The state government has created a fund for territorial and environmental management projects in Indigenous Lands, based on input from Indigenous organizations and partners. Governor Flávio Dino has already secured R$5 million to start the fund.
At the end of November, representatives of indigenous peoples, civil society organizations, and state secretariats of Maranhão met in São Luís for the IV Meeting of the State Commission for the Coordination of Public Policies for Indigenous Peoples (COEPI), with the objective of advancing the implementation of the State Ten-Year Plan for Public Policies aimed at the indigenous peoples of Maranhão.
The 4th COEPI Meeting focused on outlining strategies for territorial protection, conservation of territories, and the creation of mechanisms to facilitate access for the state's indigenous peoples to programs that encourage their sustainable production methods. Within this agenda, in dialogue with indigenous representatives, Governor Flávio Dino committed to implementing a Support Fund for Indigenous Peoples aimed at community-based socio-environmental projects.
Dino has already secured an initial amount of R$ 5 million for the Fund, which will be directed to indigenous associations and communities in Maranhão and will invest in community initiatives for environmental conservation and production aimed at food security and income generation for families. The idea for the initiative arose through working groups during the IV COEPI Meeting and had the active participation of indigenous representatives from the north, south and central-west of Maranhão, representatives of the State and civil society organizations, ISPN and the Indigenous Work Center (CTI).
According to Maria Helena Gavião, representative of the Articulation of Indigenous Women of Maranhão (ANIMA), the debate on the creation of the Fund was strategic for strengthening and including the perspective of indigenous women. “It allowed us, women, to participate more in the debate and in the articulations. This fund also strengthens ANIMA and its debates on the environment and territory, since women identify strongly with these issues,” she explains.
According to João Guilherme Nunes Cruz, coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Program at ISPN, attention still needs to be paid to the political model for managing the resource and the initiative. “Just as important as the amount of resources is the governance and management model of this fund. It is crucial to ensure the participation of indigenous representatives, civil society, and the State in shaping this governance, so that we can meet the demands of indigenous communities for their sustainable production, the conservation of their ecosystems, and the appreciation of their cultures,” he says.
The draft of the Bill is under review by the Government of Maranhão and, after being sanctioned by the governor, will go to the Legislative Chamber for consideration and approval. “It is a historic moment of recognition for so many socio-environmental services provided by indigenous peoples,” points out Adriana Carvalho, from COEPI. The Fund may also attract external and governmental resources.
According to Nunes, the partnership between indigenous people and the government of Maranhão to create the Fund is strategic for strengthening the National Policy for Environmental and Territorial Management of Indigenous Lands (PNGATI), an important instrument for maintaining and protecting the ways of life of native peoples. "We understand that the government of the state of Maranhão will thus be aligned and active in the implementation of PNGATI, an important achievement for indigenous peoples," he points out.
Learn more about the work of the Indigenous Work Center (CTI), click here.
Understand what PNGATI is.
The National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands (PNGATI) was established by Decree No. 7.747 in July 2012. Developed with the participation of indigenous peoples, this policy recognizes and supports the environmental and territorial management already carried out by these peoples in their territories. It also creates spaces and opportunities for indigenous peoples and the State, with the contribution of civil society, to dialogue and strengthen actions to protect and ensure the rights of indigenous populations throughout Brazil.