Indigenous People in Costa Rica Work to Regain Land

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   NEW YORK (UMNS) – The challenge for indigenous people in Costa Rica is not just regaining control of their land but also sustaining themselves and their environment.

    Esther Camac, a Methodist involved in Ixacavaa, a 3-year-old nonprofit indigenous organization, discussed that challenge during a March 8 briefing sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

    Like other countries, Costa Rica has laws protecting indigenous people. "We have the laws, but we don't have control of the resources and we don't have control of the territory," Camac said.

    Ixacavaa is working with indigenous leaders on a plan to manage their territory. Obstacles have included language differences, a lack of access to information and government plans, and a lack of comprehension by the government about the indigenous way of life.

    An example of those problems occurred two years ago, after the indigenous community lost its crops to a flood. "The government's response was to provide the community with some seeds and technical assistance so they could sow the seeds," Camac explained. But the seeds were genetically modified and required the use of chemical fertilizer, which differed from traditional cultivation practices. "The result was we lost 80 percent of the harvest."

    To help regain control of their territory, the indigenous people are taking inventory of their resources, such as the total size of the land, amount of forested land, amount of food produced locally and the potential for growing more food. "We're learning that this is land that is very fertile and could provide much," she said.

    Food security is a top priority. The five-year goal is to have each family grow enough food for itself and to teach the young to use traditional forms of agriculture.

    The General Board of Global Ministries currently has a Global Justice Volunteer, Mary Miller of Wisconsin, placed with Ixacavaa in Costa Rica.

More Information:

• Global Connections: Costa Rica
• Indigenous Peoples, Response, October 2000
• Openings Available for Global Justice Volunteers
• Global Justice Volunteers