Some 700 Yanomami from many communities in Brazil recently
gathered for the 7th assembly of Hutukara, the Yanomami
association. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the
recognition of the Yanomami territory by the Brazilian
government. Five days of intense debate were punctuated by
vibrant ceremonies to greet the Yanomami delegates, including
several from Venezuela, and guests from other tribes in Brazil
as well as officials from the indigenous affairs department
FUNAI and Brazil’s health, education and environment ministries,
and representatives from NGOs in Brazil, Venezuela and Europe.
Davi Kopenawa, president of Hutukara, opened the meeting
reminding the Yanomami of the hardships of the 1980s, when
thousands of illegal miners invaded the territory bringing
disease and violence, and of the long fight for land rights in
which he played a leading part: ‘I dreamed a lot and I fought
for 25 years – it was very difficult, but others helped me. It
was a good victory for the Yanomami people. If I hadn’t fought