President Jair Bolsonaro used our title in his speech to the UN Common Meeting and made unfaithful statements about our individuals. This press launch goals to make clear the data the President gave and on the similar time allow everybody in Brazil and the world to listen to our phrase.
We, the Yanomami individuals don’t quantity 15,000 individuals because the President says. We quantity about 27,000 individuals who reside in 380 communities in Brazil in a territory which was demarcated [formally recognized] in 1992, in line with the 1988 Structure. One other 14,000 Yanomami reside in Venezuela. In complete we’re 41,000 individuals.
We, the Yanomami, should not inquisitive about utilizing the assets which lie beneath the earth and we don’t need to promote gold and worthwhile minerals. We aren’t poor individuals dwelling in a wealthy territory. For us the necessary factor is the forest’s pure assets which allow us to guide wholesome lives. We need to use these assets with out chopping down timber and clearing the forest. We use fireplace to provide our meals however this doesn’t trigger forest fires. An important factor for us is to maintain the forest alive and standing. We Indigenous peoples know simply how necessary the forest is. The forest just isn’t solely necessary for us but additionally for you, the non-Indigenous peoples. Because of this we’re defending it. Our meals come from the forest, in addition to a lot of our data, the spirits of the forest, clear air, humidity and animals which thrive there. The forest is our well being and likewise the well being of our planet. Our cultural heritage lies inside the forest. It’s our house and that’s the reason we defend it. That is necessary for Indigenous peoples. Our land is wealthy due to the forest, not due to what lies beneath it. For us wealth is the forest standing.
We battle to guard and defend our land. Non-Indigenous individuals are occupying an increasing number of land, expelling and killing Indigenous peoples and bringing in ailments. For a very long time, the federal government has troubled the lives of Indigenous peoples. Our oldest leaders, along with leaders of different Indigenous peoples, fought so much for the Brazilian state to acknowledge our territories and our rights. However in the present day the federal government needs to hassle our lives once more.
Regardless of the actual fact our land is demarcated, there are miners getting into it and the federal authorities needs to legalize mining in Indigenous lands. Its speeches moreover being disrespectful and prejudiced in direction of Indigenous peoples, stimulate and legitimize the invasions of our land. This yr the invasions of miners on our land has elevated alarmingly, principally alongside the Uraricoera and Mucajaí rivers. There are almost 20,000 miners invading our territory, contaminating our water and our fish and bringing in ailments. Malaria is a giant reason behind loss of life and is returning to our land due to the mining camps. Mining camps additionally improve conflicts and violence in our territory.
The President referred to Raoni and disrespected him. Indigenous leaders are the reliable representatives of their peoples and Indigenous peoples in Brazil. Raoni Metuktire, Davi Kopenawa, Ailton Krenak, Sonia Guajajara and different Indigenous leaders have the precise to signify Indigenous peoples in any nation on the earth, to talk of the issues Indigenous peoples face of their territories, and within the Amazon. The president wrote off leaders who’ve for fought for Indigenous rights, and legitimized individuals with no historical past within the battle to defend Indigenous peoples in Brazil.
We is not going to hand over our land. We don’t want to be like non-Indigenous individuals. The federal government needs to weaken our achievements and tells lies. The Federal Authorities should adjust to its constitutional obligations and assure the rights of Indigenous peoples as set out in article 231 of the Brazilian Structure: it’s the responsibility of the state to take care of our well being and schooling and to guard out territory.
Our territory is already formally ratified however in the present day the federal government doesn’t need to respect this.
We’re reliable Brazilians, the primary individuals on the land the place we had been born and the place we are going to die.
