Category Archives: News

Annual report 2021

Blumenthal, January 2022

 

Dear Yanomami friendes,

School lectures in France

School lectures in France

this time you’ll get the annual report before I take off to Brazil in a few days for a 2 – 3 months trip to meet the Yanomamis in the Amazone region of Roraima.
Due to the continuous Corona Pandemic I was hardly able to do any lectures in German schools. All of my lectures I had organized for the autumn in Bavaria had to be cancelled because of the high incidenes. Very, very regrettable!

So instead I was able in October to do quite a few lectures in France in some schools which had been organized by Anne Ballester in her hometown of Ecommoy near Le Mans. The interest of the French pupils was really huge. After lectures I had to answer a lot of questions. And all that in French! It was quite a challenge for me.

Public relations with Anna Ballester in Ecommoy

Public relations with Anna Ballester in Ecommoy

Anna Ballester had prepared a Yanomami exhibition of 200 pictures in the cultural center of Ecommoy . Together with the press and the local TV we were able to really pin-point the threatening situation of the Yanomamis in the Amazonas region. In the end Anna and myself held a speech in front of a lot of spectators in the townhall of Ecommoy.

Because of the Corona pandemic I wasn’t able to visit the Yanomamis duringlast year. In the jungle metropolis Manaus the pandemic had been underestimated and gotten out of control. In the beginning of January the health-system collapsed completely so Mamaus became a proper Corona hotspot. Scores of patients died in the hospitals in the ICU’s (intensive care unit) due to insufficient oxygen supply.

Meetings with the Yanomamis

Meeting of the Yanomami of the Rio Marauia

Meeting of the Yanomamis of the Rio Marauia

In October 2021 we supported with our Yanomami-Hilfe association a large meeting of the local inhabitants at the river of Marauia. Many Yanomamis of various villages gathered for a few days to exchange views and discuss problems in order to find solutions.

These meetings are very important for the Yanomamis to see themselves as one large group and to realize: together they have to stick up for their rights.

A few month ago some members of the scientific foundation Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) were refused entrance into the Yanomami region by the FUNAI (official Indian protection authority) . They refered to an order from March 2020 which implies indigenous regions may only be entered in case of greatest emergency. But malnutrition, Malaria and (last but not least) Corona worsen the situation of the Yanomamis increasingly.

A new gold digger invasion and Corona threaten the Yanomami

At the end of last year the 2nd forum of the Yanomamis and Ye`kwana took place in Boa Vista. A catalogue of demands was  established and handed over to the appropriate ministries and institutions. Demands were amongst others regualr nedical care by docotors who knew about their traditions and ways of their lifes. Also a test of their waters – lakes and rivers alike – was demanded because of the gold diggers in their region. They use highly poisonos mercury with their work.

Golddiggers and now Corona on top of it in Yanomami region.

According to ISA ( social ecological institute) less than 5 % of the Yanomami in Brazil are vaccinated. A large part of them don’t trust the vaccine. They demand increasingly to get all dold diggers out of their region. Not only do they destroy the jungle but also bring malaria and now Corona on top of it into their region. Now they expect us to protect ourselves with a vaccine we don’t even trust?

Since June last year the Yanomami-organisation Hutukara demanded the removal of thousends of illegal gold diggers working on their terretory and transmitting those deseases. Illegal pits are clearly the source of Covid 19 infections. The campaingn #MinersOut CovidOut# started by Yanomamis and Ye`kwana and being supported by Brazilian and international allies has collected more than 410.000 signatures supporting this “war”.

Yanomami and Ye'quana launch a campaign together

Yanomami and Ye’quana launch a campaign together

“We ask urgently for the removal of the invaders form our land. We want to hand over this document to the Brazilian authorities. It is an instrument to denounce the problem with the invasion of gold diggers, the contamination of the environment including our rivers and contamination through diseases like this epidemic,” says Dário Kopenawa Yanomami, Vice president of Hutukara.

