April 22, 2000 marks the 500 year anniversary of the “discovery” of Brazil. To counter national celebrations, and to protest 500 years of violence against them, indigenous movements in Brazil are taking part in a historic March, culminating in a rally tomorrow. Some 2000 indigenous representatives from more than 200 peoples are participating in the March. Caravans of marchers from across the country will join on April 22 for a huge rally in Coroa Vermelha, Bahia, where the Portuguese first landed. The rally will include dances, rituals and traditional ceremonies – proof that their cultures are still alive and vibrant.
Portuguese colonization led to 500 years of massacres, destruction of communities and scorched earth policies. Indigenous leaders argue little has changed – only yesterday two Pataxo indigenous men went missing after being shot, apparently as a reaction to the retaking of ancestral lands around the Coroa Vermelha area.
The March is therefore a historic and important moment, as indigenous peoples reclaim their history and present proposals for the future. They are demanding the demarcation of indigenous lands, the strengthening of indigenous rights laws and respect for indigenous cultures. Already, these activities have inspired several communities, both in Bahia and elsewhere, to take back their land.
As Maninha Xucuru, a Xucuru-Kariri leader put it, “We hope that, as a result of this process, the indigenous movement in Brazil will be consolidated. The March and Conference will be moments for reflection on these past 500 years, and serve to strengthen the ideals and struggles of indigenous peoples. Together, we will be building paths to the future and writing the first chapter of a new history, for our children and the generations to come”.
