Endangered Amazon tribe featured in the UK Sunday Times

2009-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

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The <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a>, a small and remote tribe living in the Brazilian Amazon, is featured in an article in the Sunday Times Magazine by the journalist Christina Lamb. Lamb visited the Enawene Nawe and heard first hand about their struggle to stop a massive complex of hydroelectric dams from being built on the Juruena river which flows through their land. ‘The Tribe that stood their ground’ was published to mark Survival International's 40th anniversary. In 1969, the Sunday Times Magazine shocked the world when it published Norman Lewis’s article ‘Genocide’. Lewis traveled to Brazil in1968 where he reported on the extinction of hundreds of tribes and atrocities committed against those who had survived. His report galvanised a small group of concerned individuals who had first hand experience of living with tribal peoples and who wanted to help them. A year later, they founded Survival International. The Enawene Nawe tell Lamb how they occupied and shut down the building site of a hydroelectric dam last October. ‘Our idea was that by doing this everyone will know what the government is up to and it will be forced to act,’ says Daliyamese Enawene Nawe. In a letter to the UN, the Enawene Nawe denounce the dams saying, 'We don’t want the dams dirtying our water, killing our fish, invading our lands.’ The tribe does not eat red meat and relies mostly on fish for their diet. Their spiritual life revolves around the fishing rituals that take place throughout the year. The article exposes the conflict of interest arising from the fact that the state governor, who issues licences for dam building, is building some of the dams to benefit his soya company, the largest in the world. A public prosecutor in Brazil, Mário Lucio Avelar, says, ‘There is no way these dams should be going ahead… Our own laws are not being complied with…I fear within the next 10-15 years the Enawene Nawe will lose their culture of hundreds of years.’ <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5716227.ece">Read Christina Lamb's article</a>.

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Enawene Nawe man with basket for carrying fish and garden produce.

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2009-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

The Enawene Nawe, a small and remote tribe living in the Brazilian Amazon, is featured in an article in the Sunday Times Magazine by the journalist Christina Lamb.

Endangered Amazon tribe featured in the UK Sunday Times

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2009-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

Brazil: Dam workers attack Enawene Nawe Indians

2008-12-16T00:00:00+00:00

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Hydroelectric dam workers have attacked a group of <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a> Indians who were fishing near a dam building site last week.   Enawene Nawe spokesman Daliamase said the workers made the four Indians, two adults and two children, lie on the ground. They then threatened them, beat them with sticks and forced guns into their mouths. The workers only released the Indians much later when policemen put an end to the ordeal. The Enawene Nawe children were visibly frightened.   A representative from the company building the dam has denied that the workers had acted aggressively, and claimed that the Indians had attempted to enter the site without permission.   Over 70 dams are to be built on the River Juruena, which flows through the Enawene Nawe’s land. The dams will pollute the water and stop the fish reaching their spawning grounds. Fish are crucial to the Enawene Nawe’s diet as they do not eat red meat. Fish also play a vital part in the tribe’s rituals.   In October, the Enawene Nawe occupied and shut down the same dam site, in an attempt to protect the water and fish they rely on.Read more about the impact of dams on tribal peoples, <a href="../../../../../about/dams">in English</a> or <a href="../../../../../informacao/barragens">in Portuguese</a>.

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Enawene Nawe man

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Hydroelectric dam workers have attacked a group of Enawene Nawe Indians who were fishing near a dam building site last week.

