I support the Indigenous Cause

Copyright © Tatiana Cardeal. All rights reserved.
Reprodução proibida. © Todos os direitos reservados.

The model of development that Brazil was rising in the last years could have some strong positive points, but some issues related with the environment, sustainability, violence and disrespect of the Indigenous and Traditional Communities rights (as the Quilombolas - historic afro-brazilian communities) are just going worst.

Last July and August I traveled about 4000km on the Brazilian east boarder, between Bahia' South state and the North of Espírito Santo, visiting many Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian communities (Quilombolas). I was shooting for a research that will be published soon. The main picture is really bad. I also met and interviewed anthropologists, professors at universities and researchers, and what I've seen is disappointment when not revolt.
A meeting formed by a large national group of anthropologists to write a collective manifest for the government was recent planned to happen in Florianópolis. I'll updated about.

You've probably heard about Belo Monte Dam and other projects in the Amazon area, troubles with deforestation, monoculture, and lands issues in the country. The Brazilian Association of Judges for Democracy (www.ajd.org.br) released a campaign named "I Support the Indigenous Cause" and are asking for signatures.

I support the Indigenous Cause
Against the PEC 215 (proposed constitutional amendment)
Demarcation of the Indigenous Lands
Urgency in Court Decisions

There are more detailed information rolling the bar on this link.
I Support the Indigenous Cause
Check the link for other languages:
Português / Español / Français / Italiano / English


If you agree, you can sign the petition that will be sent to the Supreme Court,
the President of the Republic, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Please, share the campaign with your contacts.

________________________

Eu Apoio a Causa Indígena 

Photo: > Kayapó women were singing and dancing their traditions during the Indigenous National Festival, 2012. Bertioga, SP, Brazil.

do we have a future?

Copyright © Tatiana Cardeal. All rights reserved.
Reprodução proibida. © Todos os direitos reservados.

In the middle of so many debates about our presidential elections, sustainable development, social responsibility...
what would be the real future for Xingu People of Brazil?

Tuesday, October 26, the Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre (Movement Xingu Alive Forever), a coalition of over 250 organizations and social movements that oppose the construction of Belo Monte dam, sent to Dilma Rousseff and Jose Serra a letter requesting that they expose their projects about the controversial dam. It's time to hear answers from these candidates. We can strengthen the process, and let them know that the world is watching signing this:
Petition (english)
Abaixo-assinado (português)

You can also visit the Movement site here and support the cause at their social networks:
Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre

> Exhausted, a Kayapo child, during the Indigenous National Festival.

let me be

the future

A Kayapó child , that lives on South Pará State and Mato Grosso State of Brazil.

They were about 7.096 (in 2003). Sadly, the Enawene Nawe People are not so lucky, their population is about only 450 today, and they are needing an urgent attention.

>> Picture of the Indigenous National Festival, 2006, at Bertioga city. (slide-show link)

These other images were made at Pará state in December 2006,
while I was visiting the Health and Happiness Project at Amazonia. (slide-show link)

As usual, there are a lot of human-rights and environmental troubles happening in all the Amazon area. These are becoming worst because of the development shock between different interests sides. In one hand the soy and sugar cane's producers who want the land for the plantations, beside the cattle producers. They believe they are the land's owners and they don't accept the indigenous land's rights (some of them believe to be the owners of the indigenous people too, as you can see at this video that I blogged here).

On the other hand are environmental, health, labor organizations who fights for the forest conservation and basic rights, beside the indigenous people (with their secular relation with these lands, real owners, and for who the future and survive will depend only of their recognition and protection).

What seems hard, and selfish, to those producers understand is that the survive of all of us (indigenous or not) will depend of the protection of these lands, water and forests. It's the old game of a development without sustainability, and they are just repeating the models that our modern life and irresponsible extravagant consume creates.
It's the game of money X life.

Copyright © Tatiana Cardeal. All rights reserved.

kayapo women

kayapó women, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

When I saw them, they were preparing to dance
the ritual before the begining of the meeting.
I felt looking to spirits, gods in earth.

Kayapó means “those who look like monkeys”, probably because of their ritual where Kayapó men, using monkey masks, execute short dances. But the Kayapó refer to themselves as Mebêngôkre, “the men from the water hole/place.”

united

united..., originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

Kayapó women dancing at their ritual, before the beginning of the meeting.

a different war

a different war, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

For the Kayapó people

"... human modifications of the nature world are accompanied by rituals. For example, the opening of new swiddens is preceded by a dance presenting many structural similarities to the war ritual. Opening up new swiddens is indeed a symbolic war against a natural rather than human enemy.

Returning from the hunt, men must sing to the spirits of the game they themselves have killed in order for the spirits to remain in the forest. Each animal species designates a song that always begins with the cry of the dead animal."

by Gustaaf Verswijver
anthropologist

Kayapó cosmology and ritual
(nice link to read more details and info about this)
...................................................................
> Kayapó people dancing in the end of the meeting.
The Kayapó People live on South Pará State and Mato Grosso State, in Brazil. They were about 7.096 (in 2003).

lucid dreams

lucid dreams, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

Her name is Nhikwyry Kayapó,
The Kayapó People live on South Pará State and Mato Grosso
State, in Brazil. They were about 7.096 (in 2003).

when?

when?, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

Indigenous peoples have the right to the full enjoyment, as a collective or as individuals, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law.

This image is dedicated to the activist bishop Dom Luciano Mendes de Almeida, who passed away this week, and who fighted so much for the Indigenous Rights, respecting their own religion and traditions.

This Kayapo child picture was taken on the VI Indigenous National Party,
realized by the Intertribal Committee (ITC)
with the town hall's Bertioga City support.

return

originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal © 2006. All rights reserved .

my eyes opened
I was there again
my feet were burning
my soul dived the soil,
seeking ancestors
thirsty for sap
old roots

my eyes closed
I am here,
I am here,
I am still here.

..........................................................................

I went to this great meeting again,
the VI Indigenous National Party.
A meeting to celebrate life, culture and traditions.
I'll be publishing all of them soon,
but you will see more pictures if you click
at the image above.

All pictures were taken on the VI Indigenous National Party,
realized by the Intertribal Committee (ITC)
with the town hall's Bertioga City support.