The report doesn’t just blame the current lack of control of the Corona pandemic in Yanomami territory, it also shows how it developed in the region. Many Yanomamis were weakend before the outbreak of Corona by diseases like malaria which fourfolded during the last 5 years. Thus strained already makes them far more susceptible for any furhter virus infection.

Our Yanomami office in Blumenthal

In the last year our colleague and bookkeeper for many years Maren Doobe left us. She debited the fees of our members. Dear Maren, thanks a lot for your year-long and always reliable office work!
This work now is being done by Eva Piest, a longstanding friend and teacher in the community school of Nortorf, a neighbour village.


In appreciation to all our Yanomami friends and donors

Maren Doobe is leaving our Yanomami office

Maren Doobe is leaving our Yanomami office

Regretably there wasn’t any beneficial event of any kind in favour of the Yanomami during last year. Corona is ruling our lives for more than 2 Years now.  For your further support in aid of the Yanomamis I’m really, really gratefull!

For the support of our Yanomami work I’d like to specifically thank:

Foundation, companies, theaters and organizations
Bündnis mit Indianern Südamerikas e.V. aus Eggenfelden
Eneratio Ingenieurbüro GBR aus Hamburg
Kath. Pfarrkirchenstiftung St. Martinus Mehring
Landschaft und Siedlung AG
Lebensraum-Regenwald e.V. von Roland Zeh
Oswald-Stiftung aus Pfarrkirchen
Schauspielhaus Zürich AG
TAC-Verlag Karl Wenning
Wortwechsel Verlag GmbH, Ulrike Steffen

Individual donors and supporters

Marion and Herbert celebrated their birthday in favor of the Yanomami

Marion and Herbert celebrated their birthday in favor of the Yanomami

Perihan Atug, Johannes Barthel, Wolfgang Baumüller, Maria Benkert, Kerstin Bensch, Martina Berger, Kathrin Beutin, Dr. Bernd Jürgen und Simone Bundschuh, Richard Borggrewe, Hans Bornefeld, Petra und Jörg Bonin, Friedhilde und Rolf Brandt, Rudolf Brunner, Hartmut Bunjes, Jörg Franz-Josef Danne, Birgit Kuhlmann-Deutz und Joachim Deutz, Andrea Fischer-Bickert, Monika Maria Gernert, Marwin Leon Szmula Gonzalez, Diane Granitz, Christian Griebl, Gerhard Haverkamp, Anna Hegele, Inge Heier, Angelika Heinsen, Jan Henselder, Sinje Kätsch, Stefan Kiehl, Monika Kienass, Karen Knutzen-Mies und Herbert Mies, Henning Köhlert, Bettina Kolm, Andrea Konopka, Christhard Kotte, Dagmar Kuhnhenn, Anna Kühl, Anneliese Lauscher, Maria Ester Gonzalez Losada, Alexander Mater, Christoph Maurer, Matthias Merget, Hermine Mittermeier, Andrea Moser, David Muchau, Kirsten Nehberg, Andreas Niepage, Wolfgang Nottmeier, Dagmar Olsen und Dietmar Volkers, Jens und Anna Otto,Thorsten Pagalies, Markus Pfeifer, Christiane Pieper, Ricarda Quick, Norbert Reis, Manfred und Ingrid Reithofer, Anne-Katrin Roever-Plagmann, Nadjy Python, Gisela Schmieder, Ellen Schröter, Alessandro Rocco Silvestri und Fatima Christina Elisabeth, Dr. Alexander Spaar, Joachim Stachelscheid, Dr. Florian Steiner, Marion Strauss-Barthel und Herbert Barthel, Kerstin Struck, Gabriele Sutor-Krüger, Monika Theissing, Rosario Luz Mendivil Trelles, Cornelia Edith Vettel, Ulrich Wandt, Gundula, Sophie und Thilo Weber, Franz Wetzl, Irina Wiessner, Sabine Willmann, Roger Windrich, Angelika Winkler, Wolfgang Zierke, Beate Ziethen

My plan for 2022
In February I’d like to meet Davi Kopenawa Yanomami of the Hutukara organisation in Boa Vista. For his entiring work in 2019 he receibed the Alternative Nobel Price in Stockholm! He will give me detailed comprehensive informationabout the situation of the Yanomami region. With the Yanomami-Hilfe e.V. and another foundation we’d like to further support his political work. Together we’ll discuss the current necessities and possibilities as far as help is concerned in the Yanomami region.

