Payment for Rio+20 traditional huts creates disputes among indigenous

05/30/2012 - 16h54

Chief Atawalu Totopyre Kamaiura traveled three days from his village in Alto Xingu (MT) to Rio in order to construct one of the traditional huts for Kari-Oca, the event that will run parallel to Rio+20 to unite indigenous people from all over the world to discuss sustainable development.

However, when he arrived in the city with 20 other members of indigenous groups, he found that the group that was going to construct two huts would be paid R$600 less than expected. "The document that arrived [at the village] said that the payment would be R$1,500. That's why we came. Now they're saying R$900. That's not very much," he complained.

He says that the group is working about 10 hours a day to finish the construction in time for the event. The work was begun just last Monday, one week after the arrival of the group, because the land was still covered by thick forest.

"It was an honor for us to receive the invitation," he says. "But the white people don't do their part, and we want to receive [what we were promised]."

This year's Kari-Oca will be a repeat of the meeting of indigenous people that took place during Rio-92. Organized by the Intertribal Committee and directed by the indigenous representative Marcos Terena, the entity created in 1990 will host debates, cultural exhibitions and athletic competitions. Organizers are hoping to bring together at least a thousand people from different tribes.

Terena denies having promised R$1,500 to the indigenous groups and attributes the disagreement to a misunderstanding. According to him, it was arranged for the indigenous groups to receive some "compensation" for leaving their families in Alto Xingu, but the amount was never finalized.

"They said that someone told them that they would receive R$1500, but it wasn't anyone from our organization. So I went to explain that no one in the city earns R$1500. The janitor cleaning the bathroom earns R$600 a month," says Terena. "I had to explain the value of money to them."

Roberta Tojal of the Intertribal Committee says that contact with the group was made through a member of the tribe who lives in Canarana (MT).

According to Terena, the events at Kari-Oca will be supported by the Minister of Athletics. He estimates that the total budget will be R$1 million.

TRAFFIC

The city government of Rio de Janeiro announced yesterday that it would reverse the direction of traffic lanes used during rush hour in order to accommodate the transportation of authorities for Rio+20. Traffic between Barra and the southern part of the city (Zona Sul) will be most affected.

The lane reversal that happens every morning on the waterfront of Zona Sul in the direction of the city center will be canceled for three days. Avenue Niemeyer will have two reversals a day, against the flow of rush hour traffic, which will create significant traffic problems.

Translated by ANNA EDGERTON