On November 11, 1995, the Kiriri tribe reclaimed Mirandela village, part of an Indian reserve in the northern state of Bahia, Brazil, which had been occupied by non-Indians for many years. Ten years later, on November 11, 2005, they remembered this significant date, remaking the passage for reconquering. Lázaro, chieftain of the Kiriris, said, "We are not commemorating anything. We are remembering and showing how we retake what was ours. We will recoup our culture, our way of life. We are returning with Indian teachers. It's hard, but with effort, our sons and grandsons can understand the value of the culture of native people. We have our wisdom, that was hidden—the knowledge was hidden because the non-Indian put a black band on the eyes, and doesn't see us." He continued, "Five hundred years of slaughter, but the Indian remains. It's a path of light, love, patience. This"—showing his dress—"isn't straw, rope nor fiber; this means five hundred years of resistance." |Photos: Lunaé Parracho
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