· October, 2012

Stories about Indigenous from October, 2012

Brazil: Wikileaks Reveals Officials’ Disdain Towards the Guarani Kaiowá

  30 October 2012

Brazilian investigative journalism website Pública reports [pt] on documents leaked by WikiLeaks on the plight of the request for land of the indigenous Guarani-Kaiowá. A cable from 2009 reveals disdain by local authorities from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul towards Guarani-Kaiowá's demands for the demarcation of the lands...

Guatemala: Soldiers Arrested Over Totonicapán Killings

  23 October 2012

Blogger Nic Wirtz says that the arrest of eight soldiers after the clashes in Totonicapán -which left at least 8 indigenous protestors dead- is “the first test of Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina's mano dura (iron fist) approach to restoring law and order.”

Brazil: Guarani Kaiowá say they will resist together to death

  23 October 2012

Brazilian bloggers and even mainstream media are reacting to a letter by an indigenous Guarani Kaiowá community that claims to have lost all hope, promising a mass resistance to death of 170 men, women and children, if an eviction order goes forward. Global Voices reported in 2011 and 2010 on ongoing...

Argentina: Guarani Leader Wins International Rural Women's Day Prize

  15 October 2012

Fionuala Cregan reports that Matilde Lucio, an indigenous leader in a Guarani community in Jujuy, in northern Argentina, “will be awarded one of 10 international prizes for her creativity in rural life” on October 15, International Day of Rural Women. Read more about Matilde and her story in Upside Down World.

Japan: “Global Noise” Against the IMF

  14 October 2012

In Japan, a series of actions to protest against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings are being called for by Global Noise Tokyo and @OccupyTokyoJp on October 13, 2012. More about Global Noise around the world can be found here.

Guatemala: Petition Demands Justice for Totonicapán Victims

  12 October 2012

The Guatemala Human Rights Commission has released a petition [en, es] to “demand justice for the massacre in Totonicapán, Guatemala,” where 8 were killed and more than 35 injured when combined armed forces violently removed indigenous demonstrators from Cuatro Caminos, a well-known road intersection in Guatemala. With the pain of...

Ukraine: “The Babushkas of Chernobyl” Documentary Project

  11 October 2012

On Kickstarter.com, only a few hours are left to pledge funding for The Babushkas of Chernobyl, a documentary project by Holly Morris and Anne Bogart, which tells stories of “an extraordinary group of women who live in Chernobyl’s post-nuclear disaster ‘Zone of Alienation’ or ‘Dead Zone'”: Time really is of...

Brazil: Speaking Out About Hydroelectric Plants and the Amazon

  9 October 2012

Last week we published the first part of an interview with Sany Kalapalo, a young indigenous woman from Xingu and one of the most active voices in the mobilization against the construction of the Belo Monte power plant. In the second part of the interview, Sany focuses on hydroelectric power plants, indigenous people and Brazil's development.

Chile: Mapuche Prisoners on Hunger Strike for Over 40 Days

  8 October 2012

The hunger strike has now surpassed 40 days and, according to a spokesperson for the prisoners, the men have deteriorated physically and are experiencing symptoms of insomnia, cramps and muscle aches. The purpose of the hunger strike is, among other things, to draw attention to the Chilean government’s use of...

Taiwan: Indigenous Amis Musical Performed at National Theater

  8 October 2012

Indigenous culture has become more and more important in the Taiwanese performing arts scene. The recent Amis musical, “La Michael”, has entered the National Theater, a primary national performing arts venue in Taiwan and a landmark at the center of the Taipei city.

Bangladesh: Ramu Attacks – A National Shame

  6 October 2012

Recently religious extremists attacked Bangladesh Buddhist temples and households on charges of the desecration of the Quran. People have protested against these attacks all over the country and Facebook, blogs and online media are filled with messages condemning the attack.

Guatemala: 7 Indigenous Protesters Killed in Totonicapán

  5 October 2012

At least 7 civilians were killed on October 4 when combined armed forces violently removed indigenous demonstrators from Cuatro Caminos, a well-known road intersection in Guatemala. Demonstrators were protesting the rising price of electricity, and the education and constitutional reforms proposed by the government.

The United States: Structural Violence on the Global Frontier

  3 October 2012

La Asociación de Estudiantes Latinos y Latinoamericanos (AELLA) del Graduate Center, City University of New York los invita a participar en la conferencia gratuita "Violencia estructural en la frontera global: Centroamerica, México y Estados Unidos", la cual se celebrará el próximo 4, 5 y 6 de octubre del 2012 en John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The Graduate Center, CUNY y St. Mary's Church, respectivamente. Las repercusiones de las políticas agresivas anti-migratorias, las deportaciones, los desaparecidos, las amenazas y la inseguridad que atenta contra las vidas de los miles de migrantes son algunos de los temas que se discutirán durante los tres días repletos de actividades. La conferencia será transmitida en vivo en el portal de Asuntos del Sur: www.asuntosdelsur.org. Para más información escriban a aella.gradcenter@gmail.com.

Brazil: Sany Kalapalo – Young, Indigenous and a Xingu Activist

  2 October 2012

Sany Kalapalo, a young indigenous from the Xingu region, is only 22 years old and is one of the more active voices against the construction of Belo Monte hydroelectric powerplant, in the Xingu river, in the Brazilian state of Pará. Meet her in the first part of this interview she gave to Global Voices Online.

Honduras: Charter Cities Threaten Garífuna Communities

  2 October 2012

The government of Porfirio Lobo recently signed an agreement to implement a variant of Charter Cities, called Special Development Regions (REDs), in Honduras. REDs can only be implemented in uninhabited land; in the case of Honduras, however, 24 Garífuna communities could be removed from their territory if the project continues its agreed course.