#demarcation

"Sawré Muybu is an Indigenous Land located in the Tapajós River Basin, in the state of Pará, Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Covering 178,173 hectares — an area almost the size of 250,000 soccer fields — the territory is rich in fauna and flora, and home to the Munduruku People. Protecting it means ensuring the continuity of an ancestral, spiritual and cultural way of life that has always been in harmony with the forest.

The Munduruku People have been fighting for the rights to a land that has always belonged to them but is threatened by mining, illegal logging, and infrastructure projects. Now, it’s time to celebrate a historic and profoundly symbolic victory not only for the Munduruku, but for all Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon and Brazil. On September 25, 2024, the Sawré Muybu territory was officially demarcated. 

A long process

The demarcation process for Sawré Muybu began in 2007. However, it was stalled for a long time due to political issues and mainly due to the economic influence of mining in the region.

In 2014, the Munduruku people self-demarcated their territory, placing signs at the borders of the Indigenous Land, and pushing invaders out. This act had significant political implications and became a reference for Indigenous movements, inspiring various Indigenous Peoples across Brazil to do the same in their territories — a powerful, brave, and inspiring gesture of autonomy and independence.

10 years later, the demarcation process has finally been signed into decree by the Brazilian Minister of Justice. However, this does not mean that the demarcation process is complete. Now, the Brazilian government needs to mark the physical boundaries and remove the illegal occupants within the territory. After that, the Brazilian President will ratify the territory, completing the process.

But even at this stage, the recognition of the Sawré Muybu Land right can have significant repercussions for large-scale projects in the area, such a Ferrogrão, a railway project that would cut through the Sawré Muybu Land, and the São Luiz do Tapajós hydro dam. The dam project was shelved by the Brazilian environmental agency Ibama in 2016, but recent studies by Brazilian power company Eletrobrás this year shows that the struggle is not over. The recognition of the Sawré Muybu Land represents a major obstacle to any project that ignores the rights and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples.

People Power

The signing of the decree is an achievement, but it was only possible thanks to the strength, wisdom, and persistence of the Munduruku People, who never gave up fighting for what is rightfully theirs. Over 17 years, efforts by the Munduruku People ranged from international pressure to collaborations with Brazilian authorities and environmental and human rights organizations."

Pseudoscience

New zine. Issue #20 of Dispel. Download here.

Essay by Michael R. Matthews.

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