Joênia Wapichana: A landless indigenous person is doomed to disappear.
Joênia Wapichana, the first indigenous woman parliamentarian, in an interview with TV 247 this Monday, the 18th, criticized President Jair Bolsonaro's attacks on indigenous people: "It's an attempt to deny rights and erase our existence as a people"; the congresswoman also spoke about her proposals for her term; watch.
247 - The first indigenous woman parliamentarian, federal deputy Joênia Wapichana (Rede-RR), stated that during her term she sees herself as responsible for protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and criticized the speeches of President Jair Bolsonaro.
Speaking to TV 247, she says that indigenous people feel affronted by Bolsonaro's intention to review the demarcation of indigenous lands. "We feel it's an affront; the demarcation of indigenous lands is a duty of the Brazilian State."
Joênia Wapichana classifies as "lamentable and absurd" the fact that the president claims that indigenous people no longer need their lands and that they need to be integrated into "civilization." "This desire to deny indigenous identity is linked to the desire to deny indigenous rights, especially regarding the demarcation of their lands. I see this type of argument as an argument of negation. Furthermore, it is discrimination against indigenous people."
The congresswoman also emphasizes that being indigenous is linked to origins. "Being indigenous means belonging to the people, with their cultural characteristics and way of organizing themselves. This does not mean that we are separate from Brazilian society; we have the same rights as any Brazilian citizen."
According to Joênia, upholding the collective rights of indigenous peoples, combating anti-indigenous proposals, and addressing environmental issues are the priority proposals of her mandate. The congresswoman also intends to strengthen collaboration with other representatives; to this end, she states that she plans to create a joint parliamentary front to defend the rights of indigenous peoples, working together with other representatives in favor of indigenous people.
Joênia also advocates for a political reform in which society has ordinary people in government defending their own rights; she wants to end campaigns "that only elect those with money" and states: "I want to see quilombola communities here, I want to see riverside dwellers here, I want to see fishermen."
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