Indigenous

River of Words 2010 Art and Poetry Contest Winners Announced

I heard a beautiful story recently. It was a story about a young girl, a refugee from a war-torn country in the Middle East, who was able to create something beautiful in the midst of destruction and poverty. Tearing out pieces of magazines collected here and there, she created a collage, which eventually found it's way to Berkeley, California, and into the hands of the staff at River of Words. River of Words is a non-profit dedicated to improving the environmental and art literacy of children in the US and abroad. Every year, they host a poetry and art contest, which draws hundreds o

Tribes of Amazon Find an Ally Out of 'Avatar'

Saturday, April 10, 2010
VOLTA GRANDE DO XINGU, Brazil — They came from the far reaches of the Amazon, traveling in small boats and canoes for up to three days to discuss their fate. James Cameron, the Hollywood titan, stood before them with orange warrior streaks painted on his face, comparing the threats on their lands to a snake eating its prey. "The snake kills by squeezing very slowly,” Mr. Cameron said to more than 70 indigenous people, some holding spears and bows and arrows, under a tree here along the Xingu River. “This is how the civilized world slowly, slowly pushes into the forest and takes away the

Avatar and the Damming of Planet Earth

Kayapó warriors, Xingu River, Brazil
Kayapó warriors, Xingu River, Brazil Terence Turner The sci-fi epic Avatar has not only broken records at the box office, but also triggered a wide-ranging debate about the exploitation of the environment and the rights of indigenous peoples. Director James Cameron described his movie as "a broader metaphor (of) how we treat the natural world." Destructive dams are one way in which the natural world is mistreated. By the end of the 20th century, about 50,000 large dams had choked more than half of the earth's major rivers. This massive engineering program has wiped out

The Avatar Sequel: Damming Pandora

Living on Pandora
Living on Pandora March 30, 2164. - I have spent a lot of time on Pandora lately. I have explored its verdant valleys, lush rain forests, and floating mountains. I have tried to stay away from the ferocious aynantang and aypalulukan. And I have fallen in love with the mighty rivers and waterfalls, which cascade down sheer cliffs and which you may have admired in the Avatar movie. I am not the only Earthling who has been attracted to the rivers of Pandora. Ten years after their defeat by the Hometree, the Resources Development Administration is back on the blue moon. The Corporation has ove

Belo Monte: The Cry of the "Demons"

Raoni and Lula
"The Kaiapó people, represented by Chief Raoni Metuktire, incensed at your offensive declarations in calling indigenous people "DEMONS AND BACKWARDS" in your comments regarding the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam invite you to be present at our protest..." Thus, Kaiapó leaders addressed Brazil's Mines and Energy Minister Edison Lobão in announcing a major gathering to be held later this month to mobilize indigenous opposition to what would be Brazil's largest dam on the Xingu River. The mobilization will take place in the village of th

Resposta das organizações do Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre ao Sr. Ministro Edison Lobão e suas "Forças Demoníacas"

Friday, October 2, 2009
Da coordenação do Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre O Rio Xingu é um símbolo da diversidade biológica e cultural brasileira. Ao longo de seus 2,7 mil quilômetros, ele corta o Mato Grosso e atravessa o Pará até desembocar no rio Amazonas, formando uma bacia hidrográfica de 51,1 milhões de hectares (o dobro do território do Estado de São Paulo). Mais da metade de seu território é formada por áreas protegidas. São 27 milhões de hectares de alta prioridade para a conservação da biodiversidade, abrigando 30 Terras Indígenas, 24 povos com 24 diferentes línguas e 8 Unidades de Con

The True Costs of Belo Monte Dam Emerge

Map of Area Directly Impacted by Belo Monte Dam
Monday, October 12, 2009
Map of Area Directly Impacted by Belo Monte Dam from Belo Monte EIA What would be the true environmental, social, and economic costs of Belo Monte Dam? New studies by a group of independent experts have highlighted the serious consequences the dam would have for the region, its inhabitants, and ecosystems of the Amazon rainforest. Belo Monte, which with an installed generating capacity of 11,231 MW would be the world's third largest dam, and its complex array of two powerhouses, artificial canals, huge dykes, two reservoirs, spillways, ports, roads, and work camps would devastate more than 1,

Independent Review Highlights the True Costs of Belo Monte Dam

Monday, October 12, 2009
The true costs of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Project, planned for the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon, have been revealed in a new independent review by a panel of 40 specialists. The panel found that the dam would have serious consequences for the region, its inhabitants, and ecosystems of the Amazon rainforest. The panel - comprised of scientists from major Brazilian research institutions - reviewed the project's environmental impact assessment and delivered a 230-page report to Ibama, the Brazilian government's environmental agency, on October 1st.One of the most alarming impacts ide

Belo Monte Experts Panel Report

Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The true costs of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Project, planned for the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon, have been revealed in an independent review by a panel of 40 specialists. The panel found that the dam would have serious consequences for the region, its inhabitants, and ecosystems of the Amazon rainforest. The panel - comprised of scientists from major Brazilian research institutions - reviewed the project's environmental impact assessment and delivered a 230-page report to Ibama, the Brazilian government's environmental agency, on October 1st, 2009. One of the mo

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Indigenous