We have been friends for 30 years. Davi Kopenawa and Christina Haverkamp

We have been friends for 30 years. Davi Kopenawa and Christina Haverkamp

Furthermore I hope we’ll be able to renovate our 2nd hospital in Papiu Kayaman completely.
For that purpose I’d need a lumberjack, 2 craftmen and the possibility to fly by bush’ aero-plane from the ministry of health into the Yanomami region to Papiu. Wether this is possible in time of Corona I won’t know until I get to Boa Vista. With the pandemic world wide there’s no sage planning. I’ll here to just take it easy, whick really isn’t easy for me at all.

Many thanks for your reliable and generous support!
I’m looking forward to meet with the Yanomami again.
Until soon, hasta luego

Christina Haverkamp

Translator: Ferdinand Guttenberg

Speech with appeal from Davi Kopenawa Yanomami

3. Januar 2022

Wir sind sehr besorgt, traurig und wütend. 2021 war ein sehr schlechtes Jahr für die indigenen Völker. Im Yanomami-Land nahmen Xawaras (Krankheiten) und auch die Zahl der Eindringlinge zu. Es gibt mehr als 20.000 Goldsucher, die jeden Tag unsere Gemeinden zerstören, um Gold zu gewinnen und leichtes Geld zu verdienen. Wohin sie auch gehen, hinterlassen sie eine Spur der Zerstörung, der Gewalt, der Drogen, der Prostitution und des Todes.
Im Jahr 2022 wird die Invasion fortgesetzt. Präsident Bolsonaro unternimmt keine Schritte, um die Goldsucher zu vertreiben. Er will sie da nicht rausholen – ganz im Gegenteil!

Davi Kopenawa

Davi Kopenawa

Ich bin ein Schamane und ich bin nicht allein. Nur Schamanen kennen die Vision von der Zukunft Brasiliens und der Welt. Der Tɨtɨri (Geist des Waldes) kommuniziert mit den Schamanen. Wir sind mit dem Land und dem Wald verbunden. Wir alle, Menschen des Planeten, werden leiden, da wir bereits leiden. Unsere Welt, der Planet Erde, ist sehr bedroht.

Tausende Menschen sind bereits an der Krankheit Krukuri sɨkɨ wai (Covid-19) gestorben. Die Nicht-Indigenen in der Stadt denken, dass sie nicht krank werden, aber sie werden es. Umweltverschmutzung bringt die bereits weit verbreitete Xawara in den Wald und ins Meer. Die Welt ist voller Probleme.

Die Stadtbewohner denken, dass der Planet in Ordnung ist, aber tief im Inneren wissen diejenigen von uns, die mit Tɨtɨri sprechen, dass es nicht so ist. Der Planet Erde schreit und bittet um Hilfe, damit der Wald geschützt wird. Die Stadtbewohner können den Hilferuf von Mutter Erde nicht hören.

Wir müssen den Planeten Erde in Ruhe lassen, weil er große Schmerzen hat. Das verlangt er auch von mir und ich sehe und höre dieses Leiden. Ich bin besorgt. Wir wissen nicht, wie wir die Lunge der Erde heilen sollen. Wir haben kein Heilmittel. Wir Yanomami und Nicht-Indigene müssen die Erde gemeinsam heilen. Ich bin eine kleine Ameise, trage meinen Teil bei und kümmere mich um meine Menschen. Das ist meine Rolle.

