In Brazil, the recent death of an Indigenous member of the Pataxó Hã-Ha-Hãe highlights the tensions between Indigenous communities and farmers over land areas. Brazil’s President vows to offer federal support to the Indigenous group following the shooting incident.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva claims he’ll provide federal support to the Indigenous people of southern Bahia following a recent land dispute that led to the shooting death of one person and injuries to at least eight others.
According to reports, on January 21st in eastern Brazil, an estimated 200 farmers arrived in vehicles after Pataxó Hã Hã Hãe people, a local Indigenous group, reclaimed a local farm. During the ensuing dispute, believed to be in the presence of military police, Maria de Fatima Muniz, known as Nega Petaxo, was shot and killed. Her brother, Chief Nailton Pataxo, was also shot and survived after surgery. Several others received non-life-threatening injuries.
Two suspects, including the 19-year-old son of a farmer and a 60-year-old reserve military police officer, were arrested after the conflict. An Indigenous member carrying an “artisanal weapon” was also arrested at the site. Photos circulated in news outlets and on social media showed images of police protecting farmers as they surrounded the Indigenous community and opened fire.
According to a statement from the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), “Ruralists from the region surrounded the area with dozens of trucks while the police shot at the Indigenous people. They mobilized through a WhatsApp call, summoning farmers and traders to carry out the repossession of the farm with their own hands. A video shows the injured individuals on the ground, still without assistance, being surrounded by a group of ruralists who celebrated the violence.”
Soniz Gaujajar, Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous People, denounced the farmer group for recovering the land “through their own means without a judicial decision.” She stated in an interview that the land occupied by the Indigenous people was “reclaimed under traditional occupation.” In response, President Lula said during a radio interview, “I want to make the federal government available to Jeronimo (Rodrigues, governor of Bahia) and the Indigenous peoples to find a peaceful solution.”
Meanwhile, the federal public ministry and public defenders of the Union and Bahia released a separate statement claiming that the murder of Indigenous people is linked to the actions of an armed militia operating in the state.
Nega Petaxo was described as a political and spiritual leader of her people who was concerned with healing the land. Those who knew her said that her spiritual leadership helped mobilize youths and Indigenous women alike to help better the environment.
The dispute follows continued tensions that took place last year regarding a controversial demarcation bill, which would limit Indigenous occupational claim rights to before October 5th, 1988, the date Brazil’s current constitution was enacted. Indigenous lands, scientists believe, create important buffer zones against deforestation in the Amazon. Brazil has more than 700 recognized Indigenous lands.
A report released last year by the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) revealed that 800 Brazilian Indigenous people were murdered during Jair Bolsonaro’s time as the 38th President of Brazil from 2019 to 2022.
Last year, Bahia reported 211 land conflicts, making it the third-highest conflict zone in the country.
