Deni and Greenpeace activists pose for a photo while working to protect the ancient forest from logging

Greenpeace commends the Deni for protecting their land from illegal logging

Manaus, Brazil, 18 October 2001: After a two year struggle supported by Greenpeace, Missionary Indigenist Council (CIMI), and Operacao Amazonia Nativa (OPAN), the Deni Indians of the Brazilian Amazon won formal recognition of their rights to their traditional land.

The land will now be held for their sole occupation and use, and industrial exploitation, such as logging and mining, will be prohibited.

The Decree, signed by Brazil's Minister of Justice Jose Gregori last week, was officially published on October 16 in Brasilia.

The Deni's land is inhabited by 670 people and spans 1,530,000 hectares in the remote southwest of the Amazon.

According to the Brazilian Constitution, all Indian lands should have been demarcated by 1993 and the Deni themselves were first promised this in 1984. Of the 580 Indian territories identified in Brazil, only 360 have been formally demarcated.

In 1999 Greenpeace first learned that the Malaysian logging giant WTK had purchased 151,000 hectares of land that overlapped with the Deni's traditional territories. Greenpeace went to the area and met with the Deni, who until that time were unaware of the threat.

Subsequent visits by Greenpeace, CIMI and OPAN led to the Deni asking for help to mark the borders of their land and to have this recognised by the Brazilian Federal Government.

"The Deni, after years of broken promises from the Federal Government, decided to take control over the fate of their tradition lands," said Greenpeace campaigner Nilo D'Avila. "And they succeeded. We are proud to have played a small part in their great victory."

Over the past month volunteers from Greenpeace, CIMI, and OPAN supplied technical and logistical support to the Deni as they marked their most vulnerable borders, cutting 53 km of trails through thick jungle, and 218 km along the banks of rivers and creeks. Along the routes, the Deni posted signs reading "Entry Prohibited. Deni Land."

A letter dated 30th September, 2001, from 10 Deni leaders to FUNAI, Brazil's Indian Agency, stated ''Deni waited a long time for the demarcation, but the demarcation did not happen. Deni decided to do the work. Deni will only halt the work if FUNAI gives a precise date of the beginning of demarcation and accepts the work that Deni has already completed".

On October 9, FUNAI accepted the demands of the Deni, and one week later the Minister of Justice signed the Decree.

"The Brazilian Government must now, as a priority, keep their promises to the Deni. They must legally recognise the work done by the Deni, and complete the demarcation of all Deni lands, under the supervision of the Deni themselves," said D'Avila.

Greenpeace also calls on the Government of Brazil to, with urgency, meet their constitutional, social and moral obligations to demarcate all Indian lands in Brazil. 20% of the Brazilian Amazon is Indian land.

Greenpeace's support for the Deni's demarcation is part of a campaign to protect the world's remaining ancient forests. Some 80% of the world's ancient forests have already been degraded or destroyed and only 20% remain intact. Time is running out unless governments around the world take swift action to ensure the future of the ancient forests.

Deni and Greenpeace activists pose for a photo while working to protect the ancient forest from logging

Greenpeace calls for demarcation of all Indian lands in the Brazilian Amazon

The Deni Indian community with help from UK volunteers today began to physically cut a border in the Amazon rainforest to demarcate their lands in a bid to protect their traditional territory from industrial exploitation. Without this demarcation the Deni lands would be vulnerable to land grabs by logging companies after the wealth of natural resources which belong to the Deni. This is only the second time that an Indian group has, without government assistance, demarcated their lands in the Amazon.

On board the Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, the Patarahu (Deni chiefs), Greenpeace, CIMI, a branch of the Catholic church, and OPAN, an organisation working with Indians, today announced the beginning of this project to protect the Deni lands, some 1,530,000 hectares (approximately 4 million acres) 1000 kilometers southwest of Manaus in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

"We have been waiting almost 15 years for the Brazilian government to protect our traditional lands by demarcation. Our people have lived with the threat that logging companies were planning to destroy our home lands," said Deni chief Haku VarasahDeni. "We have no choice but to carry out the demarcation ourselves. We call on the Brazilian government to recognize this demarcation and ensure that there is no further threat to our land or people."

The Deni were first informed that half of the their lands had been purchased by Malaysian logging giant WTK in May 1999 when a Greenpeace expedition went to the area to investigate illegal logging activities in the region. The Deni people were unaware of this sale and the plans to log their land. At this point the Deni asked Greenpeace to help them with the demarcation process. Greenpeace brought in CIMI and OPAN, organisations with experience in Indian issues, to assist the Deni in the process. In further discussions with Greenpeace in the UK, WTK have stated that they will not challenge the demarcation. WTK's main market for Amazon wood products is in the UK.

A team of Brazilian experts plus an international team of 12 Greenpeace volunteers will provide logistical support to the Deni people over the next two months to demarcate their lands. Volunteers from the UK, Brazil, Chile, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Greece, Germany, Austria, the US and China will be filing daily reports to Greenpeace's website, and doing interviews from the jungle, to make it known that the Brazilian Government must support this process for the Deni lands to be protected. Once the Government recognizes demarcation, permits for logging and other destructive industrial activities cannot be issued for these lands.

"The Brazilian Government committed to fully demarcating all Indian lands by 1993 and they have not done the job. The Deni have taken the protection of their lands into their own hands but they need government support to ensure full legal recognition," said Greenpeace campaigner Paulo Adario in Manaus.

"Greenpeace calls on the Brazilian government to complete the demarcation of all Indian lands in the Amazon. The Amazon is the biggest rainforest left on Earth, and such recognition by Brazilian President Cardoso will go a long way to ensuring that the Indian lands - 20% of the Amazon - is safe from any illegal and destructive exploitation," he said.

This project is part of Greenpeace's campaign to protect the world's remaining ancient forests. Some 80% of the world's ancient forests have already been degraded or destroyed, and only 20% of large, intact ancient forests remain intact. Time is running out for the last 20% unless governments around the world take swift action to ensure their future.

Notes to editors:
Greenpeace International will go live today with daily updates from the Deni Lands and the Greenpeace Amazon expedition.

Dr Ian Cameron is 33 years old and from Guernsey. Ian is a tropical doctor, used to work in Accident and Emergency in the UK and currently working in Public Health in Cornwall. Ian has been a Greenpeace ship doctor between 1997 and 1999 on expeditions to North Atlantic, the Antarctic and the Mediterranean. Ian has a keen interest in wilderness hiking and has travelled in Tibet, Papua New Guinea, the Congo and China. Ian visited the Deni lands in 1999 on the earlier stages of the Deni demarcation project.

Dr Jeanine Bonnet is 26 years old and from Liverpool. Jeanine is a medic and has worked in Public Health in the UK and has been a Greenpeace ship doctor on expeditions and on the Greenpeace, Izmit, Turkey Earthquake relief mission. Jeanine is an experienced climber and has been a volunteer on numerous Greenpeace direct actions. Jeanine has a keen interest in sailing.

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