The Federation of Indian Organizations of the Negro River’s journey for traditional land demarcation in Brazil

The article aims to present the fight for government recognition of indigenous collective rights to land ownership in the Upper Rio Negro region in Brazil. It contextualizes the historical aspects of the colonization process in the region and the efforts to create the Federation of Indian Organizations of the Negro River (FOIRN). Focus of particular interest is how the organizational strategy adopted by the FOIRN has allowed the Indian population of the Upper Rio Negro to active participate in the land demarcation process, with their opinions heard and respected. The article was written with basis on information obtained from a varietyof sources, such as documents, conversations and interviews with the main social actors involved in the area, carried out during a field visit to São Gabriel da Cachoeira in January 2010.