Property rights and violence in indigenous land in Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil establishing secure rights to indigenous land is a prerogative of the President and is the main tool for conducting indigenous policy. It is also highly controversial with intense debate as to the extent of land which should be considered indigenous and the extent of rights that should be protected. Despite strong constitutional rights, indigenous territories have been regularly encroached by an expanding economy. It is thus not clear that this policy instrument can effectively protect indigenous rights and avoid the depredation and devastation of their land and communities. I analyze data on all indigenous lands in Brazil to measure the impact of property rights on violence. To deal with the reverse causality from violence to property rights as well as omitted variables, I exploit an indigenous land titling program from 1996 to 2005 that selected for territories that were most prone to violence. Using as counterfactual a matched sample of territories that did not receive this treatment, I provide causal evidence that stronger property right to indigenous land can reduce violence.