Occupy the Spirit (pre-lude).

What it's like on this side of the mirror.                                                           Up, Down. 

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Contents:   Hydroelectric, Tapajós & Valdenir Munduruku, Legends & Music, Carta Mundurukú.

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The music is not optional; either listen to it as you read or go away! Three ten minute pieces of Philip Glass' Águas da Amazônia played by Uakti: at SESC in Brasil (2012); in Rome (2011); and from the album (1999). 

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This photograph of a Kayapó girl comes from an otherwise forgettable movie. I think she is ... me - but of course, things are not getting any less crazy around here.
I did a presentation in public school - first ever public speaking - on the Adam Beck hydroelectric plant in Niagara Falls. And as the water ran out of the tub and a renewable topography emerged I continued to believe that hydroelectric generation is clean, good.

I didn't realize how much that had been eroded until I was having a beer with a serious player in the BC hydro hierarchy and stupidly asked him why he didn't focus on renewables? He looked at me as if I had no head at all and said, "What do you think I am doing?" It was a drunken slip - but Freudian I guess. He sold up and cashed out a while later and disappeared from the radar so maybe he figgured it out.

In this blog at one point a few years ago I wondered about the opposition to Belo Monte - simply because I thought it was better to develop hydro resources than, say, nuclear.

So ... changes ... 

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Getting a grasp of what is going on in the Amazon basin is difficult. Huge. The struggle over Belo Monte is ongoing; and another struggle is coming to light around the Complexo do Tapajós. You can read about it in English here: Amazon tribe threatens to declare war amid row over Brazilian dam project and follow it up as you care to. These two videos of Valdenir Munduruku are in Portuguese, watch 'em or not: 1½ minutes & 5½ minutes.


Tim DeChristopher was dreaming that Obama would not call out the National Guard to defend mountaintop removal. No hesitation from Brazil's Polícia Federal. 

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The Lenda do Boto is a powerful myth, as is the story behind Uakti.

When all is said and done this music may be what remains to us of the Amazon. Here, listen again: 2012, 2011, and 1999.

A-and, for the honeybee connection watch a few minutes of Grupo Corpo's 'Sete ou oito peças para um ballet' from 1994.

Be well. 

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Carta do povo Mundurukú / Letter from the Munduruku people:
Source: Amigos da Terra.

Carta do povo Mundurukú para a justiçia, para o governo e para a sociedade mundial e os povos indigenas sobre a Operação Tapajós no território Mundurukônia.   Letter from the Munduruku people for justice, to the government and to world society and native peoples concerning Operation Tapajos within the Munduruku territory. Aldeia Sawré Muybú, Itaituba, 29 de março de 2013.   Village of Sawré Muybú, Itaituba, March 29 2013. Nós, povos indigenas Mundurukú do médio e alto Tapajós estamos na Aldeia Sawré Muybú para reafirmar nossa aliança e dizer que o rio Tapajós é um só assim como o povo Mundurukú é um só.   We, the native Munduruku people of the middle and upper Tapajos river are in the village of Sawré Muybú to reaffirm our alliance and say that the Tapajós River is one just as the Mundurukú people are also one. Denunciamos que o representante do governo Tiago Garcia e Nilton da Secretaria Geral da República e o governo todo não cumpriram com o compromisso registrado nos atos das reuniões de 15 de março de 2013. Não aguardaram a reunião das lideranças Mundurukú marcada para 10 de abril de 2013 para dizer como queremos ser consultados e depois reunir com o governo para comunicar nossa decisão.   We denounce the government representative James Nilton Garcia of the Secretary General of the Republic and the government which did not fulfill the commitments recorded in the acts of the meetings of March 15, 2013. They did not wait for the meeting of Munduruku leaders scheduled for April 10, 2013 to say how we would be consulted and then meet with the government to communicate our decision. 1°

Além disso comunicamos que estamos sendo humiliados e ameaçados pela operação das Forcas Armadas do governo criadas pelo decreto 7957 de 12 de março de 2013 que manda pesquisadores invadirem nossas terras junto com as Policia Rodoviária Federal, a Policia Federal, o Exercito e a Força Nacional por causa das hidreletricas do Tapajós. Denunciamos que as Forças Armadas estão espalhados sobre o rio Tapajós sobre o transamazônica e nossas territórios, intimidando e ameaçando as pessoas, impedindo de navegar pelos nossos rios e circularmos livremente pelas estradas nas terras e aldeias.   We also announce that we are being threatened and humiliated by the actions of the Armed Forces of the government through Decree 7957 of 12 March 2013 that sends researchers invade our land along with the Federal Highway Police, the Federal Police, the Army and the National Forces to support the Tapajós hydroelectric plants. We denounce the Armed Forces scattered along the Tapajos river, the transamazônica highway and our territories, intimidating and threatening people, preventing us from using our rivers and roads to circulate freely in our lands and villages. Não podemos pescar, trabalhar, tomar banho no rio, caçar, andar livremente e viver nossa vida.   We cannot fish, work, bathe in the river, hunt, or roam freely and live our lives. O governo esta em nossas terras como bandidos, como ladrões invadindo sem avisar os nossos rios e territórios para destruir o rio Tapajós e explorar nossas riquezas.   The government is on our land like bandits, thieves, invading our rivers and territories without warning to destroy the Tapajós river and exploit our riches. E estar ameaçando nos ferir ou matar se reagirmos.   And threatening to injure or kill us if we react. O governo também estar tentando dividir o nosso povo Mundurukú para conquistar e destruir o rio Tapajós, mas o rio Tapajós não se divide, e o povo Mundurukú também não se divide.   The government is trying to divide the Munduruku people in order to conquer and destroy the Tapajós river, but the Tapajos river is not divided, and the Munduruku people are not divided either. 2°

