Document nº 115/2002/CaDIM/MPF

Brasília, 7 March 2002

Subject: Yanomami blood

Sir,

We understand that, in the 1960s, American researchers took blood sample from Yanomami Indians, whose territory is located on the Brazilian-Venezuelan border. The samples were stored at the Penn State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. We would like you to clarify the following questions:

1. Are there any samples of Yanomami blood in the laboratories of these universities?
2. How many samples are there and what is there state of conservation?
3. What is the origin of these samples?
4. Are there any documents proving that informed consent was obtained during the collection of the samples?
5. When were the samples collected in Brazil? Are there any documents regarding official authorisation, conceded by Brazilian institutions, for the research which gave permission to collect the blood samples?
6. What is the juridical-administrative status of the retention of these samples by the respective laboratories?
7. What are the links between the retention of the material and the use of Yanomami blood samples and the Human Genome Diversity Project and what is the relationship between this project and official institutions of the United States government, such as the US Department of Energy?
8. Were the samples reprocessed to extract DNA for use in new research?
9. Any there any documents proving that informed consent was obtained for this new research?
10. Were blood samples or Yanomami DNA ceded (donated or sold) to other laboratories, public or private? What was the nature of the contract? Which laboratories?

I am enclosing a copy of the Brazilian Constitution which shows the legal right of the Public Federal Ministry to carry out this investigation.

Yours faithfully,

Ela Wiecko Volkmer de Castilho
Assistent Attorney-General of the Republic
(Indigenous Communities and Minorities)

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