Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, made the provocative nomination of Ricardo Lopes Dias to head FUNAI, the Brazilian government body that establishes and carries out policies relating to Indigenous Peoples. Dias’ nomination appears threatening. Any contact with outsiders exposes isolated Indigenous Peoples to the risk of disease and violence. Dias – an evangelical pastor – has been connected with the proselytising activities of the New Tribes Mission of Brazil (MNTB), a North American missionary organisation. As head of this department, he will have access to geographical information about more than 100 ‘voluntarily isolated’ peoples.
In the past years, an other member of the same missionary organisation., Luiz Carlos Ferreira, has been accused of of 'enslaving' isolated Zo’é Indians together with a Brazil nut trader, Manoel Ferreira de Oliveira.
APIB, the Coalition of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, is joined by other Indigenous organisations and human rights groups in “vehemently rejecting” Dias’ appointment: “There are reports of numerous situations where the forced contact caused by missionary groups, including those linked to the MNTB, had as a rapid consequence a high number of deaths from diseases, socio-cultural disruption and displacement.” APIB further notes that technically competent and experienced staff could have been appointed from within FUNAI.
Enforcement of these Constitutional provisions establishing the right of Indigenous groups to their ancestral lands, and the duty for Brazil to demarcate those lands may also be at risk. Bolsonaro recently introduced a bill to open Indigenous lands to mining and other exploitation. If passed by Congress, Indigenous communities will not have the right to veto mining on their land.