Deshalb verkünde ich der ganzen Welt, was im Yanomami-Land passiert. Wenn die Eindringlinge nicht entfernt werden, wird das Leiden noch schlimmer! An der Spitze des Apiaú-Flusses, wo es angeblich viel Gold gibt, ist die Heimat meiner Moxihatëtëma-Verwandten, der isolierten Indianer, wie Nicht-Indigene sie nennen. Sie können sich nicht verteidigen. Sie kennen die Goldsucher nicht, sie wissen nicht einmal, dass es Gold gibt. Ich mache mir große Sorgen um sie. Sesai, die Gesundheitsbehörde für indigene Völker, kümmert sich nicht um die Yanomami und Ye’kwana. Deshalb bin ich hixiu (wütend).

In Homoxi ist die Situation schlecht und wird immer schlimmer. Dort wurde bereits 1986 und 1991 Goldabbau betrieben, jetzt ist er noch stärker zurückgekommen. In Xitei haben die Goldsucher viel abgeholzt, laut Experten hat die Abholzung zwischen Dezember 2020 und September dieses Jahres um 1000 % zugenommen.
Jeder, der illegal Gold kauft, ist auch ein Goldschürfer. Die Besitzer der Geschäfte, die Gold kaufen und verkaufen, sind ebenfalls in dieses Verbrechen verwickelt. Flugzeugbesitzer und Piloten sind Kriminelle. Es ist ein Verbrechen, im Land der Yanomami und in allen anderen indigenen Gebieten Brasiliens Bergbau zu betreiben! Warum wird Artikel 231 der Verfassung, der für nicht-indigene Völker geschaffen wurde, nicht angewandt? Warum lassen die Behörden die Yanomami sterben?

Um das Jahr 2022 herum werde ich nur diejenigen beraten, die indigene Völker unterstützen. Ich werde die Regierung , die indigene Völker tötet, nicht beraten. Ich werde die kämpfenden Verwandten beraten, wie die Kayapó, Xavante, Tucano, Macuxi, Wapichana, Wamiri-Atroari, Munduruku, Ye’kwana und Yanomami – die Freunde der Waldvölker.
Lassen Sie uns gemeinsam weitergehen, gemeinsam kämpfen, bis Präsident Bolsonaro die Macht verlässt. Ich werde abwarten, ob sich Ende des Jahres nach den nächsten Wahlen ein anderer Präsident um den Wald und Brasilien kümmert. Ich bin immer misstrauisch. Ich kenne bereits den Weg der Zivilisation. Aber ich werde weiterhin um Unterstützung bitten, um zu versuchen, unsere Natur, unsere Mutter Erde, zu retten.

Thank you for your continued support

Thank you for your continued support

Yanomami-Hilfe e.V., Hökerberg 1, 24241 Blumenthal, Telefon 0 43 47 – 70 81 34
E-Mail: office[at]yanomami-hilfe.de, Internet: www.yanomami-hilfe.de
Sparkasse Mittelholstein, IBAN DE 08 2145 0000 0003 3882 28

Declaration from Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon regarding the Yanomami Massacre

On the day of August 27th, 2012, gathered in the City of Puerto Ayacucho, we the Indigenous peoples and communities of the Venezuelan Amazon together as the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon (COIAM), made up of the Regional Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon (ORPIA), the Indigenous Organization United Piaroa of Sipapo (OIPUS), the Ye´kuana Organization of the Upper Ventuari (KUYUNU), the Indigenous Organization Jivi Kalievirrinae (OPIJKA), the Yanomami Organization (HORONAMI), the Organization of Indigenous Women of the Amazon (OMIDA), the Organization of Indigenous Huôttuja Communities of the Parhuaza Sector (OCIUSPA), the Association of Piaroa Teachers (Madoya Huarijja), the Piaroa Organization of Cataniapo “Reyö Aje”, the Indigenous Organization of the Negro River (UCIABYRN), the Piaroa Organization of Manapiare, the Ye´kuana Organization of the Upper Orinoco (KUYUJANI Originario), Yabarana Organization of Parucito (OIYAPAM), the Political Movement- Multi-Ethnic People United of the Amazon (PUAMA), make the following declaration in rejection of the most recent MASSACRE OF INDIGENOUS YANOMAMI PEOPLE which took place in the community of IROTATHERI, Municipality of Alto Orinoco, committed by illegal miners from Brazil. This information was shared by the survivors and witnesses during the month of August 2012:

  1. We stand in solidarity with the Yanomami People in Venezuela and their organization HORONAMI, who was victimized in the month of July 2012, due to the most RECENT MASSACRE IN THE COMMUNITY OF IROTATHERI, located in the headwaters of the Ocamo River, Municipality of Alto Orinoco. The area of the massacre is within the area of influence of various Yanomami communities such as; MOMOI, HOKOMAWE, USHISHIWE and TORAPIWEI, of which all have been attacked, assaulted and invaded by illegal miners from Brazil (GARIMPEIROS) during the last 4 years.
  2. We mourn this most recent violent attack against the Yanomami people that left an amount of dead that has not been completely determined but there are 3 survivors accounted for of approximately 80 Yanomami people who lived in the community Shapono in the Upper Ocamo. According to witness and survivor testimonies, Shapono was burnt and attacked with firearms and explosives. Witnesses and survivors were relocated to the community of Parima “B” between August 15th – 20th, 2012, where they informed of the tragic events to members of the organization HORONAMI, Venezuelan Authorities of the 52nd Brigade of the National Army and the Center for Investigation and Control of Tropical Diseases (CAICET).
  3. We express our preoccupation that as of the year 2009 various entities of the Venezuelan State have been informed about the presence of GARIMPEIROS in the Upper Ocamo and about the different aggressions that have perpetuated against the communities of MOMOI and HOKOMAWE. These communities have been victims of physical violence, threats, gender violence and contamination of their water from the use of mercury that has left a number of Yanomami dead. None the less NO MEASURES WERE TAKEN TO REMOVE THE GARIMPEIROS FROM THE AREA or to create and implement a control plan regarding their access and mobility in the region when there has been an known increase in illegal mining in all of the Brazilian Amazon.
  4. This situation does not only affect the rights to LIFE, PHYSICAL INTEGRITY AND HEALTH OF THE YANOMAMI PEOPLE, but also constitutes a new genocide and threat to the physical and cultural survival of the Yanomami. In this very moment when next year marks the 20th anniversary of the Massacre of HAXIMÚ in which 16 Yanomami women, children and elders were killed.
  5. We solicit the National Government and other entities of the Venezuelan State to immediately OPEN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, TO COME TO THE PLACE OF THE MASSACRE AND TO ADOPT BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH BRAZIL to control and watch the movement of garimpeiros in the Upper Ocamo, the place of the massacre and presence of Yanomami threatened by the uncontrolled actions of the garimpeiros. We remind that the failure to investigate and take the necessary measures as a result of the case of HAXIMÚ, could compromise the international responsibility of the Venezuelan State, for allowing foreign agents to attack Venezuelan nationals in their own territory.
  • Regional Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon (ORPIA)
  • Indigenous Organization United Piaroa of Sipapo (OIPUS)
  • Ye´kuana Organization of the Upper Ventuari (KUYUNU)
  • Indigenous Organization Jivi Kalievirrinae (OPIJKA)
  • Yanomami Organization (HORONAMI)
  • Organization of Indigenous Women of the Amazon (OMIDA)
  • Organization of Indigenous Huôttuja Communities of the Parhuaza Sector (OCIUSPA)
  • Association of Piaroa Teachers (Madoya Huarijja)
  • Piaroa Organization of Cataniapo “Reyö Aje”
  • Indigenous Organization of the Negro River (UCIABYRN)
  • Piaroa Organization of Manapiare
  • Ye´kuana Organization of the Upper Orinoco (KUYUJANI Originario)
  • Yabarana Organization of Parucito (OIYAPAM)
  • Political Movement- Multi-Ethnic People United of the Amazon (PUAMA)
  • José Gregorio Díaz Mirabal, Vice-Cordinator CONIVE
  • Guillermo Guevara (Indigenous Consituyent 1999)