Dam workers attack Enawene Nawe Indians

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2008-12-16T12:25:46+00:00

Brazil: Amazon tribe’s protest shuts down dam site

2008-10-13T01:00:00+01:00

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Indians from the <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a> tribe in the Brazilian Amazon occupied and shut down the site of a huge "hydroelectric dam":/about/dams on Saturday, destroying equipment, in an attempt to save the river that runs through their land. The Enawene Nawe say the 77 dams to be built on the River Juruena will pollute the water and stop the fish reaching their spawning grounds. Fish is crucial to the Enawene Nawe’s diet as they do not eat red meat. It also plays a vital part in their rituals. ‘If the fish get sick and die so will the Enawene Nawe,’ said one member of the tribe. Companies led by the world’s largest soya producers, the Maggi family, are pushing for the construction of the dams. Soya baron Blairo Maggi is also the governor of Mato Grosso state. The Enawene Nawe number only five hundred, and live in one village in large communal houses around a central square. They were first contacted in 1974 by Jesuit missionaries. They chose for many years to have very little interaction with the outside world, but threats to their land have led them to campaign vigorously for their rights. Survival campaigner Fiona Watson, who recently visited the Enawene Nawe, is available for interview. For more information please contact Miriam Ross at Survival International (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or (+44) (0)7504 543 367 or email <a href="mailto:mr@survival-international.org">mr@survival-international.org</a> <h3>» Photos of the Enawene Nawe protest (Low res image gallery)</h3> <div> <a rel="image" href="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-04.jpg" title="Photo of the Enawene Nawe protest in which members of the tribe occupied and shut down the site of a huge hydroelectric dam, Telegráfica. © www.24horasnews.com.br" class="lightview"><img style="border: 1px solid #444444" src="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-04.jpg" alt="" width="90" height="57" /></a> <a rel="image" href="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-12.jpg" title="Photo of the Enawene Nawe protest in which members of the tribe occupied and shut down the site of a huge hydroelectric dam, Telegráfica. © www.24horasnews.com.br" class="lightview"><img style="border: 1px solid #444444" src="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-12.jpg" alt="" width="90" height="57" /></a> <a rel="image" href="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-13.jpg" title="Photo of the Enawene Nawe protest in which members of the tribe occupied and shut down the site of a huge hydroelectric dam, Telegráfica. © www.24horasnews.com.br" class="lightview"><img style="border: 1px solid #444444" src="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-13.jpg" alt="" width="90" height="57" /></a> <a rel="image" href="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-20.jpg" title="Photo of the Enawene Nawe protest in which members of the tribe occupied and shut down the site of a huge hydroelectric dam, Telegráfica. © www.24horasnews.com.br" class="lightview"><img style="border: 1px solid #444444" src="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-20.jpg" alt="" width="90" height="57" /></a> <a rel="image" href="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-33.jpg" title="Photo of the Enawene Nawe protest in which members of the tribe occupied and shut down the site of a huge hydroelectric dam, Telegráfica. © www.24horasnews.com.br" class="lightview"><img style="border: 1px solid #444444" src="../../../../../lib/img/gallery/User_Galleries/news/original/BRAZ-NAWE-24hrcom-33.jpg" alt="" width="90" height="57" /></a>  </div>

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2008-10-13T01:00:00+01:00

Indians from the Enawene Nawe tribe in the Brazilian Amazon occupied and shut down the site of a huge hydroelectric dam on Saturday, destroying equipment, in an attempt to save the river that runs through their land.

Amazon tribe’s protest shuts down dam site

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2008-10-13T12:06:19+01:00

Brazil: Enawene Nawe Indians mount blockade

2008-05-23T01:00:00+01:00

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Indians from the Enawene Nawe tribe mounted a blockade of a road bridge in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso on 18 May, to protest against a complex of dams to be built upriver from their land. The blockade was lifted five days later when government officials promised to meet with them to discuss their concerns. The Mato Grosso state government plans to build the hydroelectric dams on the river Juruena. Companies led by the world’s largest soya producers, the Maggi family, are pushing for the construction of the dams. But the Enawene Nawe, who eat no red meat, say that if the dams are built, the fish they rely on will no longer be able to reach their spawning grounds. The Enawene Nawe mounted the blockade alongside several other Amazon tribes - the Rikbaktsa, Cinta Larga, Arara, Mynky, Irantxe, Kayabi, Apiaka and Munduruku. The Indians are also demanding compensation for dam projects already under construction on indigenous land, and improvements to the health service the government provides to indigenous peoples in the region.

