2022 Census
With MPO's support, IBGE signs cooperation agreement to complete the Census in Yanomamis’ lands
March 03, 2023 11h00 AM | Last Updated: March 06, 2023 04h27 PM
Yesterday (March 02), the IBGE signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement with the purpose of completing the 2022 Population Census data collection in the indigenous lands of the Yanomamis. The initiative was coordinated by the Minister of Planning and Budget (MPO), Simone Tebet, together with the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, and the Minister of Defense, represented by the chief of Joint Operations, General José Eduardo Pereira. The ministerial front was composed to make enumeration possible by means of exchange of goods and personnel, as well as logistic support.
Census team for Yanomami territory received special training to carry out the task - Photo: IBGE collection
During the first phase of the census operation, which ended on February 28, data was collected from about half of the residents in Yanomami territories, leaving for later the other half, who live in areas with more complex access. The special operation will start next Monday (3/6).
In a context of official, federal, institutional and unconditional support to the Census, Minister Simone Tebet reinforced her most absolute trust in the IBGE’s work. “Few institutes in the world have the capacity and efficiency of the IBGE. That is due to the valuable work of its servants who, even earning less than they would like, literally put on their vest, knocking from door to door, to X-ray the Brazil we are”, she said. Ms. Tebet also highlighted the symbolism of completing the 2022 census collection with a native people. “The IBGE will count how many Yanomanis we are. Yes, because historically that is the people we are. How beautiful it is being able to say that the Brazilian Census will finish where it all started, with the Indigenous Peoples, with the Yanomami people”, said Ms. Tebet.
Read more: IBGE starts now the data processing phase
Minister Sônia Guajajara emphasized the relevance of the work front to guarantee the Yanomami Census. “If we lack this definition, this clarity, on the real Yanomami population, we cannot fight against the ongoing calamity, by providing health assistance and food. So it this front is very important to complete, together with the IBGE, the enumeration of that people and, therefore, guarantee the best care”, she claimed.
Flávio Dino highlighted the importance of the event to ensure indigenous rights. “Some think there is too much land for few indigenous. And, if the enumeration cannot stand up to this kind of prejudice, some people will feel free to go on spreading that fallacy. We have the amount of land necessary to the organization of the Indigenous Peoples. A quality enumeration will corroborate the indigenous rights written in the constitution.
According to Acting President and Director of Surveys Cimar Azeredo, the support of the Minister of Planning and Budget and of the ministerial front has played an essential role in the completion of the Census in Yanomami lands. He indicated the expectation of a much higher number of Yanomami indigenous than the number collected in the 2010 Census. “Today I have 21,579 Yanomamis enumerated, of whom 9,9993 are in the Amazonas and 11,586 in Roraima. In 2010, we had 26,000 Yanomamis in both areas. We expect to surpass that number by far, maybe reaching even up to 32,000 Yanomamis”, he explained.
Mr. Azeredo also stressed that the IBGE fulfills its role of carrying out the enumeration according to the international recommendations. “The Brazilian Census has a team of traditional peoples and communities which is ahead of the Census. It is today the same team of 2018 with a great level of detail for this amazing operation. Brazil is probably one of the few countries of he world to accomplish the Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization, which indicates that no one can enter indigenous lands before talking to the local leaders. We talked to all off them. We did not go in any area without talking first to the leaders”, he stated.
