Sanema boy, Upper Erebato, South Venezuela

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Ashaninka Indigenous People want to guarantee their territory and
security for their families

6 October 2004

Original article from: ISA - Instituto Socioambiental (Portuguese)
http://www.socioambiental.org/nsa/detalhe?id=1831
(English translation by amazonia.org.br)

 

In the last five years, the Ashaninka Indigenous People who inhabit the Brazilian side of the Peruvian-Brazilian border have requested that the authorities provide urgent guarantees for their territory and security for their families. They have also requested that an agreement be made with Peruvian authorities so that through co-operation the two countries could interrupt the violent situation in their territory and the depredation of their natural resources of their forests.

Peruvian loggers have intensified their work in the area since 2000. The result has been kilometres of devastated forested the illegal extraction of hard wood. As the Peruvian side has already been exploited, the loggers have begun to invade the forest on the Brazilian side.

Judicial measures

Because of this situation, the Federal Attorney General initiated an action that resulted in a court decision where the following was decided:  border marks should be refreshed between Brazil and Peru, police posts to be installed in the area with the intention of preserving the Indigenous Territory where both loggers and international drug traffickers are continuously invading, the installation of an indigenous post on the border, the installation of an environmental inspection post and also the indemnification for the material damages caused to the Ashaninka Indigenous People by the invaders. As a result a joint taskforce including the Army has patrolled the borders and 4 Peruvian loggers were arrested in September.

Brief history of the Ashaninka People

The Ashaninka People, also known as the Kampa, constitute one of the largest Indigenous populations in South America. The members of the nation live on the border of Brazil with Peru, with the greater number on the Peruvian side. They inhabit an area of 91,200 hectares and are recognised as the Indigenous People that best knows how to preserve their cultural identity and is renown for being pioneers in environmental conservation.


Statements from two Ashaninka leaders

Friends,

It has been 18 years of struggle, of history and of conquests of environmental preservation for the well being of our Ashaninka People and all of the people who live around us, and we still are not being respected for all that we do for our land and we continue to suffer a great impact from the devastation of our forest and fauna. Do we need to see another Chico Mendes, should what happened to our relatives the Hawks need to be repeate? Our leaders who want to protect our land are being threatened; we are requesting  protection for our leaders and this People.

Benki Piyãko (forestry agent that lives in the Apiwtxa village)

We the Ashaninka of the Kampa do Rio Amonea Indigenous Territory have carried out various defences for our environment and natural resources, since the creation of our territory. Today we have numerous concrete results, even though we continue to suffer from invasions. For today's society, it is not a novelty that we must take care of the earth and do this we must change some practices to obtain money. We have been threatened to death and even attacked. Since 1999, we have send denouncements because that is when the loggers began to invade our land.

We the Ashaninka from the Apiwtxa village request as quickly as possible a meeting with IBAMA, FUNAI, the Federal Police and representatives from the federal government to plan a meeting with Peruvian authorities, loggers and representatives of Asheninka from Sawawo, Doce Gloria and Victoria.

Isaac Pinhanta (Ashaninka leader)

 
 

Untitled Document