A large percentage of the world's flora and fauna, many of which have not yet been identified, reside in the Amazon jungles of Brazil and surrounding countries. WCWC calls out for awareness and participation in preserving not only these rich rainforests, but the First Nations who call these forests their home.

Canadians vow to help save the Amazon rainforest

Wilderness Committee Educational Report Vol.08 - No.04 Spring, 1989

Brazil treats natives as aliens

Facing down the soldiers, Kayapo warriors await the court's decision on charges against chiefs Paiakan and Kube-i in Belem. The chiefs were charged as "aliens" interfering in Brazil's affairs after returning home from a trip to Washington, D.C. where they sought support to stop the dams.

In January of 1988, Chief Paiakan and Chief Kube-i of the Kayapo and American-born ethnobotanist Darrel Posey travelled to a tropical rainforest conference in Miami. Their goal was to expose the terrible effort of Brazil's massive development projects on the Amazonian natives and ecology.

Because Brazil had applied to the World Bank for a $500-million loan to finance a series of dams which would flood their rainforest homeland, the chiefs travelled to Washington, D.C. to meet directly with bank officials, U.S. senators, and congressmen.

On their return to Brazil the three were charged under a law which forbids "aliens" from interfering in Brazil's affairs or denigrating her image abroad.

Nervous of the fierce Kayapo, Brazilian authorities sent armed soldiers to line the perimeter of the Belem courthouse. At 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 14, 1988, buses arrived for the trial carrying 250 Kayapo warriors in characteristic black and red body paint and colourful parrot-feather headdresses and armbands.

The natives filled the street, chanting and dancing information. After shaking hands with the soldiers, the warriors lined up opposite them--arms folded in a display of total fearlessness.

Paiakan and Kube-i were stopped as they entered the courthouse in formal ceremonial attire. Told they were semi-nude and accused of "lack of respect", the two chiefs were banned from entering the courtroom until they changed to "Brazilian clothing".

Paiakan and Kube-i told the officials that they would give the court 10 minutes to change its mind. When the time had run out the Kayapo disappeared quietly, leaving word that the court could contact them in the forest. Last month, the week before the Altamira conference, the charges against the three were dropped.