"Our River has NO Price" declares the Kayapo chiefs in their struggle to protect their lands and resources
Press Release"OUR RIVER HAS NO PRICE"
Kayapo chiefs refuse to accept millions of dollars offered by Brazilian government energy giant "Eletrobras"
Press Release: 8 March 2013
Barbara Zimmerman: Kayapo Project Director, Email: b.zimmerman@wild.org
Leaders of 26 Kayapo indigenous communities met in the town of Tucuma in the Brazilian state of Para from March 4-5 to discuss an offer of millions of dollars by government energy giant Eletrobras.
Historically the Kayapo have presented the biggest obstacle to the Brazilian government building hydroelectric dams on the Xingu River. The Xingu river flows northward through Kayapo lands for 500 km and then onwards towards the Amazon river for another 500 km until it reachesthe "big bend" near the city of Altamira where the Belo Monte dam is under construction. The approximately 50% of Kayapo living east of the Xingu river who are represented by their NGO "Protected Forest Association" and 25% who live in the southern region of Kayapo lands and are represented by their NGO ‘Instiuto Raoni" were not included in the government environmental impacts compensation for the Belo Monte dam project. The remaining approximately 25% of Kayapo living in the northwest region of Kayapo lands and who are represented by their NGO "Instituto Kabu" were included in the official compensation package because they belong to the municipality of Altamira.
Belo Monte is the most expensive infrastructure project in Brazil costing an estimated $US 15.5 billion. If completed, Belo Monte will require upriver holding dams to ensure adequate water flow through its turbines during the dry season of low water. However, when the Kayapo questioned the government on plans for upriver dams, energy sector representatives pointed to the 3rd of September 2009 resolution of the National Energy Board that specifies hydro-power will be exploited on the Xingu river solely at the Belo Monte site near Altamira. The truth is that this resolution can be easily changed in another meeting of the Energy Board.
Clearly, the Eletrobras offer of millions of dollars to the Kayapo is designed to buy their cooperation and sow disunity; thereby undermining the Kayapo's fight against dams on the Xingu and preparing the path for building more. Eletrobras claims that funding for the Kayapo forms part of their sector for "social responsibility" even though Kayapo communities are located 500 Km or more from Belo Monte. In a first instance last year, Eletrobras managed to convince the Kayapo of Para to accept approximately 9 million dollars to spend on "projects" in their communities over four years.
The southern Kayapo represented by "Instituto Raoni" and located in northern Mato Grosso state are led by Raoni Metuktire and Megaron Txucarramãe and have always emphatically rejected negotiations of any kind with Eletrobras; negotiations that were generating conflicts among the Kayapo of Para who at first had accepted the Eletrobras offer. (The northwestern Kayapo represented by the "Instituo Kabu" have, for now, accepted a government compensation package for Belo Monte.) However on March 5th, chiefs from 26 Kayapo communities located principally east of the Xingu river in Para and represented by their NGO "Protected Forest Association" resolved not to accept any money from Eletrobras and sent the following letter addressed to the directors of Eletrobras:
"Your word means nothing. Our conversation is over. We Kayapo do not want another cent of your dirty money. We don't accept Belo Monte or any other dam on the Xingu River. Our river is priceless; the fish we eat have no price, the happiness of our grandchildren has no price. We won't stop fighting; in Altamira, in Brasilia, and in the Supreme court. The Xingu is our home and you are not welcome"
Honouring promises is important to the Kayapo. A short partnership between Eletrobras and the Kayapo's "Protected Forest Association" ended after a first phase of funding ($750,000) was implemented by the PFA in 2012. The plan to design "medium term" project funding worth $2.25 million over three years was rejected unanimously by the eastern chiefs in an historic meeting that culminated in emotional speeches by each chief declaring his love for his culture and land and need to protect their rivers and forest for the future. Each chiefstated, "We don't need this money". These leaders of the eastern Kayapo perceive lack of commitment by Eletrobras and the government to keep promises. By rejecting partnership with Eletrobras, the Kayapo have strengthened the fight to save the Xingu and the magnificent abundance of life it sustains.