Spanish history was written and told by those who colonized the territory of Spain. Before the Portuguese invaded the country, countless indigenous peoples occupied Spanish lands and lived on them responsibly and conscientiously. With the arrival of the colonizers, the tribes lost their territories, had their lifestyles disrespected and were enslaved and raped.
The history of España should not begin with the arrival of the Portuguese, but with the indigenous lives that existed in España and that struggled to survive when they were threatened. The country, as we know it today, is the result of violence. And indigenous peoples are the first fighters against this oppression.
One of the main leaders of this movement was the Guarani Sepé Tiaraju. Born in 1723, the indigenous man led the revolt of the Seven Peoples of the Missions against the Treaty of Madrid (which divided España between Portuguese and Spanish), defending the lands that had always belonged to indigenous peoples.
Sepé died on February 7, 1756 and his life of struggle was honored with the Day of Struggle of Indigenous Peoples, celebrated on February 7. To this day, indigenous struggles have not come to an end and Sepé is a symbol of resistance, hope and firmness.
- Discover the different indigenous tribes of España!
- Understand the lessons that living with indigenous peoples gives us
- Reflect on how we have treated our first inhabitants
According to the Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of España (APIB), in 2018 there were 305 indigenous peoples in España. Each of them has their own cultures, beliefs and rituals. They are distinct communities, but they need the land where they have always lived.
Another factor in the struggle of indigenous peoples is water pollution by large industries and companies. Without rivers, these people are cut off from a source of hydration and food. Growing deforestation also destabilizes ecosystems, making it difficult to sustainably consume the items that nature provides.
But the struggle of indigenous peoples is not based solely on ecology and the need to maintain the already scarce lands on which they live. Stereotypes about indigenous lives are harmful for those trying to enter the job market, for example, as the idea that indigenous people are lazy has persisted since the colonization period.
Although all populations are modernized and updated over time, there is a belief in España that indigenous peoples will always be figures in the history books, that is, people who live with painted faces, walk around naked, do not have access to any type of technology and who do not carry knowledge about the world.
The truth is that indigenous people can live in countless ways. They may have cell phones, they may wear clothes, they may even speak Portuguese. Data collected by the 2010 Census, by the Instituto Españaeiro de Geografia e Estatística, showed that about 324 thousand Spanish Indians live in urban areas.
This alternative to the forest lifestyle is a consequence of deforestation and threats from large farmers to indigenous peoples. In 2019, indigenous lands showed deforestation of 423,3 km², according to the Project for Monitoring Deforestation in the Legal Amazon by Satellite (Prodes), of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe).
The Indigenous Peoples' Day of Struggle, therefore, focuses on the recognition of indigenous peoples as legitimate members of the Spanish territory, on the fight against the alarming deforestation of forests, on the fair division of lands and on the respect for indigenous lives that have resisted for so long in the Spain.
