The Kayapo Indians live in the Amazon River Basin of Brazil with villages along the Xingu River. Vanderbilt reports that their population in 2003 was 7,096.
They inhabit over 28. 4 million acres of the Amazonian Rainforest. This land was received formally via land reserves from Brazil in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The land is mostly tropical rainforest and grassland. The Kayapo live in balance with their natural ecosystem.
The indigenous people hunt, fish, and practice slash and burn agriculture.The Kayapo way of life is ever threatened by mining, logging and the threat of Brazilian developers who wish to build the world’s 3rd largest dam (Belo Monte) along with a series of support dams. I support the Kayapo rights to preserve their way of life over the rights of those of the greater “world” to have access to it. This land is theirs to do with as they please. Since the 1950’s when the Kayapo people began to interact with the outside world, they have managed to participate in many aspects of the contemporary world while maintaining their indigenous culture.
It is important to allow them to continue their way of life for as long as they choose. I feel that the Brazilian government has an obligation to protect the rights of the Kayapo not only for the Kayapo, but also for the greater good of our planet. If mining, logging, cattle ranching go unregulated and dams are permitted, the global ecological balance could adversely shift. When researching the Kayapo Indians, I have found arguments that do not support preserving the Kayapo way of life.
The predominant argument is the Brazilian electricity shortage. Many argue the need for the construction of the Belo Monte dam to produce power for the region. Hydroelectric production is touted as both a solution to Brazil's periodic blackouts and as the "clean development" approach to global climate change. Additionally, some could argue that the Kayapo hold too much land for so few people. Although legally ratified, the Kayapo span more than 28.
4 million acres of land for reportedly less than 10,000 people.The first and foremost reason I support the Kayapo Indians in their effort to preserve their way of life is they have lived, worked, and respected the Amazon River Basin for centuries. I feel they have the right to continue in that way for as long as they see fit. They are a highly evolved group ecologically, exemplifying living in balance with the ecosystem.
The Kayapo knowledge of nature and agriculture represents hundreds or even thousands of years of accumulated knowledge and experience. These indigenous people can teach us effective models for sustainable resource management.Secondly, as with any culture, the Kayapo should be allowed to live on their land without the threat of the outside world threatening their way of life and existence. Gold mining, cattle ranching and logging companies have encroached on their land for years and brought disease to their ecosystem. At the United Nations' Geneva session of the Working Group of Indigenous Populations, Chief Pykati-re states, "It was the economic activity of the non-Indians infiltrating our lands that led to the cutting down of the forest in order to extract gold and timber.
Brazilian farmers have destroyed large tracts of Amazonia for pasture to breed cattle. Traditional Mebengokre (Kayapo) culture lives off the forest without destroying it. " Thirdly, the Kayapo people have demonstrated that they are able to operate peacefully with Brazilian culture and in the global marketplace all while successfully maintaining their cultural integrity. Many trading companies have been formed and successfully operated.
The Kayapo have found that they have several natural resources that are marketable to the outside world.The most notable example is the Kayapo business relationship with The Body Shop. Since 1991, The Body Shop has been buying oil processed by the Kayapo. The `Trade Not Aid' project has long been the centerpiece of The Body Shop's attempt to market itself as a socially responsible business. Although the relationship between the Kayapo and The Body Shop has reportedly been strained, this is an example of how the Kayapo have learned to coexist with outsiders in business.Additionally, I support the Kayapo’s efforts to stop the construction of dams in the region.
According to Amazonwatch. org the Brazilian government is moving forward "at any cost" with plans to build the third-largest dam in the world and one of the Amazon's most controversial development projects – the Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River in the state of Para. Belo Monte's three reservoirs will flood 400 square kilometers of agricultural land and forest. If this project proceeds, it would all but wipe out the Kayapo and their way of life.Finally, the Brazilian government and the rest of the world must come to realize that the increasing destruction of the rain forest threatens the delicate balance between humans, plants, and animals.
The Kayapo have successfully maintained this balance for thousands of years. We have an obligation to ensure they are able to continue to maintain this balance. In conclusion, it is apparent that the Kayapo way of life is and has been threatened for years.They are a unique and fascinating culture that deserves the right to continue their way of life.
No outsider has a right to take this from them. Although the Brazilian constitution guarantees indigenous peoples exclusive rights over huge areas of their traditional lands and protection of their cultures, the government has had difficulty enforcing these laws. The Kayapo, along with many conservation organizations, have a fierce and difficult struggle ahead of them. If they fail, it means cultural destruction. I certainly hope this does not happen.
