Do Indigenous Lives Matter?

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Been following the series of murders of indigenous leaders in Honduras: Berta Cáceres last week, Nelson Garcia today, and many more before. I gathered those guys used to live in (or had been historically pushed into) remote, moutainous areas that are now being coveted for hydropower.

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These killings are the extreme manifestation of a systematic crackdown on environmental and land defenders in Honduras. According to the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), more than 300 hydroelectric dams are planned for Honduras, of which 49 are on indigenous lands. [...]

Given that state control is often attained through violence, a few more figures become relevant. One hundred one environmental activists were killed in Honduras between 2010 and 2014, making it the most dangerous country anywhere in which to try to defend the Earth.

Nine land defenders were attacked just yesterday, March 15, between the time we began writing this article and when we completed it. COPINH member Nelson Garcia, who had been helping recover lands on Rio Lindo, was assassinated in his home on March 15 while the Rio Lindo community was forcibly evicted. This brings to 14 the number of COPINH members who have been murdered since the group was founded in 1993.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/03/16/why-was-berta-caceres-assassinated

So, the question is: Do you think such "indigenous groups" are doomed to disappear, to lose their fight for whatever land they have left, to melt into the global sodding village? How can they possibly win?

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Do you think such "indigenous groups" are doomed to disappear, to lose their fight for whatever land they have left, to melt into the global sodding village? How can they possibly win?

There's this greart TV show in France that takes a celebrity and bring him or her to a couple of weeks of life in the wild, amid some indigenous tribe or another. It's called Rendez-vous en Terre Inconnue and has pretty good ratings.

It's not condescending re. the people and communities they visit, very respectful rather, but there is one aspect that bothers me, which is that they keep saying that these indigenous lifestiles will disappear soon, that they are doomed to be absorbed by "modernity". Not sure it's true, since explorators were already saying the same thing one century ago. At the same time I just can't see how they can survive, on the long term.

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@Olivier5,

I haven't been reading about dams for quite a while, so I'm not clear what I think now about dams themselves. There was a lot of controversy about them in California some decades ago, and I presume there is still some, and that, I think, in at least one situation, involves tribal rights but I'm not sure there is any electrical power feature involved with that. I'll have to read up. Meantime, California (and many places) need to be able to store such water as does fall from the sky these days... or produced by desalinization, which I gather is expensive to do.

300 hydroelectric dams? sounds like a great many to me, but of course it's not just re water but the power it can provide. I should think there would/should be indigenous rights in place, but apparently not. Tough situation.

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@Olivier5,

Olivier5 wrote:

Do you think such "indigenous groups" are doomed to disappear, to lose their fight for whatever land they have left, to melt into the global sodding village? How can they possibly win?

given what we see/do in Canada/US/Australia/Caribbean .... I am not optimistic

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@ossobuco,

Yes, hydropower is in theory a good thing for a nation to have. And these sorts of projects always run into local opposition. I guess there are countries where the people affected can get a fair compensation, and others where they can get a bullet in their head. With some overlaps between the two sets of countries. There's a case in Nantes, France, about an airport project. It's pretty conflictual too.

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@Olivier5,

There is also the new canal cut by China going on - that one I was a 'no' on. Haven't followed it.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/new-canal-through-central-america-could-have-devastating-consequences-180953394/?no-ist

I see I have reading to do.
I'll look re Nantes. So is furthering Heathrow a matter of unhappiness.

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@ehBeth,

Right. Long term prospects of survival are bleak at best.

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@ossobuco,

Thanks. I had vaguely heard of the Nicaragua canal, i think... It's big. The Chinese dig that.

This thing about the government wanting to rush things comes often. There are busy people involved, with spreadsheets and timetables. Deals yet to be signed. Pockets waiting to be lined.

About Nantes:
http://www.thelocal.fr/20160125/does-france-really-need-a-new-airport-hub-in-the-west

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Saw this article today about an ancient Maya child sacrifice site in Belize. Chilling....

Evidently no people is perfect - indigenous or not...

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