VICTORY! Munduruku People Win Fight Against Tapajs DamBy Derrick Broze The National Foundation for the Indian (FUNAI) has issued a historic ruling that will demarcate and protect a 700-square-mile territory of the Munduruku Peoples along the Tapajs River, in the Brazilian Amazon. The ruling is the latest decision in the Mundurukus fight to protect their ancestral lands from flooding as part of planned hydroelectric dams. The demarcation and protection of the lands will now prevent the Mundurukus land from being flooded. The final demarcation must be approved by presidential decree after 90 days before becoming law. Intercontinental Cry reports: FUNAI, the Brazilian acronym for Fundao Nacional do ndio, announced the decision to demarcate the Mundurukus territory on the Day of Indigenous Peoples, April 19, 2016. Acting in its official capacity as the government body responsible for establishing and carrying out policies relating to Indigenous Peoples, the institution published documents identifying and recognizing the Mundurukus ancestral rights to Sawr Maybu, a territory of 178 thousand hectares located between Itaituba and Trairo, in the state of Par. FUNAIs decision ends the argument between the energy companies and the indigenous communities over whether or not the Munduruku have ancestral ties to the land. The planned So Luiz do Tapajs dam would have not only flooded the Mundurukus ancestral lands, but a total flood area of 729 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest. Strong collaborations among communities from the Xing and Tapajs regions played a crucial role in achieving the land demarcation. Community leaders from the two regions recently met to celebrate a commitment of cooperation and mutual support, Intercontinental Cry writes. The Xing communities are veterans of this fight, as they have fought for decades to prevent the Belo Monte dam from being completed. In January 2016, Brazilian federal court judge Maria Carolina Valente do Carmo suspended the operating license for the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam. The suspension was supposed to remain in place until the dams owner, Norte Energia SA, and the Brazilian government complete agreements made with indigenous groups. However, shortly after the suspension, another federal court reinstated the license. The Belo Monte dam was inaugurated on May 5. The gigantic Belo Monte hydroelectric dam will be the third largest on earth. Indigenous communities have long said the project threatens their way of life by interfering with their water supply. They also say it affects fishing and hunting. Although the Belo Monte decision was overturned, the indigenous communities continue to organize and oppose dangerous projects that threaten the environment and native ways of life. Together the Munduruku and other indigenous communities of the Xing and Tapajs regions are standing up to colonization, oppression, and corporate-state tyranny. Lovers of Liberty and Freedom Fighters should stand in solidarity with the Munduruku and all native and indigenous warriors who continue the fight against oppression. Image Credit Derrick Broze is an investigative journalist and liberty activist. He is the Lead Investigative Reporter for selfnewsPost.com and the founder of the TheConsciousResistance.com. Follow him on Twitter. Derrick is available for interviews. This article may be freely reposted in part or in full with author attribution and source link. Wow, how fabulous! Let their victory inspire us all! If they can do it, we can too. Some sunshine in an gray world. You ancesters would be proud. peace And to think I only want a few acres. I agree! 