Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: Indigenous communities ask a Brazilian court to end police violence, a First Nation school in Canada teaches Mi’kmaw knowledge, the Torres Strait Islands festival returns after a hiatus and a Māori author’s book wins a major Australasian prize.
BRAZIL: Seeking help from court to end police violence
Indigenous communities in Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul state have asked the Supreme Federal Court to implement measures to address police brutality and misconduct by the state military police, Mongabay.com reported on June 9.
The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, the largest coalition of Indigenous groups in the country, urged the court to address the growing police violence they encounter while defending their ancestral lands from agricultural, mining, and development encroachments, Mongabay reported.
The coalition says the military police have been conducting violent evictions, the majority of which stem from conflicts over Indigenous lands that have not been officially demarcated, Mongabay reported.
When Indigenous peoples try to reclaim their ancestral territories, they often find themselves entangled in confrontations with presumed landowners, such as farmers or developers.
An analysis conducted by Amnesty International in 2022 and 2023, found “excessive use of force” by police throughout Brazil that included raids on people’s homes, destruction of belongings and what the reports called “psychological torture.” The police also restricted people’s freedom of movement and suspended basic services such as schools and health centers.
In a report published in 2023, the Indigenist Missionary Council, an advocacy group associated with the Catholic Church, found that out of the 1,038 Indigenous individuals who were arrested in 2021, 403 were detained in Mato Grosso do Sul. The state also had the second-highest number of Indigenous murders in 2021, trailing behind only Amazonas state.
The state military police did not respond to questions from Mongabay.
CANADA: First Nation program teaches Mi’kmaw knowledge
The Ugpi’Ganjig (Eel River Bar First Nation) in New Brunswick, Canada, has opened a land-based school that is reintroducing children to the rich traditional knowledge of the Mi’kmaw people, CBC News reported on June 5.
Children in the M’sit No’kmaq Forest & Nature School program, located about 150 miles north of Moncton at Charlo Beach, learn about salmon, clams, and water safety.
“Our education is culturally grounding,” said program co-ordinator Jasmine LaBillois, from Ugpi’Ganjig, according to CBC News. “[It] just allows our children to feel that connectedness to land.”
The forestry school opened in October, bringing about 60 children to a community learning lodge each month. The program is divided into two groups — kindergarten to Grade 2 and Grades 3-5 — and plans are underway to expand to older students.
The curriculum, centered on the Mi’kmaw calendar, combines fun activities with cultural and historical lessons, CBC News reported. LaBillois said the goal is to make children familiar with Mi’kmaw ways, such as understanding the impact of tides and winds on water experiences.
Topics covered include gardening, shelter construction, maple syrup production, learning the Mi’kmaw language, and ceremonial introductions by elders. The land-based knowledge was lost due to historical restrictions, CBC News reported.
”I think it’s important to share with the kids that this is a way of life and it’s just as valuable and as important as what a doctor does,” she said, according to CBC.
AUSTRALIA: Torres Strait Islands festival returns after hiatus
The Torres Strait people bid farewell to the Winds of Zenadth Cultural Festival after four days brimming with singing, dancing, feasting, and exuberant celebrations, National Indigenous Times reported on June 5.
The festival took place on Thursday Island, also known by its Indigenous name Waiben, starting with a parade and showcasing more than 60 performances by dance teams from various islands and the mainland. The festival also included marches, musical performances, and political discussions.
SUPPORT INDIGENOUS JOURNALISM. CONTRIBUTE TODAY.
The festival returned this year after being on hiatus for several years because of COVID-19 restrictions, said Dallasa Yorkston, chief executive of the Torres Shire Council.
“It was an emotional time for everyone reconnecting from across the islands; it has been a wonderful festival,” she said, according to National Indigenous Times.
As part of the festival, a dedicated session centered around the Masig Statement, which represents a significant declaration of self-determination for the Torres Strait Islands.
NEW ZEALAND: Māori author’s book wins prestigious award
The prestigious Ernest Scott Prize has been awarded to a Māori author whose book tells the story of five intricately carved timber panels that were concealed in a Taranaki swamp then transported illicitly out of New Zealand 150 years later, Te Ao Maori News reported on June 10.
Dr. Rachel Buchanan, a Te Ātiawa scholar from Taranaki, was been announced as a joint winner for her book, “Te Motunui Epa.” She will share the $13,000 AUD prize with Australian historian Alan Atkinson.
The prize is given annually for outstanding written contributions to the history of Australia, New Zealand, or colonization.
The judges chosen from a pool of 65 submissions, said the book embraced Te Ao Māori and exemplified contemporary New Zealand literature.
“This beautiful book explores the journey of the Te Motunui Epa carved wooden panels across time, the meanings that have been attached to them, and the cultural continuity they represent,” the judges notes.
“This book is partly a detective story, partly a public history, and also a crime narrative. Most importantly, this book demonstrates a deep engagement with a Te Ao Māori worldview and challenges orthodox views of perspective, voice and the narrative form itself.
‘This book is an exemplar of modern history writing in Aotearoa New Zealand; it is also elegant and sophisticated and a cracking good read.”
Buchanan expressed her gratitude to the Indigenous nations upon whose land she conducted her work.
“This book is about a taonga that was buried in the earth in Taranaki, my tūrangawaewae, but it was written and researched on the unceded lands of the Bunurong and Wurundjeri Peoples,” Buchanan said in a statement released by her publisher, Bridget Williams Books, according to Te Ao Maori News.
“I have been a manuhiri here for a long time and I am deeply grateful for the sustenance and support I have received from the land I am fortunate to live on, this special place now known as Melbourne,” Buchanan said.
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul state, where Indigenous communities face escalating police violence as they defend their ancestral lands against large-scale agriculture, mining, and development. They are demanding swift action to curb the brutality, insisting that the government take responsibility for their safety and seek peaceful solutions that respect their rights and territories.
Despite their non-violent resistance, Indigenous individuals, who courageously protect their land from resource exploitation, endure aggression and physical harm. The communities are calling for an end to the excessive force, demanding investigations into the violence, and prosecutions of those responsible.
It is only prudent that the government acknowledge their concerns and work toward just resolutions. Only through collaboration, respect for human rights, and commitment to justice can the cycle of violence be broken. These Indigenous communities are seeking to secure their ancestral lands for future generations. Their voices must be heard.
Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute $5 or $10 today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT’s free newsletter.
