The plot of the documents on the demarcation of the Igarapé Lurdes Indigenous Land

Abstract

The Igarapé Lourdes Indigenous Land, inhabited by the Arara and Gavião ethnic groups, is located in the state of Rondônia, on the border with Mato Grosso. The idea, in this article, is to understand the nuances of the demarcation process in the 1970s and to bring some data about the invasion and expulsion of southern settlers in the 1980s, through documentary records filed at FUNAI / DF and the Museu do Índio / RJ . As for the demarcation, most of the traditional land of the Ikólóéhj Gavião was off limits. The documents indicate that the decision on the area to be identified and demarcated was determined in Brasília, even before the team of the Working Group arrived at the Territory of Rondônia. The identification was made “at the top”, in that the team did not talk to the Arara and Gavião natives. The physical demarcation began in 1976 and was completed in 1977. Shortly after, the land began to be invaded by settlers from the south and southeast and even after the approval of IT by decree no. 88.609 of 09/08/1983, the invaders continued in the place. Only between 1984 and 1985 were they withdrawn on the initiative of the indigenous people who then had the support of FUNAI and the Federal Police. This process resulted in the displacement of villages, from the interior to the south of the TI, in order to protect boundaries and discourage further invasions.