Territorial disputes and power relations: some reflections on state policies and indigenous peoples in the Lower Amazon

Abstract

This paper aims to present an ethnography on power relations and violence against indigenous peoples in the Lower Amazon. Based on a specific case study, which highlights the Munduruku and Apiaká of Santareno Plateau, in the Lower Amazon, state of Pará, I present initial reflections on the conflicts, violence and territorial disputes in this region, from a procedural perspective. These reflections are the result of interactions and discussions with Munduruku and Apiaká leaders, based on interviews and observation made during fieldwork, as a bibliographic review and analysis of documental data. The article is organized into three main sections, in addition to a conclusion. In the first part, I briefly present the process of the struggle and mobilization of the indigenous movement in the Lower Tapajós and Lower Amazon regions. In the second section, I outline the local legislative power given to specific ethnic questions, according to the creation of the “Special Commission for Parliamentary Studies on the proliferation of ethnic groups and territories in the municipality of Santarém”. In the third section, I present the violent situations and the threats facing indigenous people since the arrival and expansion of agribusiness in areas pertaining to their territories.