Sônia Guajajara will be Lula’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples

The elected federal deputy Sonia Guajajara (PSOL-SP) was chosen to be the first minister of Indigenous Peoples. The official announcement should be made by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in the coming days, along with the rest of those chosen to occupy the Esplanada.

Guajajara was one of the three names sent by Apib (Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil) as suggestions for the highest position in the portfolio, which will be created by the next government. She spent Christmas in her village and arrived this Tuesday (27) in Brasília, where she will be formally invited by Lula, probably in a personal meeting – there have already been telephone conversations and she will accept the position.

Also on the list were Joênia Wapichana, a federal deputy who was not reelected from the Roraima Network, and the councilor of Caucaia (CE) Weibe Tapeba (PT).

The definition of its name took longer than expected, as shown in the Panel column, due to the lack of definition about the format that the future folder will have.

During the transition, Lula even indicated that, in fact, he could create a special secretariat instead of a ministry —a possibility that was promptly refuted by indigenous leaders, as shown by the Sheet🇧🇷

According to people involved in structuring the ministry, it will embrace Funai (National Indian Foundation) and may work with its budget at first. The transfer of the foundation, which today is under the Ministry of Justice, to the Indigenous Peoples, was one of the obstacles to formulating the folder’s organizational chart, since there are bureaucratic issues that need to be resolved in order to function.

For example, by law, land demarcations, which are the responsibility of Funai, need to go through the courts to be ratified.

Sesai (Secretary of Indigenous Health), one of the bodies with the highest budget within indigenous policy, should follow with the Ministry of Health.

The argument is that, firstly, a drastic change in all instances of indigenous policy at this time could disrupt the operation of some important areas —such as in the case of health.

At the same time, the indigenous movement understands that it is important to have capillarity within the federal government, that is, to also have space in other ministries and not just that of the Indigenous Peoples. In this sense, the demand is that the leadership of other bodies, such as Sesai or the secretariat responsible for indigenous education, also be occupied by indigenous leaders or people appointed by them.

An internationally known activist, Guajajara has emerged as the favorite to assume the portfolio in recent weeks.

She was elected federal deputy for the first time in this year’s election, in which she ran for São Paulo, and not for Maranhão, where she was born. The explanation is that the state of São Paulo is entitled to more deputies in the Chamber and is a region where it would have a greater potential for votes than in its homeland, due to the larger electoral college.

Guajajara’s choice for the ministry, however, will deplete the indigenous group in Congress.

Since the current deputy Joênia Wapichana (Rede-RR) was unable to be re-elected and left the Chamber in that legislature, only Célia Xakriabá (PSOL), elected in Minas Gerais, will be directly linked to the indigenous movement in the House.

As shown to Sheetin general, the indigenous bench will have names not recognized by the movement and also from the right, such as senator-elect Hamilton Mourão (Republicanos-SC and self-declared indigenous) and Silvia Waiapi (PL-RO), Bolsonarist.

Sônia Guajajara, 48, was born in the Arariboia Indigenous Land, in Maranhão, and moved to Imperatriz as a child. She became one of the main leaders of the indigenous movement, including speaking at United Nations summits.

In 2018, already in the PSOL, she was a candidate for vice president on the ticket of Guilherme Boulos.

With the choice of Sônia Guajajara and also that of elected federal deputy Marina Silva (Rede-SP), the latter for the Environment, the federation between the two parties will have two new names in the Chamber of Deputies.

As a result of the elections, the first two names on the alternate list for the state of São Paulo are professor Luciene Cavalcante and current deputy Ivan Valente, both from PSOL.