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2008-05-23T01:00:00+01:00

Indians from the Enawene Nawe tribe mounted a blockade of a road bridge in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso on Sunday, to protest against a complex of dams to be built upriver from their land.

Enawene Nawe Indians mount blockade

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2008-05-23T18:31:12+01:00

Brazil: Enawene Nawe Indians win right to fish

2008-04-01T01:00:00+01:00

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A Brazilian judge has affirmed that the <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a> Indians have the right to fish on the Rio Preto, their most important fishing river. The ruling comes after local cattle ranchers obtained an injunction last year banning the Indians from building fishing camps and dams across the river in order to trap fish. The Enawene Nawe went to court to contest the injunction. In his ruling, the judge recognised that the Rio Preto in the state of Mato Grosso is, ‘both an area of religious significance and a source of food for all the indigenous community in the Enawene Nawe territory.’ An Enawene Nawe representative told Survival last week that the tribe welcomes the ruling and that all is now peaceful in the area. Every year the Enawene Nawe travel by boat to the Rio Preto to build wooden dams and temporary fishing camps, where they live for several months trapping and smoking fish. This activity is part of an annual ritual called ‘yankwa’ where foods are exchanged to placate the ‘yakairiti’ spirits. Enawene Nawe elder Kawari explains, ‘All this land [the Rio Preto area] belongs to the yakairiti - our ancestral spirits. They own the rivers, the fish and the trees. If you finish these off, the yakairiti will take vengeance and will kill all the Enawene Nawe.’   The Enawene Nawe have been lobbying the Brazilian government to recognize their ownership of this area because of its huge economic and ritual importance to them - it is rich in fish, nuts and genipapo fruit. In the last decade, cattle ranchers have progressively invaded and deforested the land. Some have used violent and intimidating tactics, such as burning down fishing camps, in an attempt to force the Indians to leave the area.

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A Brazilian judge has affirmed that the Enawene Nawe Indians have the right to fish on the Rio Preto, their most important fishing river.

Enawene Nawe Indians win right to fish

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2008-04-01T15:51:33+01:00

Ranchers threaten Enawene Nawe Indians

2008-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

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A group of armed men have walked into an <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a> fishing camp in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, and threatened the Indians with reprisals unless they leave. When the Indians asked who they were, two said they were policemen. The others identified themselves as landowners from the area. Lalowalohiene, one of the Enawene Nawe present, said, ‘We heard the sounds of gunshots. They fired lots of shots. I asked, why do you have revolvers? We are not bandits. We Enawene are just fishing on the river for our ritual that’s all.’ As is customary, there were children at the fishing dam, participating in the ritual known as ‘yankwa’ where the Enawene Nawe spend several months in fishing camps trapping and smoking fish before returning to their village. Kameroseene Enawene Nawe said, ‘How can they show guns to our children? This is very wrong. We are all sad.’ The fishing camp is in an area known as Rio Preto. The Enawene Nawe have been lobbying the Brazilian government to recognize their ownership of this area, which is of huge economic and ritual importance to them because it is rich in fish, nuts and genipapo fruit. However, a group of landowners, who are progressively invading and logging the area, obtained a court injunction last year preventing the Enawene Nawe from building their fishing camps there. A judge is due to rule on the legality of the injunction. A group of Enawene Nawe has travelled to the state capital Cuiabá to meet with public prosecutors and the government’s Indian Affairs department, FUNAI, to ask them to take action against the landowners and to uphold their right to fish on the rivers.

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2008-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

A group of armed men have walked into an Enawene Nawe fishing camp in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, and threatened the Indians with reprisals unless they leave.

Ranchers threaten Enawene Nawe Indians

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2008-03-17T11:12:18+00:00

Brazil: Amazon Indians end blockade

2007-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

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The <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a> Indians ended their protest at the site of a planned hydroelectric dam on Tuesday. The Indians had <a href="../../../../../news/2710">blockaded the construction site</a> of the dam in the Brazilian Amazon, and a local highway, for nearly a week. They want to stop the construction of a complex of hydroelectric dams being built on the Juruena river, upstream from their land.

