Since the 10th of September indigenous peoples of ten ethnics, in majority Tembé, have occupied the headquarters of the town hall in Tomé-Açu in the state of Pará. The reason for their protest was the firing of health and education workers in various indigenous villages.
The protesters are demanding not just improvements in health and school units, but also improvements in roads that lead to villages, the reemployment of the fired indigenous health and education workers and the payment of salaries of workers, who have not been fired yet. The salaries of these workers haven't been paid since July!
The indigenous people of the area were not going to sit idly by while the people, who care and work for their communities, were getting fired. When they noticed the workers were losing their jobs, they didn't wait to take action and took their problem right back to its source.
The old Brazilian state, that spends millions of dollars in the construction of stadiums no one needs and drives the expenditures for police and military to the roof and beyond, makes deep cuts in sectors that are the most needed by the people. Furthermore, the indigenous peoples are in constant threat of losing their lands to big corporations and the old Brazilian state, which tends to see these lands as reserves of exploitable natural resources.
The loss of lands are not the only way the indigenous peoples suffer. Through the destruction of nature and the pollution of natural resources like food and water in rivers, there are serious health problems that these people have to face. To have the state fire people in the health sector is not just unjust, it's a clear and open aggression.
The old Brazilian state probably has its mind set that they can make cuts, which they believe they can get away with it. Just like taking candy from a baby, right? Wrong. You pour the gasoline of oppression on the oppressed and the fire of their hate will blow up in your face and burn you to ashes.
The indigenous people's struggle is a rightful one. Their example shows that they do not see their struggle as a separate, but as one and the same as the workers' and that they are willing to fight for them as much as they are willing to fight for themselves.