Indigenous mobilization in Brasília pushes against temporal framework
With the slogan "Our landmark is ancestral, we've always been here," the Free Land Camp begins this Monday (Apr. 22) in Brasília. The 2024 edition will focus precisely on the fight against the temporal framework, a theory according to which indigenous peoples only have the right to the demarcation of lands that were occupied by them on the date of the promulgation of the Brazilian Constitution, on October 5, 1988.
This thesis was previously deemed unconstitutional in a ruling by the Federal Supreme Court in September of last year. However, it was subsequently incorporated into legislation through a bill passed by the National Congress. Despite being vetoed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, it was ultimately reinstated by congressmen in a veto override. Presently, the court is anticipated to reassert the measure's unconstitutionality.
The Free Land Camp continues through April 26, featuring a comprehensive agenda comprising debates, report presentations, marches to the Three Powers Square, and various political engagements at the National Congress, including solemn sessions, public hearings, and meetings. Additionally, cultural performances and exhibitions showcasing handicrafts and indigenous art representing all Brazilian biomes will take place.
Violence and mental health
Besides addressing issues such as the ongoing struggle against the law instituting the temporal framework, the urgent call for expanded land demarcations, and suicide among indigenous people, the Free Land Camp is poised to condemn a recent surge in violence targeting indigenous communities. According to the National Articulation of Indigenous Peoples, referencing a study conducted by the Proteja Collective, six indigenous leaders have been murdered in the country since the enactment of the temporal framework law, spanning from December of last year, when the legislation took effect, to the early months of this year.
The National Articulation of Indigenous Peoples, the organizing body of the event, anticipates that this year's Terra Livre Camp will be the most well-attended in history, surpassing the turnout of over 6,000 indigenous individuals seen at last year's gathering.
