Ururú Akuntsu: an obituary
by Survival
Last week we received news of the sad loss of Ururú Akuntsu. She was one of the last remaining members of the Akuntsu tribe who live in a small reserve in Rondônia state, western Brazil. There are now just five of them.
They have suffered as their forest home, friends and families were massacred over many years by ruthless ranchers in pursuit of land. Today they live in a territory recognised by the government and protected by FUNAI (government indigenous affairs department).
Altair Algayer, head of the nearby FUNAI outpost, remembers Ururú.
His brief recollections conjure the image of an astounding woman who had endured the worst that humanity can give, whilst retaining a gentle, warming spirit.
We know little of what Ururú’s life was like. We know that in the last 14 years that we have been with her that she was a happy, spontaneous person, a friend who was always attentive and receptive to our presence. She was a person admired by the whole group.
From what Konibú, Ururú’s brother has told us, she recounts that she had four children who were all shot dead during the massacre. We don’t know who her husband was or how he died. Afterwards when they were spotted in the forest they were persecuted like animals.
Their gardens were constantly destroyed and they had to move place every year. Their gardens were located by the ranchers in their airplanes and afterwards people went there on foot to destroy them. The Akuntsu lived by hiding; even so they resisted and didn’t leave their territory.
Their reaction at first contact with us (FUNAI) was to make signs that we should go away, and very slowly Ururú walked away from us, off into the forest. She didn’t react by running away, probably because of her physical condition. She was already of a certain age and not like a young person. But that was only in the first moment of contact.
Contact in some ways brought various problems for the Akuntsu and they will still face many in the future. But today they have more tranquility and fewer worries. No longer do they have to hide.
They can grow their gardens where they like without worrying about the ‘parabia’ or white man. Whenever they have a health problem they always come to our post for treatment. They show little interest for the material goods of the whiteman beyond our post or their indigenous territory.
Survival campaigner Fiona Watson has shared her thoughts in The Independent.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:46 am
So sorry to hear about this loss but thank you so much for sharing…Cannot even begin to imagine what it must feel like to lose loved ones in a massacre. Amazing to hear what this woman has had to endure…
October 21st, 2009 at 7:45 am
I am from Brazil and I leave and work in CPT, SA and I would like to know in spite of the speech on how Ururú lived or died. What Altair Algayer or FUNAI did towards to prevent or to help and assist the indigenous people groups in the Amazon Forest? If he and FUNAI supposed to protect the Indians and their land. What FUNAI and Altair are really doing about that?
October 21st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Ururu was obviously a proud woman and an inspiration to us all.
We have so much to learn from the poeple of the Amazon region
October 21st, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Como conterraneo gostaria simplesmente de enviar meus pesames com essa email. Eu sei que a situação humana é precaria. Mais ainda com os nossos conterraneos indigenas. Mas existem hoje em dia muitas personalidades que estão de olho. Meus intimos pesames e abraços a voces, Thomas Koch, Curitiba
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
A piece of each of us dies with Ururu. May her gentle spirit teach us all. And may her friends and tribespeople know some of us understand how important their lives and culture are to all our futures.
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:33 am
These tribes are our original ancestors and our true guardians. They took all the pains as civilisation took its roots in this world. They in fact gave us the beautiful modern world to live in. We owe them a lot but first thing we must do is to recognise their contribution to modern civilisation. Very difficult to imgine it seems. In fact whenever any history of modern civilisation is to be written , it should start with these tribes men and their sacrifices. I did not know about Ururu earlier but now I can definitely relate myself with her past and hope her departed soul rests in peace.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:09 am
In reply to Geraldo Braga:
FUNAI has a unit dedicated to the protection of uncontacted and recently contacted tribes. Its policy is not make contact with uncontacted tribes, but instead to map out and protect their lands. So far they have succeeded in demarcating over 1,700.000 hectares of land exclusively for uncontacted tribes and have several ‘ethno-environmental fronts’ in these areas to monitor and protect their lands. Many of these territories are in remote areas with little presence of the federal police, so undoubtedly there are big challenges in protecting them, especially as many are under constant and increasing pressure from loggers, ranchers and miners. The unit wants to expand its work and for this they need more personnel, funding and support from the federal government, which does not regard indigenous peoples as a priority.
In the case of the Akuntsu, the unit maintains a team of people in the Omerê territory (home to the five surviving Akuntsu). The territory of 26,000 hectares has been officially ratified. The Akuntsu are self sufficient – using the forest to hunt and fish and plant crops and now live in relative peace.
Survival continues to urge the Brazilian government to increase and improve the protection of tribal peoples’ lands from invaders and to prosecute those who commit crimes against them. We are also lobbying it to fully consult with tribal peoples about large scale dam and mining projects, which tribes are deeply opposed to.