A Judge has ruled that the Guarani can remain on this small patch of their ancestral land, until the land demarcation is complete and the Indians can reoccupy the rest of their territory.
A group of Brazilian Indians who endured violence and death to return to their land have made a dramatic appeal to the government after learning that they face eviction once more.
The 170 Indians, members of the 46,000-strong Guarani tribe in Brazil, have suffered several brutal attacks since going back to a small part of their ancestral land. The Indians’ territory, known as Pyelito Kuê/ M’barakai, is now occupied by a ranch. The Indians are surrounded by the rancher’s gunmen, with little access to food or health care.
Last month a judge ordered their eviction. Now the Indians have declared in a letter, ‘This ruling is part of the historic extermination of the indigenous peoples of Brazil. We have lost hope of surviving with dignity, and without violence, on our ancestral land… We will all die soon.
‘We want to die and be buried with our ancestors right here, so we ask the government and the justice system not to order our eviction, but to order our collective death and our burial here. We ask, once and for all, for our slaughter to be ordered, and for tractors to dig a big hole for our bodies.
‘We have decided, all together, not to leave here, dead or alive.’
Guarani mother and child
© João Ripper/Survival
Four Guarani from the community have already died since the reoccupation: two from suicide, and two following attacks by gunmen.
FUNAI, Brazil’s indigenous affairs department, which is responsible for mapping out Guarani land, and demarcating it, says it is working to overturn the eviction order.
The huge delay in its demarcation program means thousands of Guarani are living in overcrowded reserves and camped on roadsides, with little access to food, clean water and health care. They suffer one of the highest suicide rates in the world: recent government statistics show an average of one Guarani suicide every week for the last ten years.
The Guarani are forced to make a perilous river crossing using a narrow cable to get food supplies.
Guarani anthropologist Tonico Benites said, ‘Guarani suicide is happening and increasing as a result of the delay in identifying and demarcating our ancestral land’.
Survival is calling for the Guarani to be allowed to stay on their land, and for all Guarani territories to be demarcated urgently, before more lives are lost.
Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today, ‘The extinction of Brazil’s indigenous peoples is a blot on the country’s history, and it’s shameful that the same cruelties and abuses rife during the colonial era are being endorsed by the Brazilian justice system today. The Pyelito Guarani’s heartrending plea couldn’t be clearer: life without their land is so full of misery and suffering, that it is not worth living. Brazil must act before it allows another of its peoples to be destroyed.’
SOURCE
The remains of a Guarani hut, burnt down during a violent eviction.
© MPF/Survival
Guarani Kaiowá girl of Guyra Roka community, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. © Fiona Watson/Surviva
Outrageous! ...and this is 2012 ?????
Totally totally outrageous.
This makes me so angry.
When is this gonna stop ?
I'm going to see what I can do as far as writing to the Brazilian government.
I am so sorry for their plight and wish I knew what I could do to help. With love.
So disgusted!
This has to stop! Any government addresses I can express my outrage to? Any Guarani addresses I can send encouragement to? Right now I jusy want to put a protective shield around them, they are too precious to die!
I hate anything having to do government.a bunch of bullish and selfish people they are.I think people with skills in building and growing should go there and help them build cottages and teach them to grow their own food. They have land and water.They can grow good crops and thrive.
Stop trying to make all people cookie cutter. I take pride in being different and not comply with all government rules!!! I'm a naive American woman and I will live free and this tribe should do the same!!! Stop trying to destoy what is great in this world!!! Keep fighting for your right to live free!!!
Man's inhumanity to man. I pray for divine intervention
Being native myself I must say this is been happening since the beginning of time it is horrible...people kill or try to control what they do not understand.....to those in Brazil may the Great Spirit be with you all.....much love
What is the brazillian government thinking?
Is this legal in this day and age?
Isnt this murder?
Mass murder of a Peoples?
I am tired of the world Governments destroying Native people. This is all greed, they take what they want and care not about the Native people, the land, or the animals. This is the same as a war crime and it needs to stop.
This is disgusting that any government could allow any of its people to be treated in this manner. Brazil has gone to far and needs to step up and correct this situation now!!
I am furious and shocked ..have been reading about this earlier signing petions...how on earth can this goverment let this happen??? well,we all know the answers...!!! I pray for all you people out there my heartfelt compassion of where you are going to go.I understand why you choose this last "choice" and it fills me with sorrow and pain. Be sure they will get a huge payback ..IT is the universal law* being far away from where you are..i am very close,sending your strength hope LOVE ...praying for the miracle to happen,that you get the help you need to stay on your homelands. may peace be with you ,brothers and sisters.
"Legal" has nothing to do with right. Just because as assholes pass some supposed laws (which are not laws at all) saying something is legal does not make that thing lawfull. There is a huge difference. Every-time we vote, or pay taxes to corporations calling themselves governments we support this sort of genocide, not to mention wars, assassinations, population control, abductions, and the rape of the world we live on. If you really want to make a difference, stop voting, stop paying taxes, start growing your own food, and quit buying shit you don't need. Study law and commerce, learn how to navigate. Learn how to protect your rights. These clowns only have jurisdiction over those who give it to them.
What can we do? I want to help.
This is what happens for hundreds of years now because of the greed of people who can not get enough. Why? Why can't people respect those native people who have a right to live on the land...that mother earth who gives us life all!!!
It makes me ...can not express that feeling! Such a life does not make sense to me.
sickening and disgusting human greed at it's worst
Can you make a petition too send too your Government ,with a lot off autograph's I want to help you guys!!!
What do you think abortion is...but a mass killing of those who have done nothing.
What does the United Nation work on, where are the helpers of the poor, who are to loose their Home Land??????????????
Sign and share the petitions to protect these people! And boycott Brazil and its products, especially the FIFA World Cup coming in 2014 and the Olympics in 2018. Financial injury is the only thing governments/corporations understand. My heart aches for these people who only want to live on their lands. Why can't they be left to leave in peace?
the goverment shouldn't be able to take your land it's not right it was your's befor they were there they took it from you they have no right at all it's not right to still your land .you have my prayer's
This will probably stop when the rich become poor and the poor don't become rich...
Τι μπορούμε να κάνουμε?και εάν το κάνουμε τι ελπίδες έχουμε να υπάρξουν θετικά αποτελέσματα.
they (gov.) will get theirs in the end (karma)
http://wh.gov/9TPs This is a petition for US Governmental involvement in their plight. It requires 150 signatures to become public. Then 25,000 Signatures to become a memorandum item. May those numbers become available unto your plight.