Stories about Indigenous from August, 2011
Chile: Mapuche Youth Takeover Municipal Building
Katie Manning from Mi Voz reports that forty Mapuche teenagers have staged a takeover –toma in Spanish– in Ercilla: “Since August 19, the 11-to-17-year-olds occupied the town’s government center. They’re not giving it back, they said, until Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter hears out their grievances over the “constant police presence”...
Bolivia: Aymara Women Working as ‘Voceadoras’ in El Alto
Alberto Medrano shares two videos of Aymara women in El Alto working in minibuses as voceadoras: women who announce the vehicle's route and collect the passengers’ money. Cristina Quisbert blogged about these women in 2008 in Bolivia Indígena [es].
Peru: Congress Passes Law Requiring Prior Consultation With Indigenous Peoples
The Peruvian Congress unanimously approved the ‘Prior Consultation Law‘ for indigenous or native peoples (“Ley de Consulta Previa a los Pueblos Indígenas u Originarios“[es] in Spanish), which establishes the mandatory or biding character of the consultations with indigenous peoples [es]. It is expected that President Ollanta Humala will soon sign...
Brazil: Global Action Against Belo Monte Dam in Images
Protests against Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant dam have gone global. In this post, we compile a selection of photos and videos featuring the worldwide demonstrations, from the streets of many Brazilian cities to the rest of the world.
Bolivia: An Indigenous March Against an Indigenous Government
Sueños para Atar [es] says Bolivians are wondering “Why are indigenous people marching against an indigenous government?” and “Why does an indigenous government refuse to listen to indigenous people?” as indigenous groups march towards La Paz protesting a road threatening the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS).
Chile: Police Prevent Reporters From Covering Raid on Mapuche Community
Two Mapuche and a police officer were shot when “on Thursday, August 18th, the police raided sixteen Mapuche homes in search of weapons”, Ryan Seelau reports in Indigenous News. He adds that police “initially would not allow [the Radio Bio-Bio] vehicle to pass [es] in order to view and report...
Madagascar: Expectant Mothers, Beware
In an interesting post on “Fady” (cultural taboos) in traditional Malagasy society, blogger Ariniaina lists a few “do not” tips for pregnant women [fr], for example: “Do not carry fish in a basket on your head (and do not eat it) otherwise, your baby could grow scales on its skin”.
Brazil: Construction Starts on Controversial Belo Monte Dam
Despite the protesting voices of indigenous populations and traditional settlers of Volta Grande do Xingu region, construction on Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric plant has begun. Protests against the project will take place in 10 Brazilian cities and 16 countries on August 20.
Chile: Indigenous People's Education and Chilean Law
Laura Seelau and Ryan Seelau of Indigenous News write about the “Indigenous peoples’ fight for education in Chile” at I Love Chile: “What many do not know […] is that Chilean law actually makes certain guarantees to indigenous peoples that do not exist for other portions of the population. Many...
India: Nationality Debate In Mizoram
Paritosh Chakma reports that a recent comment by Chief Minister Lalthanhawla about the nationality of Mizos sparked much reaction and resentment among the Mizo society.
Paraguay: Uncontacted Indigenous Group in ‘Imminent Danger’
Ryan Seelau from Indigenous News.org reports that “the only remaining uncontacted people in Paraguay” are “in imminent danger”: “the Totobiegosode are being systematically removed from the Chaco forest where they live so that the land can be used for cattle grazing. The destruction of their land, however, is occurring illegally.”
Bolivia: Indigenous Groups to March to La Paz in Protest of New Road
As Eduardo Avila recently reported for Global Voices, the Bolivian government announced “a controversial project to build a new road that would go through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS for its initials in Spanish).” Emily Achtenberg in the NACLA blog now reports that “on August 15, representatives...
Mauritania: Discrimination Plagues Census
adrar-info.net publishes an article on Mauritanian demonstrations in Paris and Mauritania, related to the current population census in Mauritania. Black Mauritanians apparently have a difficult time getting their name registered [fr]. According to Haimout Ba, the Paris based representative of UFP (Union of Forces of Progress, an opposition party), “they...
Colombia: Indigenous People March On Antioquia's Independence Day
Today, August 11, is independence day in Antioquia. More than one thousand Indigenous people are marching through the streets [es] of Medellín to reach [es] the Alpujarra [es] where the local government is located. They are calling for the right to life because in less than 3 months 16 of...
Guatemala: Police Kill Peasant With Tear Gas Canister
Indigenous peasants living on lands claimed by landowners in Guatemala are often violently evicted from their homes by policemen and soldiers. Last week, 31-year-old Sergio de León was killed when a policeman fired a tear gas canister at his chest during an eviction.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Caurita Stone
Ever heard of the Caurita Stone? Review of the Indigenous Caribbean notes that “among Amerindian communities in Trinidad…etchings on the stone bear spiritual significance. The site of the Caurita Stone is now regarded as an important part of the ongoing quest for knowledge and understanding of Amerindian ancestral occupation and...
Chile: Latest Developments in Mapuche Land Conflict in Ercilla
Ryan Seelau from Indigenous News updates readers on the Mapuche land conflict in Ercilla which we mentioned earlier this week.
Chile: 4 Years Since Aymara Woman Detained for Losing Son
Katie Manning, a reporter for MiVoz.cl (which publishes 14 citizen journalism online newpapers in Chile), writes about Gabriela Blas, a 28-year-old Aymara woman who “spends her days locked up in the Acha Prison in Arica, a mid-sized city in the north of Chile. […] August 2, marks four years since...
Chile: Recent Clashes in Ongoing Mapuche Land Struggle
In Indigenous News Ryan Seelau reports on recent incidents in Ercilla, Chile as the Mapuche indigenous people of the area struggle to get their lands back from landowners.
Global Voices in Aymara: Preserving Indigenous Language Online
One of the newest Global Voices Lingua sites is also its first in an indigenous language, Aymara. This native language is spoken by more than 2 million people across the Andes, especially in Bolivia and Peru, where it is among the official languages.
