Indigenous protest camp erected in Brazilian capital to press land rights

Hundreds ofindigenouspeople began gathering in theBraziliancapitalon Monday for a 10-dayprotestcampto defend theirlandrightsand oppose a government bill in Congress that would allow mining and oil exploration on their reservations.

Organizers are hoping to gather 7,000 people from 200 of Brazil's 305 tribes topressCongress not to pass legislation proposed by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro that would open their protectedlands to commercial mining and agriculture.

"We will not retreat," said Sonia Guajajara, head of the country's mainindigenousumbrella organization, the Articulation ofIndigenousPeoples (APIB) that represents most of Brazil's 900,000indigenouspeople.

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Warriors in feathered headdresses with their bodies painted with the black and red dyes of Amazon fruit seeds danced chanting ritual songs as they put up tents on the grassy esplanade next to government ministries in central Brasilia.

Bolsonaro has saidindigenouspeople have too muchland, holding up the development of the country, and vowed not to recognize an inch more of reservationlands. Environmentalists say the reservations save the rainforest from destruction.

Guajajara said 13 per centof Brazil's territory is protectedindigenousreservationland, with 98 per centof that in the Amazon region. But 400indigenouscommunities are still struggling to get their ancestrallands recognized.

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Bill 191 is being fast-tracked in the lower house of Congress by lawmakers allied to the government who argue that it is needed to extract potash for fertilizer for Brazil's grain crops that depend on imports disrupted by the Ukraine war.

The legislation, backed by the powerful farm lobby, would also allow hydroelectric dams to be builtonindigenouslands.

Guajajara said at a news conference APIB willcampaign to get moreindigenouspeople elected to Congress in this year's general election. At present, there is only oneindigenousrepresentative, Congresswoman Joenia Wapichana.

"We need to increase our voices in Congress," said Guajajara.

Guajajara said she will stand for the left-wing PSOL party representing Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city.