Photo: Genisvan Macuxi
We, the indigenous peoples of Roraima, met with more than two thousand people from the Wapichana, Macuxi, Taurepang, Ingarikó, Patamona, Sapará, Wai-Wai, y'ekuana peoples, at the II Free Land Camp/Roraima, with the theme: FIGHT FOR LIFE, which began on the 22nd and continues until September 2nd, 2021, in the Sabiá Indigenous Community, São Marcos Indigenous Land. Leaders, women, teachers, young people, children, indigenous health agents, GPVITIs, teachers and tuxauas participate, all with a single objective: THE FIGHT FOR LIFE.
To get where we are today, it took a lot of organization, struggle and resistance. We are peoples organized as an indigenous movement for more than 50 years in defense of our rights. In this current scenario, unfortunately, we are suffering strong attacks by the anti-indigenous government, so we REPUDIATE all actions by the federal government to dismantle SESAI, FUNAI, indigenous education and all public policies to which we are entitled. In addition to threatening and violating our right to land at all times. We will not be silent. Our mobilization is legitimate, peaceful, we are inside our land to fight against the time frame and all setbacks that threaten our rights.
We reaffirm the importance of our land for our good living. Without it, we do not create or produce our sustainability. The land is our mother, it is life. That is why we defend our original rights. The lands that we traditionally occupy are ours. We want to defend our way of organizing and reaffirm that sustainability is the defense of the environment, this is what we do in our territories. We have several development projects, for example, the cattle project. We have our livestock and plantations, no one goes hungry on our land. We are not against development, on the contrary, we defend a development project that works, and not one that excludes. We defend a development project that protects the environment and defends nature. Therefore, the demarcation of indigenous lands is important not only for the lives of indigenous peoples, but for everyone.
We REPUDIATE the dismantling of public policies and our rights to health, education, especially land. FUNAI, SESAI, indigenous education are being dismantled by the federal government. In the National Congress, a series of bills threaten our lives and our territories. We fight against PDL 28/2019, PL 191/2020, PL 490/2007 and all other projects that prevent the demarcation of indigenous lands, to allow mining, leasing in our territories, and to reduce lands already demarcated. Our struggle is for there to be no more destruction and invasion of our territories.
We will be mobilized and camped out until the case of the Xokleng relatives is judged by the Federal Supreme Court, which will also determine the future of all indigenous peoples in Brazil. We REPUDIATE and say with one voice, NO TO THE TIME FRAME and YES to LIFE. Our history does not begin in 1988, we are originally from this land and we have suffered the invasion of our territories since 1500. We hope that the STF fulfills what has already been guaranteed and conquered in the Federal Constitution of 1988, with a lot of struggle and blood spilled. The indigenous peoples of Roraima demonstrate against the time frame thesis and trust in the Brazilian justice system to reaffirm the guarantee of the original right to land of indigenous peoples.
Indigenous movement of Roraima