Oct 20, 2009
Indians Invade Two Ranches In Mato Grosso do Sul
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Three hundred and fifty Indians from the Terena Indian tribe (Guaranis) invaded two ranches near Sidrolandia in Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil) claiming the disputed property as part of their ancestral homeland. The ownership of the contested property has been disputed in the Brazilian court system for nine years. Recently, the Indian tribes were authorized to establish a reservation on part of the 45,000 acres in dispute (18,000 hectares), but the ranchers obtained an injunction stopping the transfer of ownership to the tribe. The injunction sparked the invasion of the property and the occupying Indians now vow to remain on the property until the title to the property is transferred to their tribe.
The invasion came on the heels of a meeting of indigenous chiefs representing the 72 different indigenous peoples in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The keynote speaker at the indigenous meeting was the former environmental Minister of Brazil, Ms. Marina Silva. She currently serves as a senator from the state of Acre and is widely known for her staunch stand on environmental issues. The indigenous chiefs gave Funai (the Brazilian Bureau of Indian Affairs) 30 days to resolve ownership of the property or they vowed to take matters into their own hands.
The invasion is part of a larger pattern that has emerged in Brazil in recent years, especially among the indigenous peoples. Mato Grosso do Sul has been the epicenter of the recent struggle between Indian groups and ranchers over property rights. In recent years similar incidents have been a common occurrence. The indigenous groups continue to press the federal government for the establishment of new reservations and the expansion of existing ones.