{"id":36158,"date":"2022-08-09T20:43:40","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T20:43:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conectas.org\/?post_type=noticia&p=36158"},"modified":"2022-08-15T15:22:52","modified_gmt":"2022-08-15T15:22:52","slug":"how-to-protect-recently-contacted-and-isolated-indigenous-peoples","status":"publish","type":"noticia","link":"https:\/\/conectas.org\/en\/noticias\/how-to-protect-recently-contacted-and-isolated-indigenous-peoples\/","title":"How to protect recently-contacted and isolated indigenous peoples","content":"

Guaranteeing the protection of indigenous peoples is a constitutional duty of the Brazilian State. Universalist policies, however, are insufficient given the diversity of native peoples. Among the groups that merit specific actions to have their rights protected and their ways of life safeguarded are recently-contacted and isolated indigenous peoples. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although there are different definitions of these terms, the <\/span>National Indian Foundation<\/b> (Funai) <\/b><\/a>officially states that recently-contacted indigenous peoples are peoples or groups that maintain permanent and\/or intermittent contact with segments of the national society and that, irrespective of the amount of contact, present singularities in their relationship with the national society and selectivity (autonomy) in the incorporation of goods and services. They are, therefore, groups that maintain their own strong forms of social organization and collective dynamics, and that define their relationship with the State and the national society with a high degree of autonomy. <\/span><\/p>\n

The term isolated indigenous peoples is used to refer to groups or peoples with no permanent relationship with the national society. Neither do they have meaningful relationships with other indigenous or non-indigenous groups. According to Funai\u2019s official data, there are 114 isolated groups in Brazil, the vast majority in the Amazon. <\/span><\/p>\n

Change of treatment<\/b><\/h2>\n

The way these groups are treated has progressed in recent decades, thanks to the struggle of indigenous peoples, indigenists and allied organizations. The Indian Statute of 1973 adopted an approach that required the integration of indigenous peoples into Western society, which it called national society. It was understood that forced contact was necessary for the protection of indigenous peoples. The idea was scrapped in 1987 when the policy was introduced to respect the ways of life of these peoples. This policy was expanded in 2009 with a restructuring of Funai that was supported by the Brazilian Constitution, which in article 231 guarantees the right of indigenous peoples to maintain their social organizations, customs and cultures. In other words, Brazil set up a relatively efficient structure to protect these indigenous groups, establishing social, economic and health approaches to respect the lives of these people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ratified by Brazil in 2003, <\/span>ILO Convention 169 <\/b><\/a>fully recognizes the rights of native and traditional peoples to land and natural resources. As such, it is also an instrument for the defense of recently-contacted and isolated indigenous peoples, since the international treaty recognizes the right to land and natural resources. <\/span><\/p>\n

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