BRAZIL | SOCIAL | PHOTOGRAPHY: May 2008

2008/05/26

the river flow

A man from Xingu dances
flowing with other groups,
during the Indigenous National Festival.
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"What will be left of the Xingu river for the people of Xingu?
from Amazon Watch

Brazil's state dam company, Electronorte, is moving ahead with plans to build one of the Amazon's most controversial development projects - the Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River in the state of Pará. The Belo Monte dam replaces an old proposal for hydroelectric construction on the Xingu, abandoned over a decade ago in the face of massive international and national protest."

2008/05/20

100 eyes and "The Human Condition" projection

100eyes website is showing The Human Condition slideshow, that was originally showed during the LOOK3 - Charlottesville Festival of Photography , 2007 - US.
Some of my pictures (these) were included by Andy Levin and joined the original exhibition that is now available to watch at the link. I really enjoyed the project and hope you like too.

© Ami Vitale

"100eyes bringing photographers together to work on projects of cultural and social significance. "

2008/05/19

forever

Girls Gavião Kyikatêjê.
They are Hãwykyderi and Purukwyi.

I saw them enjoying their own picture in a small digital camera,
I instantly aimed my camera,
they instantly aimed their eyes for me
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a picture forever
in my soul

2008/05/18

the development

and social changes...
cameras and arrows.

About some things, I feel so lucky to be a testimony.
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Finally, many Brazilian Indigenous People from different groups
are discovering the photography and having access.
Finally they will be able to be the
protagonists of their own history.

Here a Wapishana men shows their own picture to a Kuikuru man.
It's so clear why we all love development...

2008/05/16

in the dark

I was inside the cabin when I saw this Pareci (Haliti) woman
during the Indigenous National Festival, 2008.
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Marina Silva, the last environmental voice of resistance in Lula's government resigned this week as Brazil's environment minister. She says she lacked the necessary political support to protect the Amazon.
She was the only voice defending that the Brazilian economic development can't be obtained at any price, specially the fragile Amazon area, while the social politics of the government are pressuring all to create a big show using the "PAC" (Programme for Accelerated Growth), to produce the illusion of a developed and emergent country.

"Brazil is losing the only voice in the government that spoke out for the environment," said Sergio Leitao, director of public policy for Greenpeace in Brazil. "The minister is leaving because the pressure on her for taking the measures she took against deforestation has become unbearable."

National and international agribusiness men, woodcutters, transgenics producers, miners owners, large constructor companies and the rural bench are all celebrating.

I'm feeling as an orphan.

night sun future

Bororo people cannot live in homologated land. Although to have its demarcated territory, the Bororo of the land Jarudori (Mato Grosso state) is obliged to live spread in other lands of its people, because its traditional area is invaded by squatters. Invasions, violence and epidemics - of tuberculosis and measles - had contributed for exit of many of the Bororo families who lived there.

> Indigenous National Festival at Bertioga city, 2008.