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The Enawene Nawe Indians ended their protest at the site of a planned hydroelectric dam on Tuesday.

Amazon Indians end blockade

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2007-12-14T11:03:45+00:00

Brazil: Amazon Indians blockade dam site

2007-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

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The remote <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a> tribe have blockaded the construction site of a hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon, which they say will destroy their vital fishing grounds. Around 100 members of the 420-strong tribe occupied the building site and a nearby highway on Thursday. They want to stop the construction of a complex of hydroelectric dams being built on the Juruena river, upstream from their land. Companies led by the world’s largest soya producers, the Maggi family, are pushing for the construction of the dams. But the Enawene Nawe, who eat no red meat, say that if the dams are built, the fish they rely on will no longer be able to reach their spawning grounds. The Enawene Nawe say they have not been consulted about the dams. They are demanding an independent study into the impact they will have. A <a href="../../../../../news/2470">previous blockade</a> of a major highway in June led the government to negotiate with the Indians, but plans for construction of the dams continued.

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The remote Enawene Nawe tribe have blockaded the construction site of a hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon, which they say will destroy their vital fishing grounds.

Amazon Indians blockade dam site

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2007-12-14T10:43:21+00:00

Brazil: Enawene Nawe village burned to the ground

2007-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

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The village of the remote <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a> tribe in Brazil has burned to the ground in a fire, leaving them to rebuild their homes from scratch. The fire spread by accident from a small cooking fire. It destroyed all the Enawene Nawe’s large communal houses, which are made from straw and wood, and all their possessions including their hammocks and metal cooking pots. Three people were taken to hospital with injuries, and are recovering. Survival is supporting the Enawene Nawe in their struggle to prevent a series of hydroelectric dams from being built along the Juruena River which runs through their land. They are also campaigning for the Brazilian government to recognise their vital fishing grounds, before they are completely destroyed by deforestation and cattle ranching The entire Enawene Nawe population of around 500 people live together in one village, called Halataikwa, in the state of Mato Grosso. They are famed for their fishing techniques, and unlike most Amazonian Indians, they eat no red meat. The local Brazilian organisation, OPAN, and Survival are helping the Enawene Nawe to rebuild their village. If you would like to make a donation please contact <a href="mailto:info@survival-international.org">info@survival-international.org</a>

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The village of the remote Enawene Nawe tribe in Brazil has burned to the ground in a fire, leaving them to rebuild their homes from scratch.

Enawene Nawe village burned to the ground

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2007-11-02T12:09:33+00:00

Brazil: Enawene Nawe blockade succeeds

2007-06-29T06:00:00+01:00

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The Brazilian government has agreed to several key demands of the <a href="../../../../../tribes/enawenenawe">Enawene Nawe</a> Indians after they blockaded a major highway. The government's Indian agency, FUNAI, will survey lands claimed by the Enawene Nawe and other tribes, with the aim of officially recognising the areas as indigenous. For three days in May, the Enawene Nawe, a small and remote Amazon tribe, erected barricades in Mato Grosso state to protest against plans to build a series of hydroelectric dams along the Juruena river. They were also demanding the official recognition of their vital fishing waters in the Rio Preto area, which are being rapidly destroyed by cattle ranchers. Neighbouring tribes joined the protest in support of the Enawene Nawe's demands, swelling the number of protestors to 200. The government responded quickly by dispatching officials to negotiate with the Indians on the barricade. It agreed to pay for representatives of various tribes in Mato Grosso to travel to Brasília to meet with the President of FUNAI. Despite the recent concessions, however, the dams still look set to go ahead. For previous news on the blockades go to: <a href="../../../../../news/2459">http://www.survival-international.org/news/2459</a>

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2007-06-29T06:00:00+01:00

The Brazilian government has agreed to several key demands of the Enawene Nawe Indians after they blockaded a major highway. The government's Indian agency, FUNAI, will survey lands claimed by the Enawene Nawe and other tribes, with the aim of officially

Enawene Nawe blockade succeeds

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2007-06-29T11:29:35+01:00