"No more mining" -- a powerful message from the Yanomami and Ye'kwana peoples of northern Brazil to the world. Despite Brazilian laws that make mining on Yanomami Indigenous land illegal, thousands of goldminers have recently entered Yanomami Park, one of Brazil’s biggest indigenous reserves, spreading malaria and contaminating rivers with mercury. The invasion comes after the budget for Amazon law enforcement operations in Brazil was slashed, leaving protected areas vulnerable to exploitation. The last time there was an invasion of this scale was during the 1980s, when around one-fifth of the indigenous population died from violence, malaria, malnutrition, mercury poisoning and other causes. At a recent Yanomami and Ye'kwana Leadership Forum, the tribe leaders issued a letter to the main authorities of the Brazilian Executive and Judiciary. "We do not want to repeat this story of massacre," reads the manifesto.
Photo supplied by Instituto Socioambiental - ISA #foragarimpo #standwiththeyanomami
