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Press release
The Motoco-Carednas Mapuche Community
with ancestral territory located
in the west side of the Rio Azul River, Lago Puelo Town,
wants to communicate to the rest of Mapuche communities
and the population in general,
that after two unpunished crimes committed against members of our family,
we are still suffering persecution and outrages.
A few days ago,
we founded fences made by anonymous hands invading our territory,
forcing us to make an extrajudicial defense.
Immediately after that episode,
apparently the same persons had broken our barnyards,
producing the lost of the animals that our community used to posses.
As if this harassment and aggression wouldn't be enough,
some men came in these days, wanting to make us believe that pine plantations
located in the Traditional Territory of the Community
belongs to them,
and in what we consider an inadmissible joke to our culture,
this new disregard is perpetuated by members of the family
that since years ago had been usurping
the communitarian territory and mistreating the community itself.
We have also received a telegram signed by Mr. Enrique Alejandro Korn
in which this man, showing an enormous arrogance
and a profound ignorance about the legislation regarding Indigenous Peoples,
threats with harming us,
we don't know exactly how,
the communitie members and even our neighbours,
in case we decide to use the faculties guarantied
by the Convention N 169 of the International Labour Organization,
to face the eviction that he pretends to make in our territory.
We want to communicate that our Mapuche Community
won't ever again allow any harassment or aggression,
or killings against our brothers in benefit of the greed
of many delinquents so called politicians,
forestry business man, friends and or neighbors.
We also know that many citizens support us and back us up unconditionally,
facing so much injustice and discrimination daily.
We are calling to all society to keep joining us in this uneven fight.
The union of everyone will be vital to protect our integrity
and our territorial, cultural and ancestral rights.
From Ancestral Territory, May the 4th, 2009.
Motoco-Cardenas Mapuche belonging territory
-These are Mr. Korn's pines…which he claims to own.
That's Oregon…and there is another one that doesn't have commercial value, the Ponderosa.
Those weren't planted…the seeds flew and grew.
Oregon is useful, you can make sticks from it,
but the other one is no good, so we have to chop them and make firewood.
They planted the trees, and closed the zone avoiding the animals to get inside for eating.
So, it's not only harmful to the earth, but also to the animals.
This problem is since ever…
a few years ago we founded out who Korn was
and all the politic power he has,
then, a few years ago, an agent from Korn came
who also works in Puelo's municipality,
and he took half of all the pines in this zone.
-What's his name? -Cané...
...and as we were alone back then,
we thought "if we don't let him, we will have problems, something might happen to us…"
so for fear we let him take the pines.
But now they came back,
with other intentions, threatening...
and another forestry business man came
saying that if we didn't let him pass he would bring the police.
And this time we said no…that's not the way,
first you should ask and give participation…
if they want to act correctly they should inform us, and anticipate what they want to do,
for us to decide as a community if we allow it or not,
but not even that they did.
When they threaded us we said no,
we have rights that these people don't know about
and are guaranteed in the National Bill of Rights
and by the Convention N° 169 of the International Labour Organization
Article 13 "Governments shall respect the special importance...
...that for cultures and spiritual values of the people concerned...
...regards their relationship with earth and territories"
Article 14 "Shall be recognized to the people concerned the right of ownership and possession of the lands
that they traditionally occupy.
In addition, in appropriate cases,
should be taken measures to safeguard the right of the people concerned
to use those lands that were not exclusively occupied by them,
but to which they had had traditionally access for their subsistence and traditional activities."
We denounced this to all delagations
and then after many denounces
they answered via fax
asking for our propriety title...
What title? If the state itself denies us that title.
So we felt really bad,
because what they were asking was impossible.
They always win like that. It's contradictory.
We are a Mapuche community, originary…
and native communities didn't need titles for occupation,
because we were here before the state.
Motoco was my grand grandfather.
The first settler in this zone.
That's where the river and the hill gets their names after.
This is our origin,
so how can we let someone to come here and take what it's ours?
To acquire possession over the resources...
The fence it's every time nearer.
This used to be only one piece of land.
From where we started, up to 100 meters beyond the fence.
It's one land. It's clear how he moved the fence.
Now Korn came for the lands that he clayms are his, and he began from there.
Another man, Fatorini, he used to make notes for IAC (Land Colonization Commission)
We have the file, so we know all he has writen.
So this man moved the fence and IAC listened to what he said,
cause he promised that he was going to change the history of these place,
not like the people from here that the only thing they do is racing animals.
Then IAC gave all my uncle's land to this man,
and my uncle used to pay taxes and everything.
At first, every time this man moved the fence
my aunt came with the chainsaw to it down,
until one night, that there was a barbecue in the zone,
and many people came to spend the day,
at dawning someone, someone killed the aunt.
Four years went by, and the uncle...
...this was all part of a plan...
...knowing that my aunt was the strong one, and the only one who would stand up,
it was easier for them with the uncle beeing alone.
He was very old, and never discussed about anything,
he never fought for his rights,
he was an obedient man because of the fear.
And finally he also appeared dead in the river too,
Not so long ago, we saw the file of his case,
and for justice it was a suicide,
but not for us. He was thrown into the river.
And now, for their memory we are still fighting,
and we will not negotiate with these shameless people.
They are seeking to get us tired, with all the things they do…
And we do get tired, but then we grab some energy and keep going...
Because is our mother earth who gives us… -And do you feel alone or...?
-No, we feel companied. By the communities and some neighbors…
Many people came living here from other places…
the local people are afraid to speak, because they can lose the social card,
they wouldn't receive anymore the boxes of food they get from the goverment,
or could lose the working plans,
so local people aren't baking-us-up because they are afraid.
And to our aunt and uncle they did the same, with fear, for how long?
Since my grandfather…he was son of Mapuches,
and he didn't taught directly to he's sons the language because of fear.
The same fear made the culture poor,
but today however, we are recovering these lost things,
because in the houses there still are small things and manners that remains,
and we have to stay firm in those things…
and not forgetting who we are.
By the contraire, to say loud "this is me"
"why such discrimination?"
For example, when Korn's attorney came, Nosokowsky is his last name
he told us "Mapuches came from Chile"
…that's a man who doesn't know about our history.
my relative answered, "and were does the gringos come from?
At least Chile it was near here, and it used to be an only piece of land.
Neighbors came and go, that's the history.
They used to cross the mountains, and there was no limit.
If Mapuche from there came here it's the same territory, and those people doesn't understand it.
So we are not going let Korn to take this,
no, things must be done well.
We have laws that protects our rights.
We didn't have participation
and Korn will have to pay for all the damage he has done,
in fourty years that we couldn't race animals,
neither work the land, he will have to pay for all that.
There are many mapuches communities, people and nehigbors helping us,
and we will go on like this, firm till the end,
because we have childrens, and we don't want our sons to suffer the fear that uncle had,
one must remain strong, for them to be well in the future.
-Thank you
TO CONTACT THE COMMUNITY COMMUNICATE TO FM ALAS RADIO: FMALAS@ELBOLSON.COM WWW.DELKIWI.COM.AR