After the 3rd Indigenous Women’s March in Brasília and the Supreme Federal Court’s voting against the marco temporal law, the Xokleng Konglui community in São Francisco de Paula (RS), Brazil continues to struggle for the recognition of their ancestral territory. Chief Culung Vaitcha Teié thanks for the support received. She calls for continued solidarity and financial support to enforce the living infrastructure at the Retomada Konglui.
Marco Temporal Não!
In recent months, protests have been growing all over Brazil against the law PL 490, known as “marco temporal“, which aims to make it more difficult to legally recognise indigenous territories. Among other things, it sets 5 October 1988 as the deadline – marco temporal – for the acknowledgement of the territories. For legal recognition, indigenous communities would then have to prove that they permanently inhabited the claimed territory on that date – almost 500 years after the beginning of violent expropriation and genocide. In September, the Supreme Federal Court voted against the marco temporal law. Yet, state repression against indigenous mobilisations continue.
3rd Indigenous Women’s March – III Marcha das Mulheres Indígenas
From 11 to 13 September 2023, indigenous women from all over the country gathered in Brasília to protest for gender justice, against racism and against the ongoing expropriation of indigenous territories. The 3rd Indigenous Women’s March, organised by the National Association of Indigenous Women Ancestral Warriors (ANMIGA), ran under the slogan: “Ecosystem Women Defend Biodiversity through the Ancestral Roots”.
The Indigenous Women of Southern Brazil (Xokleng-Kaigang-Guarani) also travelled to Brasília in September to revolt against the disregard of indigenous rights by the Marco Temporal Law. For this trip, they counted on support from people in solidarity, as Xokleng leader Culung Vaitcha Teié emphasized for us in the bellow video.
Recognition now! – Demarcação já!
As part of the project Geography of the Indigenous Question in Rio Grande do Sul, in which we are working with long-time friends, geographers, activists from Porto Alegre, we are in contact with indigenous Xokleng activists from the Retomada Konglui in São Francisco de Paula in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Led by Cacica Culung Vaitcha Teié, Xokleng indigenous people laid claim to their ancestral territory in December 2020 through occupation – or rather “reappropriation” (pt.: retomada). In doing so, they demanded the immediate recognition as Indigenous Territory (TI) of the area that until now has been under “nature protection” as “National Forest” of São Francisco de Paula (FLONA-SFP). Demarcação já! Since then, they have been living in the most precarious conditions on the edge of the RS 484 highway, where they were last awakened in mid-August 2023 by shots fired at them from a car.
Solidarity campaign: Retomada Xokleng Konglui
The Retomada Konglui needs support on different levels – journalistic work needs to draw attention to the precarious conditions and racist violence experienced by the Xokleng indigenous people of the Retomada; scientific reports should help to legally articulate the importance of this anstral territory for the Xokleng. In addition, the Retomada needs financial support for building materials to improve its infrastructure and, currently, for the journey of the Xokleng, Kaingang and Guarani women to the 3rd Indigenous Women’s March in Brasilia.
Donate now for Retomada Konglui and the 3rd Indigenous Women’s March!
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