Marcela Rebelo
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília – At the end of the 3rd Free Land Camp (3º Acampamento Terra Livre), which took place on the mall (Esplanada dos Ministérios) here in the capital of Brazil, the 550 Indian leaders who participated drew up a document in which they sharply criticized the Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva government and demanded a new Indian policy.

"The Lula administration continues a backward policy that is tutelary and bureaucratic, confusing the interests of the Indians with the interests of the Indian Foundation (Funai), confusing the agency with policy," said the document.

The vice president of the Indigenous Missionary Council (Cimi), which is linked to the Catholic Church, Saulo Feitosa, declared that the country does not have an Indian policy. "An Indian policy has to be worked out with the Indians. Today different ministries have action plans for dealing with Indian problems, but there is no government Indian policy," he said, adding that the result is to pulverize financial and human resources.

According to Feitosa, the only good news is the creation this year of the National Indigenous Policy Commission. "It is the first time in the history of the country that Indians have a place in the government to formulate and deliberate on policy for their own communities."

Translation: Allen Bennett