Demarcation Diaries
6 October 2001
Location: On Board the Commandante Savio
Time: 7 a.m., Manaus Time, East Coast US
After getting used to the forest and preparing myself to go back in with another team, we received some very welcome news from the Brazilian government. A letter was written asking us to stop the demarcation, on
the grounds that this was a matter for the government to take care of. We replied by saying that this is not for Greenpeace to decide, that the Deni are doing the demarcation, and that we are only helping.
The Deni did reply. They told the government that they would stop under two conditions:
That FUNAI, the government agency that is in charge of the demarcation, would set a date for the continuation of the demarcation
That the demarcation that we have already finished is recognized
officially by FUNAI as being legitimate.
The government accepted these two conditions (although saying they want to see the Deni's work first, but we know it is good!) , so we are calling the Deni's work a success! Already we have evacuated one team from the jungle, and now our small boat, the Commandante Savio, is beginning to fill up once again. Last night, the sea of hammocks reappeared as we slept around 35 people on board last night. There is a feeling of success in the air!
And already stories are being shared of our varying forest experiences. Team B returned yesterday afternoon, and spent the day in the river, bathing and washing all of their equipment. There was another one of many soccer games on the beach, and everyone is already looking toward the trip back to Manaus.
Yesterday, I had the very unique opportunity to listen to one of the Deni leaders speak on the phone to the Deputy Secretary of FUNAI. I believe this is so far the best reason for me to have studied Portuguese. Here
was a tribal indigenous man, talking over satellite phone to one of the most influential agencies in the country, making a deal to keep his land, and having a great success. His serious and professional manner could have been in any boardroom in any country, yet he had just come from chopping a path through the jungle the day before. It was an impressive sight, and we all gave him a cheer and told him congratulations when the phone call was finished. This morning, I saw this same man showing one of the volunteers how to shoot a dart through a long stick he had made from
a long piece of wood and some long needles from a different plant. We are always reminded where we are, from the 3-meter alligator that comes by everyday, to the storm we had last night, to the pink dolphins spouting water every few minutes just beside us.
As the stories and pictures come in from the forest, we are seeing and hearing about spiders and snakes and long, hot, sweaty, mosquito-filled days. And, in the midst of it all, a Deni people takes a very positive
step to being a part of all this scene for a long time. Needless to say, there are a lot of smiles around these days. I am off to breakfast with everyone now, we have another team to take out of the jungle today, so the stories will continue.
From the bank of the river Jurua,
Bryan
(Team A)
Find out about the different
volunteers on the demarcation project.
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