"They will destroy our lives, our planet" - Manoki tribe chief warns as Amazon fires rage
Record ID:
1429059
"They will destroy our lives, our planet" - Manoki tribe chief warns as Amazon fires rage
- Title: "They will destroy our lives, our planet" - Manoki tribe chief warns as Amazon fires rage
- Date: 28th August 2019
- Summary: ALDEA CRAVIRI, BRASNORTE, BRAZIL (AUGUST 27, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MANOKI TRIBE PAINTED AND WEARING TRADITIONAL ARTICLES DURING DANCE RITUAL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT VARIOUS OF MANOKI TRIBE DURING RITUAL, DANCING AROUND FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) MEMBER OF MANOKI TRIBE, MAILON, SAYING: "We need our land to survive, so that we can hunt, fish and maintain our culture and the respect has to be the same. Whether you're indigenous or not, the respect should be equal." TRADITIONAL STRUCTURES VARIOUS OF OLDER WOMEN PAINTING THE FACES OF THE YOUNGER MANOKI TRIBE MEMBERS YOUNG MANOKI CHILD WALKING VARIOUS OF TRIBAL LEADER MANUEL CABUXI DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) TRIBAL LEADER MANUEL CABUXI SAYING: "The whites, the human beings will end this, they will destroy our lives, our planet, where we live. The government is not worried about this, the government wants to kill us. They do not want to know about the environment, the do not want to understand what is a dignified life, the just don't want to. He (referring to President Bolsonaro) wants to destroy and it is for that reason that we are worried. It seems that only indigenous people will protect (nature) and the white population or the government will not protect Amazonas which is our lungs, our way of life." CABUXI WALKING VARIOUS OF CABUXI KNEELING ON THE GROUND, USING STICK TO DRAW A MAP IN THE DIRT (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) TRIBAL LEADER MANUEL CABUXI SAYING: "(President Jair) Bolsonaro wants to divide all of this into lots, what's wrong with him? The land belongs to me and it is for me to divide. I deserve it, I deserve it! I have been here (referring to his ancestors) for over 1,500 (years). Bolsonaro has only just arrived." VARIOUS OF INDIGENOUS CHILDREN OF THE MANOKI TRIBE DURING SCHOOL SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PROFESSOR FOR THE TRIBE, CLAUDIO CABUXI, SAYING: "The fires scare us, it scares us because we understand how fire works. For us, fire is something very simple but when you see a fire of such magnitude, we become frightened because it is beyond or realm of traditional understanding." VARIOUS OF PROFESSOR CABUXI GIVING A TOUR OF ONE OF THE TRADITIONAL STRUCTURES ON THEIR LAND
- Embargoed: 11th September 2019 14:13
- Keywords: Brazil wildfires Amazon disaster climate change environment Manoki tribe
- Location: ALDEA CRAVIRI, BRASNORTE, BRAZIL
- City: ALDEA CRAVIRI, BRASNORTE, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Fires,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001AU4VPS7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Deep in the Amazon, the Manoki dance and chant as part of a traditional ritual to ask their ancestors to protect the dense forest around them and the animals that sustain their way of life. It's part of their ongoing fight to defend their territories which are under threat from raging fires.
Manuel Cabuxi, the cacique (tribal leader), appealed for help as he laid blame on the government of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro for the fires. He demanded more supervision of the Amazon.
The Manoki have a population of about 500 across eight villages. They use paint on their bodies as spiritual protection and teach their children this tradition.
"The whites, the human beings will end this, they will destroy our lives, our planet, where we live. The government is not worried about this, the government wants to kill us. They do not want to know about the environment, the do not want to understand what is a dignified life, the just don't want to. He (referring to President Bolsonaro) wants to destroy and it is for that reason that we are worried," Cabuxi said.
"It seems that only indigenous people will protect (nature) and the white population or the government will not protect Amazonas which is our lungs, our way of life," he added.
Bolsonaro is finding himself increasingly isolated on the global stage over his response to the blazes, which threaten what many view as a key bulwark against global climate change.
The far-right government's response could threaten Brazil's trade deals and powerful agribusiness sector, which is a crucial driver of its recession-plagued economy.
The number of blazes in Brazil has skyrocketed 80% in the year to date compared to the same period in 2018, according to data from space research agency INPE.
About 90 km (55 miles) from Porto Velho, in the Amazon state of Rondonia, a Reuters witness saw houses abandoned due to the fierce forest fires. There were isolated patches of rain on Tuesday, but not enough to put out the fires.
Widespread rain that could snuff the fires out are likely weeks away, according to weather data and two experts.
Brazil said on Tuesday it was ready to accept foreign aid to help fight fires in the Amazon but only if it could determine how it was spent, in an apparent attempt to smooth over a public spat between the Brazilian and French presidents.
Separately, a diplomatic source in Brasilia told Reuters the Brazilian government had also accepted 10 million pounds from Britain to fight the fires. Bolsonaro's press office was not immediately available to comment on the information.
Earlier on Tuesday, Bolsonaro had said he would only consider accepting a $20 million offer of aid from the Group of Seven wealthy nations if French President Emmanuel Macron withdrew the "insults" against him.
The fires are not limited to Brazil, with at least 10,000 sq km (about 3,800 sq miles) burning in Bolivia, near its border with Paraguay and Brazil.
Neighbours Peru and Colombia on Tuesday asked Bolsonaro to attend a meeting on Sept. 6 to discuss the disaster and come up with a long-term coordinated plan to stop deforestation.
The Manoki have a population of about 500 across eight villages. They use paint on their bodies as spiritual protection and teach their children this tradition.
(Production: Herbert Villarraga) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None