Brazil Indian Foundation opposes transfer of power to demarcate lands
Maria Augusta Assirati pointed out that the Brazilian society still lacks the information necessary to understand the indigenous people’s way of life
President of Brazil’s National Indian Foundation (“FUNAI”) Maria Augusta Assirati said on Thursday (Apr. 24) at the Chamber of Deputies that a bill currently under consideration, which transfers the power to demarcate indigenous lands from the Union to the National Congress, is “unconstitutional and inappropriate,” and that it represents a “step backwards in land demarcation”.
During a debate at the Human Rights Commission at the Chamber, Assirati pointed out that the Brazilian society still lacks the information necessary to understand the indigenous people’s way of life: where they are, where they live, what their demands are. “Information and education on the topic are lacking, and, although the Brazilian Constitution grants the a set of rights to the indigenous people, the discussion on how these legal instruments are applied has served as a weapon against the indigenous peoples themselves,” she clarified.
FUNAI’s president also expressed her discontent about the structure of the organization, which has not conducted a public exam for admission since 1988. “Our personnel is in urgent need of an update. It needs to change.”
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Brazil Indian Foundation opposes transfer of power to demarcate lands