Nada que o governo oferece paga toda a riqueza que temos.   Nothing the government is offering pays for all the richness we have. Não venderemos nosso rio e território, nosso povo, nossa história nem o futuro dos nossos filhos.   We will not sell our river and our territory, neither our people, nor our history, nor the future of our children. Helicópteros e invadeiros estão circulando pelo rio e pelo ar desde 27 de março de 2013 (videos é em anexo). Os Mundurukú foram intimidados pela Policia Federal Rodoviario e pela Forca Nacional e na transamazônica e no Porto Buburí no Tapajós. Enquanto isso bandidos estão soltos pelas cidades do Brasil.   Helicopters have been circling and invaders going about by river and by air since March 27, 2013 (videos attached). The Mundurukú have been intimidated by the Federal Police Force and the National Highway Police on the transamazônica highway and in Porto Buburí on the Tapajos. Meanwhile bandits are loose in the towns of Brazil. Por isso exigimos que:   Because of this we demand: Todos nossos direitos questionados pelo Ministério Público Federal na Justiça sejam garantido. E fazemos a mesma exigência do Ministerio Público de Santarém por nossos direitos violados pela usina hidreletricas de São Luiz do Tapajós.   That all our rights questioned by federal prosecutors in the courts be guaranteed. And we demand the same of the state Ministry in Santarém for our rights violated by the hydroelectric plant of Sao Luiz do Tapajós. Pedimos ao MPF/PA e a Justiça Federal que esse documento seja anexado ao processo contra as barragens Tapajós. E informamos que nos vamos dizer como queremos ser consultados sobre todas as medidas legislativas e administrativa que afetam nossa vida. Com ajuda do nosso orgão, e instituições que escolhimos. A Convenção 169 da OIT garante aos povos indiginas esse direitos. Somos nós Mundurukú que decidimos como seremos consultados. Somos nõs que decidimos como mudar vida do nosso povo. Exigimos que as Forcas Armadas para imidiatamente de humilar e se retirem de nossas terras e rios e parem de voar sobre nossas aldeias.   We ask the state MPF of Para and the Federal Court that this document be attached to the process against the Tapajos dams. We will say how we want to be consulted on all legislative and administrative measures that affect our lives. With the help of our committee and institutions of our choice. ILO Convention 169 assures native people these rights. We Munduruku will decide how we will be consulted. We will decide on changes to the lives of our people. We demand that the armed forces immediately stop humiliating us and withdraw from our lands and rivers and stop flying over our villages. 3°

Se isso não acontecer vamos agir do nosso jeito. Queremos dialogo com o governo e não queremos brigas e nem morte. Já perdemos em novembro passado nosso parente Adenilsom Kirioci assassinado pela Policia na aldeia Teles Pirez. Mas não aceitamos acordo para trocar nossos direitos por hidreletricas do Tapajós.   If this does not happen we will act on our own. We want dialogue with the government not fights or death. We lost our relative last November, Adenilsom Kirioci murdered by police in the village of Teles Pirez. But we will not accept an agreement which exchanges our rights for the Tapajos hydroelectric plants. Por fim exigimos a homologação de todos territórios e que o governo cumpra essas medidas até dia 19 de abril de 2013 que é nosso dia.   Finally we require the ratification by all territories and that the government complies with these measures before 19 April 2013 which is our day. Pedimos que a sociedade brasileira que todos os povos indigenas do Brasil e do mundo se juntem a nós por essa causa e pela Amazônia. E contem com o apoio do povo Munduruku para essa e para todas as lutas dos povos indigenas do planeta.   We ask Brazilian society and all native peoples of Brazil and the world to join us in this cause for Amazonia. And count on the the support of the Munduruku people for this and for all the struggles of the native people of the planet. Assinam esta carta: (41 assinaturas). ... 4°   Signed: (41 signatures.)

Assinaturas:                                                                 ... 5°   Signatures:

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Update: As of April 17 the government appears to have backed down, at least temporarily, the military Operação Tapajós has been stopped, and the 'research' which it was defending/enforcing as well. This is a reprieve not a victory - but a step in the right direction at least. 

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Down.