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My father told me ‘I want you to be able to help your people one day’ (Brazil)
un articulo por UN Women
In the words of Samantha Ro’otsitsina de C. Juruna
(Tsitsina Xavante), a 28-year-old indigenous woman
of Xavante heritage from Namunkurá community in
the indigenous territory of San Marcos, Mato
Grosso state, in the Amazonian region of Brazil.
Trained in social services, she has a Masters in
Sustainability for Indigenous Peoples and
Territories. She is a member of the Comisión
Nacional de la Juventud Indígena (CNJI – National
Committee for Indigenous Youth) and the Red de
Juventud Indígena (REJUIND – Indigenous Youth
Network).
Samantha Ro'otsitsina de C. Juruna. National Indigenous Demonstration, Brasilia - October 2013. Photo: Régis Sousa.
click on photo to enlarge
The actions and initiatives of women, especially
young women, are important in influencing public
policies and advancing the rights of indigenous
people. Within the indigenous movement in Brazil,
more indigenous men are represented, but at the
same time all young people and indigenous women
are trying to overcome the challenges of the world
of politics, including participation in decision-
making.
I believe that one of the actions that can be
taken to support indigenous women in contemporary
processes of participation in decision-making and
consolidation of the legal framework is to
strengthen and recognize indigenous women for who
they are – with their knowledge and sensitivity to
see beyond the present moment with a view to
improving future generations. The critical
thinking that leads us to this belief does not
mean that we want to impose cultural questions; on
the contrary, we mean that culture is dynamic. In
this sense, we as women can also be active and
effective in political decision-making. We do not
want to offend men, but be united. We also promote
sustainability in health, education, culture, and
territorial matters, with an intergenerational
view.
These obstacles are being surmounted. I am a young
Xavante woman. I work mostly in the field of
political rights for indigenous people, on a
national rather than a local scale, on cultural
problems that play a role in political
discussions. My contributions have gained national
recognition, which makes my work easier and helps
me to achieve better results in political training
processes among my own people.
But there are even strong cultural aspects. I am
not married and have no children. Some men in my
tribe do not understand these factors that affect
contemporary women. It is not their fault. After
75 years of contact with non-indigenous societies,
we have no record of a Xavante woman capable of
political debate and support for the rights of
indigenous populations. This is a recent political
and cultural story for my people.
I am currently undergoing a phase of collective
learning as a young Xavante woman with experience
in local politics, which had previously only been
the domain of Xavante men. Some of these men are
taking advantage of the opportunity to learn about
the experiences I have had in the national
indigenous movement. In other indigenous groups in
Brazil women are already participating, and many
of them are contributing to debate within the
indigenous movement. But for the Xavante people,
cultural resistance to having a woman involved in
decision-making is still a challenge that has to
be overcome, by both women and men.
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But what encourages me most is knowing older people who support my contribution to helping uphold our rights. A Xavante elder called João Marinho Tsi’rowe told me recently: "It doesn’t matter what they say about you because the essence of life is the wisdom of women.
In addition to these words, I had a father who spent his life fighting for the rights of indigenous people, and who never discriminated between men and women. Mario Juruna was the first indigenous federal representative in Brazil. Before his death, he said to me: “I want you to be able to help your people one day."
Based on my participation in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW58), I hope to broaden my vision with regard to the rights of indigenous people and the rights of women, as well as to know and be able to exchange experiences with other indigenous women who also seek better collective wellbeing. In learning to fight for our rights, we, as indigenous women in Brazil, must also have international reference points.
Tsitsina Xavante is attending CSW58 on an Yvonne Hebert scholarship. The views expressed by CSW participants in these blogs are their own and may not necessarily reflect those of UN Women.
[Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.]
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