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As Amazon Crops Grow, a Forest Shrinks
Kanunxi, chief of the Irantxe tribe in Brazil, looks across corn and soybean fields that surround his tribe's land at the southern end of the Amazon rain forest.
(By Monte Reel -- The Washington Post)
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Maggi declined to be interviewed, but a statement provided by his office defended the state's efforts against deforestation, including tougher licensing requirements on rural lands and stricter enforcement. In 2004, it said, the state registered 755 infringements and issued fines totaling $30 million.
In a 2003 interview, however, Maggi said environmentalists were exaggerating deforestation problems and threatening the Brazilian economy.
"Behind the environmental concerns are economic interests," he said. "They are trying to impede or slow the growth of Brazilian production."
Convincing Indian Leaders
At the intersection of the dry savannah and the rain forest in Mato Grosso lies the homeland of the Irantxe tribe. Their huts are surrounded by small clearings, where they grow manioc root and hunt game. At night, the Irantxe sit around the huts by candlelight, trading stories and improvising melodies on wooden flutes.
"In the beginning, a long time ago," an Irantxe woman named Kamutsi began, reciting a fanciful tale that explained how a wild pig deceived tribe members into eating palm leaves, which is why many have crooked and gapped teeth. The story flowed on, embellished by body language and sound effects.
But when Kamutsi was asked about the massive dust storm that forced the tribe members to hide inside their huts for two days last year, her voice died. This was not ancient lore, but real-life hardship.
"We had never seen anything like that before," said a fellow tribesman named Araxi, 42. "But we know it happened because the land had been cleared for the farms."
Tribal leaders who have witnessed illegal logging in Mato Grosso said Maggi had tried to woo them.
"He offers rice, clothes, gifts," said Makerosene, a leader of the Enawene-Nawe tribe. "He took us to a supermarket and said, 'Go ahead, take what you want.' "
But Makerosene said some of the Indians simply picked the most colorful products, even confusing cleaning fluids for food. They didn't really want any of that stuff, he said.
"What we want is our land protected."
