Next Tuesday I’m flying back to the UK, Leeds, after 4 months of intense research and personal events. These have been difficult months, spent in a complex city with a ever-changing political climate, marked by a deep personal involvement and efforts (I’ll need a long period of recovery). Months that reminded me (another time in my life) how important and necessary is to fight for a change that can happen only be struggling.
As often happens, they are dutiful thanks to all of those groups who have given me the opportunity to work with them: the FIP, the Fórum de Lutas, Assembléia Popular Grande Tijuca, Assembléia Popular (Cinelândia), Universidade Indigena Aldeia Maracana among many others.
Individually, I would like to thank the people I meet, that are many and I will not name them all (you know who you are); a special thanks to all the people with whom I have made interviews, who helped me in the work (and a huge discount in the cubic meter of books I am taking back toEurope ) and to my sweet (and sometimes rough) partner.
I also greet with joy the birth of the Popular Group Research in Action (in short more details).
I would like to mention two episode that happen while greeting.
1. At the beginning of the last assembly of the FIP I gave a very short public speech that that one would have been my last meeting with them and many people murmured sad. Only few minutes after a comrade spoke to greet me, emphasizing the importance of the international fight and thanking me for the effort in building the FIP. After he called me to received two books for in form of thanksgiving and remembrance. For me it was a very strong moment, to be celebrated in front of everyone: it showed again the strong political and personal links that I build in these months and the goodness of my work.
2. On my last day in Rio de Janeiro I managed (so many things to do in the last days/hours!) to go to CESAC, a centre for indigenous cultures. There I met various natives from the Universidade Aldeia Maracana and member of the resistance during the evictions. The aims of the visit were mainly to greetings, see the space and buy some memories of indigenous art (like bracelets and necklaces). At the end I had an amazing experience: not only they give us an incredible discount on various items but the they have taught me important lessons. While I was there we discussed various things, the resistance of the Aldeia Maracana, how the Amazonian forest is managed by the natives, the links between native and researcher that seem only to work for the static preservation of native culture and not improving actively the existence and culture of the today Indians. They told me that a researcher, after many years of relationship and reciprocal exchanges of gifts, brought to some Indians a chocolate made in a European country, stamped on the package: “the best chocolate in the world”. Obviously, the researcher did not see the extreme “irony” to give to native people the natural product of the earth from which they are continuously expelled, reproducing a discourse of domination. After I received a traditional removable tattoo made with an extract from a seed from the forest. Moreover they gifted me a house carved in a seed with the size of a hand. Just few days ago, speaking about research/movement the same Indian asked me “What will you give back to Aldeia Maracana once in UK?”. They all know that I was with them during the resistance, that I was on that side and they genuinely want to know if I will be the cliche researcher who is running away with its data, like an exam. When I was at the CESAC I felt my bond with the people of the Aldeia Maracana and the pressure for disseminate their cause and mission. I am honored for the confidence they given me and I sincerly hope to be up to the their expectation.
I do not know if a short return to Rio de Janeiro but surely #nãovaitercopa !
Abraço!
Urutau Guajajara asked me to remember you to tell the queen that Raoni is not the only indigenous in the world.