Humanitarian crises haunts Brazil's Indigenous Struggle Day

[Judi Lynn]

Indigenous Minister Guajajara recounts what she saw among the Yanomami

Published on 07/02/2023 - 14:24 By Agência Brasil - Brasília

The creation of the Ministry of the Indigenous Peoples, headed by Sonia Guajajara—Brazil's first indigenous minister—and the leadership of national indigenous authority Funai in the hands of Joenia Wapichana—also an indigenous woman—cast light on a new phase in Brazil's history indigenous policy and give a special significance to February 7—the National Day of the Struggle of the Indigenous Peoples.

The date was introduced back in 2008 as a way to bring visibility to the circumstances facing indigenous people in Brazil, who still suffer from the effects of illegal mining and poor conditions in health care and sanitation.

The minister of the indigenous peoples referred to the illegal mining in the Yanomami indigenous territory as destructive. She spent Sunday night (Feb. 5) at the Surucucu base camp, in the western part of the territory, in Roraima state, near the border with Venezuela. On Monday (6), she returned to the state capital Boa Vista and held a press conference to recount what she saw.

“What's being reported is still far from the reality there. The presence of miners is strong the destruction in the territory is devastating. It's a lot of mining—infinite mining, the whole territory is taken over by miners, by destruction and water contamination. The Yanomami can't drink the water. They have no clean water to drink,” she stated.

More:
https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/direitos-humanos/noticia/2023-02/humanitarian-crisis-haunts-brazils-indigenous-struggle-day