Country: Brazil

Group: Ticuna

Date Finalized: 3/28/2020

Team: Johanna McCombs (lead), Leilani Alva, Giselle Chavez

Content Warning: violence, child death, death, genocide

Approximate Time Period: 1950-present

The Ticuna or Tikuna are an Amazonian tribe in Brazil that have faced years of violence and discrimination. In the mid-1900’s the Ticuna faced rubber-tappers, fishermen, and loggers slowly taking their land which also resulted in violent acts (Povos Indigenos No Brazil, n.d.). In 1988, 14 Ticuna were killed including children and 9 were reported missing. Logger Oscar Castelo Branco ordered the killing, and was put in jail for homicide, while  The Federal Prosecution Service of Brazil declared these murders genocide. (MPF, n.d.). The Ticuna still faced their land being taken away by “rubber bosses” who still owned their land.  They also faced harassment from outside groups, which resulted in additional conflicts (Povos Indigenos No Brazil, n.d.). In 2004, the sentences were reduced for the logger who ordered the killings in 1988 along with 14 others. This shows the continuing persecution and threats against the Ticuna is still prevalent today, but there is a lack of documentation of specific instances (Minority Rights Group, n.d.).

Sources

  1. Povos Indigenos No Brazil (n.d.). Ticuna—Indigenous Peoples in Brazil. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/Povo:Ticuna#History_of_contact
  2. Minority Rights Group (n.d.) Tikuna. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://minorityrights.org/minorities/tikuna/
  3.  MPF (n.d.). Massacre of Ticuna Indians in the municipality of Benjamim Constant—Attorney General’s Office in Amazonas. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2020, from http://www.mpf.mp.br/am/projetos-especiais/memorial/atuacoes-de-destaque/massacre-de-indios-ticuna-no-municipio-de-benjamim-constant