Photo: Jacir Souza/ Wakywai Network
August 9 celebrates the resistance of indigenous peoples, in Brazil and around the world. It is also a day that we native peoples demonstrate against the setbacks of rights and the dismantling of public policies, especially in this current government. Unfortunately, because of the Brazilian government's omission in combating the covid 19 pandemic, according to data from the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) 1,116, indigenous people in Brazil have lost their lives because of this virus.
We, the indigenous peoples of Brazil, more than 305 peoples, speaking 274 different languages, suffer daily attacks on our lands, destruction of our forests, persecution of our leaders and death of our young people, such as the recent brutal murder of young Daiane Kaingang, 14 years old, Guarita Indigenous Land, Rio Grande do Sul.
We do not have much to celebrate in this current scenario, with this Government that elected us as one of its priority targets, saying that it would not demarcate one more centimeter of indigenous lands, and that all land demarcations made so far would have been forged and, therefore, should be reviewed.
Even in the face of attacks, we resist through our customs, languages, and traditions.
"Our culture is a great wealth that we have. When we talk about our languages, songs, traditional dances, paintings, arrows and everything we have, it is wealth and that in fact, it is valued, made sure that this is really being lived by all peoples here in Roraima and in Brazil. So that we can increasingly guarantee this blood of Macuxi Wapichana, Ingarikó, Taurepang, Patamona, Y'ekuna Wai Wai, Sapará, Yanomami, Waimiri-atroari. Regardless of our training and being a lawyer, a doctor, we will never stop being what we are, an indigenous native people of this country called Brazil, highlighted the general coordinator of the CIR, Edinho Batista.
This is what Valterlina de Souza Pinto, from the Macuxi people, regional coordinator of women in the Alto Cauamé region, reinforces. "The International Day of Indigenous Peoples, which is a very important date because we remember all our achievements, but also the setbacks, which have been happening in recent times. But this is not a reason to give up on our movements, but to look for ways to strengthen ourselves. Always seek the greater good for our people, women, young men and children in relation to everything, health, education and especially our territories".