09/11/2005 - Indigenous peoples

An estimated 735.000 indigenous people are living in Brazil. Estimates differ according to the definition of who is indigenous.

These indigenous people are living in different ways: some are living in their own areas, some are living in the city, others have not been contacted yet and live completely isolated. Another category is formed by the persons who are just in these days identifying themselves (again) as indigenous people.

The indigenous population is divided in 235 different peoples and these are located in 24 of the 27 states of Brazil. There are 180 different languages spoken by these peoples.

In the last 500 years 1470 peoples have been eradicated, most of them were living in the north of Brazil (820).

Recognized as indigenous lands are 841 areas. However, only 323 of these areas are officially registered (situation at 24 October 2005).

The process of registering the indigenous areas consists of five stages:

1. Identification: study by a working group of Funai (the National Governmental Council on Indigenous Issues) of the original borders (legal and historical documents, conversations, archaeology, sociology etcetera)

2. Declaration: the Ministry of Justice declares the size of the indigenous area

3. Demarcation: physical delimitation of the indigenous area

4. Homologation (Ratification): the President of the Republic puts his signature to approve the demarcation

5. Registration: the indigenous area is officially registered in the notary office

In Brazil the regularisation of the indigenous lands is as follows (data of 24 October 2005):