Rainforests are not the only things under threat in the Amazon region. There has also been an uptick in violence against native peoples: land invasions, illegal exploitation of natural resources and damage caused by invaders of indigenous lands went from 96 in 2017 to 109 in 2018.
Indigenous peoples
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Church and tribal leaders gather for Native American anti-poverty summit
An anti-poverty summit that took place at the University of Notre Dame Oct. 15-17 brought together American Indian tribal leaders from around the country to discuss poverty issues on their reservations, with a goal of formulating tribal/church strategies to address that poverty.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Cardinal Gracias: ‘We must give answers to the issues that have emerged at the synod’
The Indian cardinal described his experience during the synod so far as an “eye-opener,” allowing him to discover connections to what indigenous communities in his native land are experiencing.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Thieves steal wood carvings used at synod prayer and throw them in the river
Video of the pre-dawn theft from the Santa Maria in Traspontina church was shared and celebrated on conservative social media on Oct. 21. The Vatican’s communications czar, Paolo Ruffini, termed it a “stunt” that violated the idea of dialogue.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Development proposals at synod raise questions about indigenous rights
Proposals for Amazonian development made by well-known observers at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon could conflict with the expectations of indigenous people unless they are included in decision-making, some synod participants said.
Posted inFaith, News
Amazon synod must give hope to indigenous, not hollow words, participant says
“We told the Holy Father that we are afraid because we are forgetting our language; it is being extinguished because we are asphyxiated by the models of development that come from outside that do not respect life.”
Posted inOf Many Things, Politics & Society
Columbus Day is a chance to acknowledge a nuanced history in a polarized world
What exactly are we celebrating on Columbus Day?
Posted inFaith, News
Tikuna deacon to be first priest from Amazonian tribe
Deacon Pereira will become the first priest from the Tikuna ethnic group, a tribe of about 60,000 people that live deep in the Amazon, along a stretch of the jungle shared by Colombia, Peru and Brazil.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
In Coachella Valley, Catholic Church ministers to indigenous Purépechas
Members of nonprofit Catholic missionary groups have traveled the Eastern Coachella Valley area, seeking to connect with the indigenous Purépecha community.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Indigenous Catholics hope Amazon Synod will strengthen connection to the church
The church has made a great effort to build a genuinely indigenous Catholic tradition in the Amazon region, reports Eduardo Campos Lima, and indigenous leaders have great hopes for the upcoming synod.