da Portaria, finalmente abria-se uma perspectiva concreta para assegurar o futuro de nossos povos e de vivermos em paz em nossas terras.

Muitos dos posseiros já deixaram a área indígena convencidos de que a demarcação era um processo irreversível. Recursos públicos do Governo Federal foram utilizados para a demarcação física da área e, nas comunidades indígenas, se criaram enormes expectativas com relação à ocupação de toda a terra indígena.

Já não bastassem a violência desses últimos séculos, com centenas e milhares de mortes em decorrência da invasão do nosso território, recebemos agora, novo golpe com a revogação da demarcação.

Trata-se de estratégia deliberada de consolidar a permanente pressão e invasão da terra indígena e consequentemente as violências, destruição e morte dos Macuxi, Wapixana, Ingaricó e Taurepang que ali vivem.

O governo brasileiro quer comemorar os 500 anos de conquista com grandes eventos e manifestações triunfalistas. Ao mesmo tempo, através da mentira e da traição, nega os direitos dos povos indígenas sobreviventes, fazendo conscientemente das nossas terras um simples objeto de negociação, colocando a vida dos nossos povos como moeda de troca, frente aos interesses em jogo.

Com essa atitude, o governo brasileiro demonstra a disposição de dar continuidade à prática colonialista de inviabilizar a sobrevivência dos povos indígenas conforme seus projetos de vida, sua cultura e sua organização social, garantidos na Constituição.

En uno de los párrafos de este largo artículo, se menciona, como antecedente y punto de referencia, la Declaración Universal de Derechos Lingüísticos, firmado en Barcelona hace casi tres años:

"—Considerando los derechos establecidos en diversos documentos como la Declaración Universal de los Derechos del Hombre (sic), la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Colectivos de los Pueblos y la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Lingüísticos, entre otros — agregan los integrantes de la asociación — planteamos la Declaración de los Derechos Lingüísticos de los Pueblos Indígenas de México...—"

Las semillas plantadas se han convertido en tallos y empiezan a dar frutos.

Un abrazo,

David Wright
Consejo Científico de Seguimiento
Declaración Universal de Derechos Lingüísticos

Withdrawal of Maori News Broadcasts by Radio New Zealand; FEL enters the fray
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 1999 15:22:54 -0700
From: "Rewi C"
Subject: [Tino-Rangatiratanga] he korero

UNION CALLS FOR RETURN OF MAORI LANGUAGE NEWS Wellington, July 9

The Radio Broadcasters' Association today called on the board of Radio New Zealand (RNZ) to reinstate daily Maori language news bulletins. The three daily bulletins were dropped by National Radio last Friday, after running for 57 years.

The move came after Maori broadcasting funding agency Te Mangai Paho withdrew its $250,000 funding to Mana Maori Media to produce the news bulletins for RNZ. The agency had only helped with funding for one year, with RNZ funding the bulletins prior to that. Association chairman Derek Lowe today described the lack of funding reason given by RNZ as ``a lame excuse''.

Mr Lowe said National Radio had a mandate to provide programmes that reflected New Zealand culture and national identity, which included Maori language promotion.

``Public radio exists to cater for sectors of society that commercial radio cannot serve,'' he said in a statement today.

``It is to be hoped that the board of RNZ will now act swiftly and firmly to reinstate these bulletins.''

Mr Lowe said the Maori Council had been justified in demanding the Government explain why the bulletins had been dropped.

RNZ chief executive Sharon Crosbie has said National Radio would still honour the requirement in its charter to provide 250 hours a year of programmes promoting the Maori language and culture, but those shows would be either bilingual or in English. English language bulletins of Maori news will still be broadcast on National Radio by Mana Maori Media.

On this report, I wrote the following letter of protest to the CEO of Radio New Zealand:

To:
Ms Sharon Crosbie, Chief executive
RADIO NEW ZEALAND, Wellington, New Zealand
17 July 1999
Madam

I understand that on 9 July, by your decision, the three daily news bulletins in Maori were dropped from National Radio. This was particularly momentous, since I also understand that Maori news bulletins had previously been running for 57 years.

