Government officializes the demarcation of six indigenous lands in six states of the country

The federal government ratified, this Friday (28), the creation of six indigenous lands in six states of the country where around 3,700 people live, during the closing of Camp Terra Livre 2023, an event held by various ethnic groups in a public square. Brasilia.

The act also released BRL 12.3 million to the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai) and saw the signing of two decrees that recreate the National Council for Indigenous Policy (CNPI) and establish the Steering Committee of the National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands (PNGATI).

The new indigenous areas are located in Acre (TI Arara do Rio Amônia), Alagoas (TI Kariri-Xocó), Rio Grande do Sul (TI Rio dos Índios), Ceará (TI Tremembé da Barra do Mundaú), Amazonas (TI Uneiuxi) and Goiás (Avá-Canoeiro TI). According to the government, these demarcations had been paralyzed since 2018.

In a speech shortly after the signing of the decrees, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the public policies for indigenous people that are being implemented are to prevent the situation experienced by indigenous people from the Yanomami tribe at the beginning of the year from happening again.

He also contested the claim that indigenous people occupy 14% of the national territory, and said that “they occupied 100% before the arrival of the Portuguese”. “Indigenous habits, customs and traditions must be respected,” he added.

“All ministers have to know that they have to meet the demands of the indigenous peoples, which they have been denied their entire lives,” he said.

He also said that there are 30 million degraded lands in the country and that it is not necessary to occupy areas demarcated from the indigenous population for the advancement of agribusiness.