The document was delivered to government agencies so that they can adopt the necessary measures
The 55th general assembly of the indigenous peoples of Roraima, with the theme "Demarcated Land, Preserved Life - The Answer Is Us", ended with referrals and demands that are included in the final letter approved by the leaders of the eleven ethnoregions with the right to voice and vote.
There were four days dedicated to debates, presentations, launches and approvals of important topics in the areas of health, education, territorial protection, sustainability, the malocão policy and other subjects.
The event held in the historic Maturuca Indigenous Community, Serras region, T.I Raposa Serra do Sol, brought together approximately 2,500 people including indigenous leaders, representatives of government agencies, indigenous organizations, supporters and partners.
The Assembly, which takes place annually, is the highest instance of debates and collective and democratic deliberations, where important decisions are approved for the good living of the indigenous people of Roraima.
The complaints and demands are in the final letter of the assembly, the nine-page document was built with the support of the legal advice of the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR) and delivered to the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI), the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) and other bodies.
Complaints and claims
Excerpts from the letter of the 55th General Assembly of the Indigenous Peoples of Roraima reveal that the indigenous peoples of the state continue to live under pressure in the name of "development and the economy".
"Our territories continue to be under severe pressure, especially due to the expansion of soybeans, monoculture, mining, infrastructure works and other projects imposed without respect for our rights. We have been following the devastation of farms in regions such as Serra da Lua (municipality of Bonfim and Cantá), Murupu (municipality of Boa Vista), Tabaio (municipality of Alto Alegre) Amajari (municipality of Amajari) and Alto Cauamé (municipality of Alto Alegre)".
The document contains requests for protection and territorial governance, combating illegal mining in Roraima, concern about the legislative setbacks suffered in recent times, omission and discontinuity of public policies in the areas of health and education, despite some advances.
The impacts caused by climate change, fires and environmental emergency are highlighted in the letter, as well as the projects and prior consultation, food autonomy, indigenous economy and sustainability.
The topic on human rights and violence against indigenous peoples brings denunciations and cases of violence against indigenous peoples in Roraima that are still accountable, reinforcing impunity and encouraging the repetition of attacks against indigenous communities and leaders.
"We cite, among other cases, the fires in the communities of Brilho do Sol, Homologação and Jawarizinho (2004), the destruction of the Indigenous Center for Training and Culture – Surumu Mission (2005), the Dez Irmãos Case (2008), police violence in the Tabatinga Case (2021) and the growing criminalization of indigenous leaders who fight for the protection of their territories".
The concern and request for justice for the death of indigenous leader Gabriel Ferreira, found dead on RR-203, near the Novo Paraíso indigenous community, on February 10, 2026, was punctuated by reaffirming that cases of this nature cannot be treated with silence, normality or negligence on the part of the responsible bodies.
In view of the cases cited, the leaders demand the guarantee of effective protection for threatened indigenous leaders, with preventive measures, permanent monitoring and rapid response to complaints, an end to impunity and combating the criminalization of indigenous leaders, especially those who work in the defense of the territory, prior consultation and the constitutional rights of indigenous peoples, that the State Government create a Civil Police station in the seat of the municipality of Amajari, to serve the communities of the Amajari region.
And they demand that the Brazilian State comply with constitutional and international duties, protect, supervise and demarcate traditional and original territories, as well as respect for the social, political and cultural organization of indigenous peoples.
FINAL LETTER OF THE 55TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (opens in new window)Deliberations approved to strengthen the good living of indigenous peoples
In the last of the assembly, more than 30 proposals were discussed and approved by the councilors with the right to voice and vote. Among which are the organization's 2026 - 2030 strategic plan. In all, the planning involves six axes: 1-Demarcation, restudy, and regularization of indigenous lands and defense of rights, 2-Indigenous economy, sustainable management of territories, and combating climate change, 3-Protection, governance, surveillance, and territorial monitoring, 4-Youth protagonism, empowerment of indigenous women, 5-Guarantee, strengthening of culture, and appreciation of indigenous knowledge, 6-Strengthening of the political and organizational unity of the CIR.
Another document approved unanimously was the internal regulations of the Rutî Indigenous Fund. And the newly created communities Nova Amizade, Raposa region, Livramento, Recanto Buritizal, Baixo Cotingo, Boca da Mata Community, Serra da Lua region, Nova Macaíba community, Murupu region, Koko'paru Community, Serras region and Tatajuba community in the Waiwai region, with the approval will be 270 CIR base communities. The Itacutú region, in the municipality of Bonfim was also endorsed as the base of the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), due to the dismemberment of eighteen communities of the Serra da Lua region in the municipality of Cantá, with this there will be twelve base regions of the CIR. It was also defined the creation of a commission of the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Land to analyze the creation of the Alto Miang region, on the Brazil/Venezuela border.
The leaders approved the change in the name of the Youth Department, which is now called the Gabriel Ferreira Indigenous Youth Department, in honor of the legacy left by the leadership. And along with the realization of the Free Land Camp in Roraima (ATL/RR), following the national mobilization on the dates of April 5 to 11, in the Mangueira Indigenous Community, Amajari region, with the theme "Who killed Gabriel? It messed with one, it messed with all".
The creation of FUNAI's regional coordination was approved, which will serve indigenous lands demarcated on islands, on the occasion Joenia Wapichana, president of FUNAI announced the selection process in Roraima with vacancies to compose the team of the new coordination.
(Place the document with the deliberations)
FINAL RESOLUTIONS OF THE 55TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (opens in new window)Malocão Policy.
The "Malocão Policy" was widely debated in the assembly, one of the strategies of the Indigenous Movement for the occupation of spaces and positions by indigenous people. And with the 2026 elections approaching, the names of the pre-candidates to run for the election were presented and approved, with Joenia Wapichana for the position of Federal Deputy, Enock Taurepang, Telmo Ribeiro, Zelandes Patamona, Leonardo Pereira, Daniel Sampaio, and Aldenícia cadet for State Deputies, in addition to Bartô Macuxi for the Senate.
"We know how important indigenous representation is in decision-making spaces, and I had this experience in the national congress, barring setbacks to our rights, and I return with this commitment to you, but we need to reach one hundred percent of the vote coefficients, Wapichana stressed.
In addition, the names of Alcebias Sapará, to run for the coordination of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) and Toya Manchineri for reelection of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) were endorsed.
With Joenia Wapichana leaving to run for election, the assembly supported Mislene Metchacuna, to assume the presidency of the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI), for her trajectory of commitment to indigenous peoples and the importance of strengthening indigenous management, representative and close to the grassroots.
The next assembly will be held at the Lago Caracaranã Regional Center, Raposa T.I Raposa Serra Sol region from March 11 to 14, 2027.
FINAL MINUTES OF THE 55TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (opens in new window)