I do not know anything of the internal division of responsibility and funding, and the particular developments, which motivated this unfortunate decision. These are in fact beside the point.

As the national public radio service of your country, you have a unique duty to serve the full range of your country's society. By summarily withdrawing a service in your country's indigenous language (still understood by 5% of New Zealanders), you are betraying an important part of that duty. Furthermore, you lay New Zealand Radio open to the charge that it is a service only for the white New Zealander.

5% is an important minority in itself, but the Maoris are not just a minority. They represent the earliest inhabitants of your islands, as well as forming approximately 10% of the NZ population. According to an authoritative source (Barbara Grimes ed., Ethnologue, 1996) approximately half of them are still capable of understanding Maori, the indigenous language of their ancestors.

Those of us involved in the struggle to maintain and foster indigenous languages all over the world are particularly saddened by this decision, since recent developments in New Zealand have given some hope that Maori might at last be regaining ground, not least through more enlightened public policy. (As a sign of this, we are receiving three presentations on Maori in schools at our Foundation's conference this year (Maynooth, Ireland, 17-19 September), which focuses on the role of education in language maintenance. An article in this week's National Geographic magazine also represents Maori in New Zealand as a beacon of hope for indigenous languages.)

I am confident that you will be receiving a storm of protest, nationally and internationally, as a result of this decision, and trust that you understand that far more is at stake here than the constraints of the annual budget of Radio New Zealand. Radio is expecially important in maintaining a favourable background for indigenous language use in a developed modern state, so that by withdrawing your service, you are not simply disregarding Maori but actually making its survival less likely, with all that implies for the long-term peace and internal well-being of New Zealand society.

English language broadcasts about Maori affairs are no substitute. An indigenous language provides a means of sharing a distinctive viewpoint not just of local affairs but of the world as a whole. You show total misunderstanding of what is at issue if you maintain that the requirement in RNZ's charter to provide 250 hours a year of programmes promoting the Maori language and culture can be met by English or bilingual programmes about the Maori.

I hope and trust, on behalf of all the members of our Foundation world-wide, that means may yet be found to reverse this pernicious decision before serious damage is done to New Zealand's future.

Yours truly

Nicholas Ostler

copies:
Chair, Radio New Zealand board (same Address)

Derek Lowe, Chairman, Radio Broadcasters Association
PO Box 3762, AUCKLAND CITY, New Zealand
Ph: (09) 378 0788 Fax: (09) 378 8180

Foundation for Endangered Languages (UK regd charity, 250 members worldwide)

Endangered Languages List

I subsequently (09 Aug 1999) received a reply which disputed none of the facts above, and few of the evaluative claims I had made, instead it pointed out: “…It is correct that the Maori language news bulletins have ceased. The Maori development agency which funded them deemed that National Radio might not be the most effective way of broadcasting Maori language news and redirected their support to the large network of 21 iwi stations which broadcast in the reo language. These were not in existence when National Radio first began broadcasting in reo.

“Being a publicly funded Crown-owned company with finite funding, we are not able to fund the news and news gathering elements of Maori language news as well as meet all the other elements of our Charter. This requires us to promote Maori language and culture...” The reply gave no account of why the finite budget must now exclude Maori news gathering rather than any other marginal items, Instead, it went on to claim, somewhat patronizingly, but in the best traditions of Anglo-Saxon despair at real bilingualism: “the 260 hours each year of Maori programming will include reo and English where appropriate in ways that make the use of the Maori language natural and accessible...” (emphasis mine).

No doubt the CEO stands in need of more letters from those dismayed by her policy if she is to get her priorities straight on the proper rôle of a national broadcasting network!

