Assessment for Amazonian Indians in Brazil

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Risk Assessment | Analytic Summary | References

Risk Assessment

Indigenous peoples of Brazil are at moderate risk for rebellion against the state. The following factors are present that encourage rebellion: persistent protest in the past and territorial concentration. However, factors making rebellion less likely, such as efforts at negotiation and land reform within Brazil and a lack of serious armed conflict in neighboring countries, are also present. The likelihood of indigenous participating in protests is higher, as many of the risk factors for protest are present, including: significant political restrictions and support from other indigenous groups in the Americas.

Indigenous peoples of Brazil are more at risk for conflict with other groups in society than they are at risk for direct conflict with the state. Highly dependent on the land and environment of the Amazon for their way of life, culture, and traditions, they live in mineral-rich areas that are being developed by non-indigenous people for gold mining, timber production, oil production, and agriculture. Violent conflict has been increasing since the mid to late-1980s and it appears that it will persist due to the lack of enforcement of laws that would prohibit movement into (or development within) indigenous reserves.

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Analytic Summary

Most Brazilian indigenous peoples live in the Amazonian and central regions of the country, in the states of Amazonas, Roraima, Acre, Rondonia, Tocantins, Goias, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso Do Sul State. They live in small communities, missions, national parks (Brazil has four), and government-designated reserves. Most live in rural or wilderness areas and are semi-nomadic, agricultural laborers, or hunters-gatherers (GROUPCON = 3). Many in the deep Amazon lived in isolation from non-indigenous people until the development of the timber and gold industries in the late 1970s. The National Indian Foundation FUNAI estimates that there are more than 200 indigenous groups within Brazil, speaking more than 100 native languages (LANG = 1). Many of the social and cultural traditions of these groups are local and tribally based. The largest groups include the Guarani with kindred in neighboring countries (who number over 20,000) and the Yanomami (over 18,000), also known as the Yanomamo. Other large indigenous groups include the Baniwa, the Guajajara, the Kaimbla, the Kaingang, the Kaiwa, the Terena, and the Ticuna. More than three-fourths of indigenous peoples live in social groups of 1,000 or fewer people.

After Portuguese conquerors arrived in the 1500s, Indians were enslaved. They were freed in 1831, seven years after independence. An 1845 government decree regulated the "civilizing mission of the Indians," creating an administrative body to regulate indigenous matters. In 1850, Brazil established laws to protect indigenous lands and form reserves that guaranteed limited land rights to Indians. In 1906, a law was passed which founded the public service department for Indians, the Indian Protection Service and Localization of National Workers (SPI). The military dictatorship of 1967 terminated the SPI, creating the National Foundation of the Indian (FUNAI), which still exists today. By law, non-indigenous people are not permitted on land designated for the indigenous and must be removed though the government has been slow on declaring reserves and enforcing them.

In 1988, a new democratic constitution was formulated, which recognized "the unique social organization, customs, traditions, languages, and beliefs" of indigenous peoples. They are granted land rights based on their production needs, preservation of the environment, and their physical and cultural survival. Indians also have the right to "express their opinion" about the use of natural resources on their lands; any use that harms Indian populations is forbidden. The new constitution sparked significant indigenous mobilization, though not at the national level. "Indian lands" are not completely autonomous-- the land is owned by the state, but held solely for use according to indigenous traditions. Individual private ownership of Indian lands is not permitted under Brazilian law. The constitution also guarantees native language education, but does not specify how the provision would be implemented.

Indigenous peoples are the poorest members of Brazilian society (ECDIS06 = 3). Traditional dress and indigenous traditional practices are socially discriminated against. Because lighter skin color is socially preferred, high-level government and private sector positions are dominated by persons of European descent. During the 1988 constitutional reforms, many groups petitioned against the inclusion of Indians and protection of indigenous land.

Though the government considers FUNAI as the legitimate representative of indigenous interests at the national level, this designation is hotly contested by many indigenous peoples (GOJPA03 = 3). However, in 2006, 800 representatives of more than 200 indigenous organizations did attend the first national conference on indigenous issues, hosted by FUNAI. Brazil’s indigenous are also active in a variety of national and transnational coalitions.

The Cardoso government was ambivalent (at best) in regards to the relationship between indigenous groups and the Brazilian state (POLDIS00-02 = 4). These attitudes were most clearly demonstrated by the violent suppression of protests at the 500th anniversary of the European discovery of Brazil (2000), and the president's subsequent apology. The Lula government in 2003 was more accommodating and enacted a few remedial policies, though social discrimination against the indigenous remains pervasive in every sector of society. However, what little progress was made has become stymied (POLDIS04-06 = 4).

Over the past half-decade, the Catholic Church's Indigenous Council and others have also protested incidents of near-slavery for some indigenous groups. While the practice does not appear widespread (in absolute terms), forced servitude has been discovered in rural and frontier settings throughout the country.

Political action by Brazilian Indians is often revealed at the tribal level. Violent confrontations with landowners, miners and others persist, as these outsiders continue to encroach on Indian lands. Within the more recent years, particularly in 2004, the indigenous people have taken a more active and violent role in making their point heard. There was an increasing in attacks including a massacre caused by the indigenous people that killed 29 diamond prospectors (CCGROUPSEV104 = 5). It is assumed that due to the lack of effort and the amount of time that was being taken to pass any considerations towards declaring more reservations angered the indigenous people and it can be presumed that these acts will continue as time goes on without much change in the governing of the area.

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References

Action for Citizenship Committee. "Roraima, Brazil: A Death Warning." Cultural Survival Quarterly. 13(4). 1989:45-58.

"Brazil: Who Pays for Development?" Cultural Survival Quarterly. 13 (1) 1989.

Latin America Weekly Report, February 18, 2003, "Lula's Year 1 Reform Package," http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/ Date accessed: 11/30/2004.

Lexis Nexis, all news reports, 2001-2006.

Mares de Souza, Jr., Carlos Frederico. "On Brazil and Its Indians." In D.L. VanCott. Indigenous Peoples and Democracy. New York. St. Martin's Press. 1994.

Osava, Mario. 4/19/2006. “BRAZIL: Indigenous Peoples' Conference at Odds with Government.” IPS-Inter Press Service. http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32945

Psacharopoulos, George and Harry Anthony Patrinos. Indigenous People and Democracy. Washington,D.C. The World Bank. 1994.

Sills, Marc. Morris, Glenn. Indigenous Peoples’ Politics an Introduction. Fourth World Center for the Study of Indigenous Law and Politics University of Colorado at Denver. April 1993

Whitehead, Neil. Histories and Historicities in Amazonia. University of Nebraska Press Lincoln and London. 2003

Yanomami, Davi Kopenawa. "Letter to All Peoples of the Earth." Cultural Survival Quarterly. 13(4).1989: 68-69.

U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Brazil 2001 - 2006

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