Entre conflitos e resistências: a demarcação da Terra Indígena Vale do Javari (1990-2001)

Abstract

The theme of this dissertation addresses the demarcation of the Javari Valley Indigenous Land from 1990 to 2001, as an act of resistance and affirmation of the intellectual and cultural sovereignty of Indigenous peoples, based on the analysis of official documents and leaders' memoirs. The main objective of the research is to analyze how conflicts, Indigenous mobilization, the actions of external agents, and the political context influenced the demarcation of the Javari Valley Indigenous Land. It also seeks to understand the political, legal, and social factors that shaped this process, with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of the challenges and advances in territorial recognition. The research uses a critically based qualitative approach, combining three methodological pillars: documentary analysis, oral history, and autoethnography. The documentary analysis investigates primary and institutional sources, such as legislation and news reports from the period. Oral history, as the central axis of the narrative, uses semi-structured interviews with Indigenous leaders Jorge Oliveira Duarte Marubo and Darcy Comapa Marubo, who seek to go beyond the facts to record the meanings and emotions of their memories. Finally, the autoethnography uses personal experience to produce an accessible and reflective analysis. The results indicate that the demarcation of the Javari Valley Indigenous Land was not a spontaneous act of the State, but rather the result of a long and complex process of confrontation, stemming from the autonomous action of Indigenous organizations, such as the Union of Indigenous Nations (UNI) and the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), and the protagonism of leaders like Jorge and Darcy Marubo, who worked with the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI) and international movements to pressure the State. The research also demonstrates that state violence and inaction were constant barriers, but the resilience of Indigenous peoples and the strategic use of legal tools and collective memory were fundamental to the conquest of the territory. Thus, the conclusions reveal that demarcation was a battle for the preservation of Indigenous cultural existence and self-determination. The research confirms that the demarcation of the Javari Valley Indigenous Land was a direct result of pressure and mobilization from Indigenous leaders and organizations. Historical memory, coordination strategies, and the emergence of Indigenous professionals are presented as tools of resistance to guarantee the intellectual and cultural sovereignty of Indigenous peoples and allow their voices and rights to be heard and respected forcefully.