Chile: Mapuche nation under attack

28 August 1999 Mapuche International Link / Enlace Mapuche Internacional writes:

The Chilean Government has broken the Agreement to Respect Citizens' Rights which it signed as recently as 5 August 99. The police detained 34 people from indigenous communities, some of whom are held incomunicado in Lebu gaol. Ten of them declared a hunger strike on 25 August. Two others were detained in Arauco province. The charges brought against all these Mapuche people are robbery, causing fires and harming private property, against which the Prisoners have declared their innocence.

On 22 August, military forces of the Chilean police took over an VIIIth Region community called Pablo Quintriqueo Huenuman very violently. They detained 34 Mapuche people who were in an official meeting. Among them were the Chief (Lonko) of Antonio Frem, and those who lead the Coordinadora Mapuche Arauco Malleco: Pedro Cayuqueo, Aliwen Antinao and Jose Huenchunao. Jose is both ill and held incomunicado. Another detainee is Pedro Frem, 76 years old, who is ill and has been refused medical attention.

Added to these on 19 August six people from Choin Lafquenche of Collipulli had been held. Also Pascual Cona and Avelino Menaco (from Arauco province) were captured on 25 August.

400 people have been imprisoned since the beginning of the year. This figure compares with the worst years of repression under the Pinochet regime.

These police actions usually take place without authorization and at the request of forestry companies. Human rights have been violated on these occasions. Women, children and elderly people have been held without legal justification, as well as pregnant women and those with babies in arms. They have had to suffer racist abuse, torture and physical assault. The companies' objective is to intimidate Mapuche people, and prevent them from demanding the restitution of their ancestral land which they have expropriated. The forestry company, Mininco (among others) have tried to criminalize the Mapuche leaders through false allegations which have been lodged by witnesses who they have paid. This was widely publicised in the Chilean media just recently.

Many communities are virtually under siege. The police are patrolling them, taking photographs, filming and interrogating leaders, destroying household possessions, violently preventing people from meeting and holding peaceful protests. Some families claim the police are stealing their money and humble possessions.

As there is no effective recourse to law, these actions go unpunished. None of the many complaints about arbitrary offenses and racial abuse have been dealt with by the authorities. Numerous Mapuche requests for an investigation of their complaints have been met by a deafening silence of the part of local and central government.

The national police force in Mapuche areas have been converted into minions of the forestry companies. With their institutionalised racism, all security forces have lost credibility with the affected population, as they have been transformed into instruments of repression, and act like an occupying force in the same way as in Palestine, East Timor and Kurdistahn.

The present government is palpably unable to negotiate peaceful solutions for the Mapuche Nation. The real intention of President Eduardo Frei with his trumpeted Agreement to Respect Citizens' Rights is quite clear, as he has never received Mapuche delegations or responded to communications. Right at the end of his term he refers to the "Mapuche problem", and in the run-up to the next elections is making noises about what his coalition party intends to do about this "if re-elected". With an eye to public opinion he tries to appear to offer hope to Mapuche people, a transparently dishonest move. This is viewed as merely a public relations exercise in order to gain support for the forthcoming elections.

This deplorable situation for Mapuche people tolerated by the Chilean State, with no real hope for justice, reaffirms those who are struggling for territorial autonomy. This is felt to be the only way the Mapuche nation can reconstruct stable communities, regain their freedom, maintain their culture and determine their own future.

The Mapuche International Link organisation express their solidarity to their Brothers and their families who are victims of the brutal repression. We call upon human rights organisations, including the UN, to take urgent action to secure the individual and collective rights of the Mapuche nation by insisting on the implementation of international law and conventions to which the Chilean State is a signatory concerning civil, social, economic and cultural rights.

We are also asking people to write protesting about the militarization of Mapuche areas, and demand the liberty of political prisoners. Please send your letters to the following names and addresses:
Carlos Gonzales, Gobernacion Provincial de Arauco, Fax: +56-41-51 12 21
Martin Zilic, Intendencia de Concepcion, FAX: +56- 41 - 230247
Oscar Eltit, Intendente de Temuco. Fax: +56-45-213064
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle , Presidente de la República, , Palacio de la Moneda, , Santiago, Chile. Fax: +56-2-6 90 40 20

Contents.