Brazil grants permanent land ownership to tribe in Ceará

In a move announced Monday (Sep 4), the Brazilian government declared permanent the ownership of the land of the Tapeba indigenous people, in the northeastern state of Ceará.

Weibe Tapeba, coordinator of the Organizations of the Indigenous Peoples of Ceará, described the measure as “huge compensation for the people of Tapeba,” which mitigates “the pressure on property and politics going on for years” in the region.

The area is said to comprise 5.8 thousand hectares. Part of the territory is occupied by non-indigenous and companies that will be removed.

Recently, Weibe went on to say, one of these moves almost became official, when 67 families were ejected after a court ruling was issued in the capital Recife, which was subsequently suspended by the Supreme Court. The Tapeba people totals over 7 thousand, Weibe said.

The permanent ownership turns all motions questioning it null and void. The next step is administrative demarcation, a task under the responsibility of the National Indian Foundation, FUNAI. After that, the territories must be officially recognized as indigenous by a presidential decree.

“The Tapeba land is perhaps the most representative, as it is among FUNAI’s oldest issues that needed tackling. The permanent ownership should be celebrated and welcomed with joy, because it will bring with it our physical and cultural development,” Weibe said.

The Tapeba community will be celebrating the toré on Monday and a traditional party on Saturday (9), which should be attended by representatives of other indigenous peoples in Ceará, Weibe reported.

There are 14 ethnic groups across the state, with an estimated population of approximately 30 thousand people.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira