Re: Globalize resistance, say indigenous peoples at peasants of Americas in Caracas meet

[Christopher Carrico <ccarrico@xxxxxxxxxx>]

It is interesting to note that there are no indigenous
groups from neighboring Guyana mentioned as having attended
this meeting, even though many of Guyana's indigenous
nations, such as the Warau, Arawak, Carib, Akawaio, Arekuna
and Patamona; are nations whose territory extends
across both sides of the Guyana-Venezuela border.

Venezuela and Guyana both claim the Essequibo region, where
the great majority of Guyanese Amerindians live.

The Amerindian rights organizations in Guyana do not want to
be percieved as giving any kind of support to Venezuelan
claims in the area.  For some this come from a genuine
Guyanese nationalist feeling, but for many others this some
from fear of government reprisal.

In 1969, there was an uprising on the part of ranchers in
the Rupununi Savannah in the south of the country.  Some
Amerindians who were close to the main ranching families
were involved.  Apparently the ranchers were expecting
support from Venezuela.  While only a few Amerindians were
involved in the uprising, it was Amerindians who paid the
greatest price, with some still in jail.  Subsequently,
under Forbes Burnham's PNC government, the Amerindian rights
movement was suppressed, Amerindian villages were required
to take "loyalty oaths," and military presence was increased
along the border with complaints by Amerindians of abuse by
soldiers.

>From an Amerindian point of view, the debate over the border
should be considered as a false issue, as all of the
territory under question rightfully belongs to neither
nation-state, but instead, to the Amerindian nations.

Currently, the most progressive Amerindian organization
argues for self-determination "within the context of the
(Guyanese) nation-state."

While this is certainly the safest strategy to take, I wish
they would at least put the discussion of an international
territory with some kind of autonomy regarding internal
affairs, like exists among the Saami in Scandanavia, on the
table for discussion.



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