On Wednesday 16 September 2020, a group of French environmental organisations addressed a tribune to the French President. They are opposed to the free trade agreement between the European Union and the MERCOSUR countries which would have devastating impacts on ecosystems and human rights in South America.

One of the consequences would be the impact on indigenous peoples

According to the study conducted by Greenpeace and CCFD-Terre Solidaire, these communities, already threatened by the expansion of industrial agriculture, fear the redrawing of their territorial borders. In Brazil, for example, the Pastoral Land Commission recorded 160 illegal invasions of indigenous territories in the first months of this year, three times as many as in 2015. In addition, Brazilian President Bolsonaro has submitted a bill to Congress authorising the exploitation of indigenous lands by the mining and agricultural sectors. 

In other words, indigenous peoples are the first victims of capitalism.

According to the GITPA (International Work Group for Indigenous Peoples) report, indigenous peoples face discrimination and political and territorial marginalisation that impacts their decision-making power. This results in a violation of their rights. En Tanzanie, par exemple, les pasteurs et pêcheurs de Barabaig et Maasai ont été expulsés de plusieurs villages en juillet 2019, et 300 maisons ont été brûlées. On peut également citer des cas similaires en Indonésie.

In this context, women are doubly victimized. They are still too often excluded from decision-making processes. This is sometimes compounded by limited access to education, land ownership, and a tendency to be victims of violence, as indicated in a GITPA report. The latter mentions dozens of cases of violence against indigenous women reported in Bangladesh in 2019.

At the same time, some women have found themselves in the front line in the fight against extractivism. Their commitments and actions show us the way to a more just and sustainable world. Some are now participating in international meetings on the defence of human and environmental rights. Last January, many of them came out in support of the Piaraçu Manifesto, initiated by Chief Raoni, in favour of environmental protection and the right to survival of these indigenous tribes. Women like Patricia Gualinga, some of whom have become true ambassadors for the rights of nature in the Amazon.

Her portrait and the documentary on the Voice of Nature can be found on Native Women Voice.

Photo credit: Misha Vallejo