On the night of 20 April, Galdino, a symbol of resistance in the defence of indigenous rights, was honoured in Brasilia. An inter-religious act in memory of the Pataxó Hã Hã Hãe occurred in the exact location in which he was assassinated 20 years ago, in the square called the Praça do Compromisso, but known as the Praça do Índio (the Square of the Indian).
Galdino was killed by five middle class young people, as he slept at a bus stop near the square. Ninety-seven percent of his body was burnt and he was unable to survive the injuries he sustained. On the night, the climate was one of indignation and protest by indigenous people, who continue to die as victims of a lack of public policies to protect the culture and way of life of these original peoples.
Indigenous peoples and representatives of churches and ecumenical organizations came together around the monument to remember Galdino’s death, in order to honour him. The act included hymn singing, poetry readings, the lighting of candles and chants, such as “Galdino Lives”.
The act was conducted by the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil (Conselho Nacional de Igrejas Cristãs: CONIC), in partnership with the ACT Ecumenical Forum of Brazil (Fórum Ecumênico ACT Brasil: FE ACT), the Ecumenical Youth Network (Rede Ecumênica de Juventude: REJU, the Federal District’s Indigenous Council, the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Brasilia (Comissão Justiça e Paz da Arquidiocese de Brasília: CJP-DF), the Indigenous Missionary Council (Conselho Indigenista Missionário: CIMI) and the Brazilian Commission for Justice and Peace (Comissão Brasileira Justiça e Paz: CBJP).