Deni Celebration of Demarcation
A Greenpeace team is now in the Brazilian Amazon celebrating the official demarcation of the Deni Indians' homeland. The land was under threat from a Malaysian logging company.
The Deni community and Greenpeace were joined by indigenous organisations, Brazilian authorities and journalists from around the world in the victory party. Organized by the Deni's patarahu (chiefs), the celebrations featured traditional songs and dance on the banks of the Xeru River, in the village of Boiador.
The demarcation (marking of boundaries) will see over 1500 square kilometres of the western Brazilian Amazon identified as Deni land by clear signage and a visible border, protecting the area and rendering the land legally defensible.
In 1999, a Greenpeace investigation found that a Malaysian logging company, WTK, intended to start logging in the Deni forest. The company produces cheap plywood for export to western countries, including the UK.
The Deni area is remote; they are without electricity, telephones, a written language, postal service, health care and access to education.
Greenpeace worked alongside indigenous organisations to help the Deni communities develop the practical information and skills needed to take direct charge of their land, and shut WTK out of the area.
Despite many set backs the project was successful and the Deni land will remain pristine. This truly is a victory, not just for the Deni but for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest.
