Chief Raoni and the Kayapo under attack (Amazon Watch News)

[Moco Loco]

Seems like "public wareness" is weakening as a way to actually solve problems, so not sure what "government pressure" means in this context or how significant that is.

[allroock123]

Public awareness and support in mass often drives "shareholder awareness" , upset shareholders that "disinvest there money" can do far more damage to a coporation
with bad enviromental practices and sends a strong message, the Dongria Kondh in
India can attest to that fact in this example
The Real Avatar 2: Strength In Numbers - YouTube

[auroraglacialis]

Originally Posted by Niri Te

This was a VERY well thought out reply, thank you for posting it. I have a question for you, can their low tech traps be lethal, to the person tripping them, or should they just limit themselves to destroying the construction equipment? [...]
Once the Brazilian Government ant the power industry get their way, and remove these people from their homeland, I think that they should disperse within the general population, and then, with unpredictable and random acts, make them pay with money and blood for what they did. [...] please respond to my raising the question of the tribe changing their tactics and goals for a victory, Auoraglacialis, I am curious to hear what you think. When the Brazilian Government floods them out of their home, should they just roll over and die, or should they make make the organizations that did this to them pay dearly.[...]
Brie

I apologize for me being so slow to reply. I had this open in a tab for a while now. I knew a person in Colorado once that was also called Brie by the way - cool.
But back on topic. My personal opinion is that appropriate responses are not something that can be generalized. It all depends on the local situation, on the actions, on the land, on the people, on local politics, on factions and behaviour of the opponents. In general I would say, that the primary goal is to defend the land and the culture from destruction. If that is possible by raising awareness, protesting, marching, begging, media activities, global campaigns or petitions - fine, if it really does keep the harvesters and bulldozers from rolling. If it does not, I do fully understand and endorse the use of increasingly less benign forms of resistance. If protesting does not help, maybe civil disobedience will. If that does not, maybe sabotage does. And so on. Harming or killing people certainly is not the prime choice, but if the escalation of violence goes far enough without retreat or defeat, it sadly is often on the table. Just think how far the human species would go in defense of our home world against space invaders if they do not respond to pleas or bargains. For those people living in the Amazon or elsewhere, that land is their world and the people coming to take it and build dams or cut down the trees are the skypeople.
Once that is lost, it is a matter of debate on what is appropriate then. Certainly to roll over and die or give up is not really great, but of course one has to think even more about what the goals are at that time. Is it just revenge? Maybe that is appropriate for some. Maybe it shows some people that they cannot do the same withother people, if there are others left. Maybe it is senseless and something else has to be tried. I know that certainly the rage will in many people be large enough to fight on even after their home is lost. If only to get some of it back or some sort of compensation or recognition or the right to remain of ones own kind.

Originally Posted by allroock123

Chief Raoni does not want violence he wants to avoid it at all resonable costs, the best weapon the Kayapo people have is global presure on the goverment of Brazil and I can almost guarantee the so called crooked ranchers and settlers have far deeper roots then we are told , they are posably trying to bait the Kayapo into an action much like the RDA in avatar that labeled the Navi so called "terrorists" after they tryed to defend there land there are mind games being played that will likey end very badly for the kayapo if the root of the conflict is not called to light on the world stage.

Everyone on this side want to avoid violence at all costs - except one - defeat. What point is there in nonviolent resistance if one looses out in the end. If global pressure on politicians works, then that is great, but it requires a number of things that do not apply to the majority of countries. And those properties are true democracy and absence of corruption. But if politicians are elected in crooked elections, if the do not act like the people want them to act, if they act against the majority, if they are paid for by corporations or lobbys like that of ranchers and loggers - then even the best global campaign and sacks full of letters wont help. Maybe Brasil is not that bad - I dont know. But I feel that most politicians in positions of power are not to be trusted to choose in the interest of all the people.

Originally Posted by allroock123

Public awareness and support in mass often drives "shareholder awareness" , upset shareholders that "disinvest there money" can do far more damage to a coporation
with bad enviromental practices

As it was said in Avatar - killing the indigenous looks bad but one thing that shareholders dislike more than bad publicity is bad quartly numbers.
Occasionally yes - massive action on the side of public can change one action - but in almost all the cases that one worked, the result was that demand increased for other corporations that had the same, but less publicized, practices elsewhere. And the companies that get stunted go bancrupt, the people in the management and shareholders take their money out and reinvest in something with a differnt name aiming for the same target again.
If BP causes an oil spill in the GOM and people decide not to buy BP gasoline anymore, they usually do not stop driving a car but buy it from Exxon or Total forgetting that some years ago Exxon cause a massive spill in Alaska. And I bet Total's oil wells are not that much better than BPs.