Letter from Davi Yanomami Shaman (Hutukara) to the new Brazilian President Dilma Roussef

Exma. Presidenta do Brasil
Sra. Dilma Roussef
Ilmo. Secretário Nacional de Articulação Social Sr. Paulo Maldos
Secretaria Geral da Presidência da República

This year we Yanomami celebrate twenty years of the demarcation of our Indigenous Peoples Yanomami territory, and yet we are seriously concerned about the lack of effective action to protect us from the increasing presence of Brazilian miners that are working illegally in our territory in the states of Roraima and Amazonas, in Brazil, but also on the Venezuelan side. We do not only suffer from the growing invasion of gold miners, we also have to endure the presence of farmers within our Yanomami territory. The FUNAI has for two decades not removed the invading farmers in the eastern border of our territory in the region of Ajarani. The Yanomami land, where we live, is the home of one of the largest people of recent contact in South America. Since 1992 our territory was officially recognized and demarcated as Indigenous territory by the Brazilian government. The Brazilian Constitution and international instruments guarantee our right to our land and natural resources.

The existences of countless mines are causing negative environmental, social, economic and health impacts, endangering our lives and the forest (Urihi a). The miners are destroying our forests with their machines. The miners are trading weapons and ammunition with some Yanomami, encouraging conflict between our communities that result in deaths. We also have cases of serious diseases, like AIDS, that we fear the miners can spread in our communities.

Numerous documents have been submitted by our Yanomami Association Hutukara and our partner organizations requesting full and transparent investigation on the illegal mining activity. However, the Federal Police, so far, has not carried out intelligence work to identify and allow the condemnation of the mining business. Actions towards the withdrawal of miners have proven to be insufficient; even so they have been expensive. The complaints during the last four years led to some operations of the Federal Police and the Army, last year a few miners got removed and arrested, and some parts of the heavy mining machinery located within our territory where dismantled. Nevertheless, driven by the high gold value and the absence of additional measures necessary to thwart the illegal business, the presence of gold miners increased in our land.

Our concern is also with the survival of a group of Yanomami that live in voluntary isolation Moxihatetemapë) that have been recently encountered only ten kilometers away from a mining area, as it has been widely reported by national and international media.

The same gravity is the permanence of farmers in the region of Ajarani in the eastern boundary of our Indigenous land. The removal of these invaders has yet not happened, and that twenty years after the legal demarcation of our indigenous land. Away from that the Farmers deforest the areas that they continue to occupy, their presence is an incentive to new invasions, in a region heavily pressured by cattle farming.

The economic growth of our country stands in stark contrasts with the state’s ability to protect and promote indigenous rights. Besides dealing with a negative agenda, there is a lack of a territorial protection management program for the Indigenous Yanomami territory, that are supported by appropriate public political policies that promote the way of live of the Yanomami and protect our habitat.

Thus, in the year of commemoration of the demarcation of our legally recognized indigenous land that had been announced during the Eco 92 (UN Earth Summit), to be remembered in the Rio + 20, we urge the President Dilma to take immediate measures to remove the miners and prevent them from re-invading the Yanomami Territory, and to investigate and punish the funders and beneficiaries of these criminal activities that harm indigenous peoples and the Union and to establish, in consultation with the Yanomami, Ye kuana and their organizations, an ongoing program of inspection and monitoring of the land, and therefore promote our well-being and well-living.

Lake Caracaranã, Raposa Serra do Sol, March 12, 2012, during the 41st Assembly of the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR).

Sincerely,

Davi Yanomami Kopenawa President Hutukara