Component 10

Indigenous peoples and relevant agencies trained in the protection of the forest from threats originating outside the reserve.

The Project is supporting the training of indigenous community members in basic forest protection techniques, particularly threat from fires and from garimpeiro (miner) incursions. In order to achieve this, it is engaging national institutions to train indigenous community members in protection techniques and establish coordination mechanisms with the indigenous communities.

On the Suriname side, the major difficulty in developing training has been the lack of a presence of relevant protection and law enforcement agencies in the border region.  The Surinamese military avoids operations in the border region because the Trios live adjacent to the disputed region with Guyana, hence the Project is negotiating with military commanders to have military personnel visit the villages regularly to make their presence greater felt and to create an environment for cooperation in land conservation in southernmost Suriname.

On May 5, 2006, Project staff conducted a meeting with the Suriname Minister of Defense and his staff to discuss the security issue along the Suriname-Brazil border.  The Minister made a political commitment to maintain communication with the Project and the Trios, thereby contributing to safety in the region and helping to prevent illegal activities .  The Ministry will appoint a counterpart to communicate with the Project and the Trios on a daily basis. Ongoing discussions have resulted in a communication mechanism for indigenous representatives with the Ministry of Justice and state police, a 24-hour hotline to report illegal activities on traditional lands.  In addition, representatives of the Ministry of Defense participated in mapping expeditions conducted by Trio researchers and Project staff in July and August, 2006. Communication equipment such as walkie-talkies, surveillance equipment such as cameras, and voice recorders were supplied to the Project’s indigenous partners for surveillance of indigenous lands’ border entry points from Brazil and the capital city of Paramaribo.

The Project has engaged in negotiations with the Fire Department of Suriname to build a relationship and gauge enthusiasm for their engagement in future training activities.  As a result, a fire control training session was conducted from April 16-17 2005 by Surinamese fire department employees for community members of the village of Kwamalasamutu. 

In Brazil, the ACT regional coordinator in the Tumucumaque, a trained park guard, provided instruction for an IBAMA trainee team in park fire control. GPS devices were purchased for the use of indigenous cartographers/researchers on both sides of the border, both for training purposes and execution of risk mapping.  22 indigenous representative received training in firefighting techniques from the Amapá Military Fire Brigade during the first indigenous park guard training course in mid-September 2005, and an additional 26 were trained in the second course in November 2006. Communication mechanisms between the Brigade and indigenous leaders were discussed. 

From May to September 2005, Project partner ACT and the indigenous associations installed four fixed radios specifically for vigilance communication in the Tumucumaque Indigenous Park.  In addition, two mobile two-way radios were also made available to the expeditions and guard teams.  These radios were also accompanied by solar panels and equipment training for the indigenous operators. During the inauguration of the vigilance and protection training center in December 2005, park guards were supplied with full uniforms and field gear, and the local indigenous association was provided with, among other materials, an outboard motor and eight solar panels for the construction of a cultural center. The tribes determined which areas would be best served by the radios; and from February-April 2006, solar-powered radios were installed in five indigenous villages (Aldeia Bona, Boca do Marapi, Para Para, Pitinga, and Maritepu) and are now fully operational. 

This page was last updated on Friday June 15, 2007.