Elizângela Baré: The strength of indigenous women in healing the Earth telegram Join our Telegram channel! telegram In one of the most preserved regions of the country, a young indigenous woman shared porridge with her grandmother. Loaded with interest, Elizângela da Silva listened attentively to the myths of Baré people.  The myths have an important meaning for the indigenous population of Rio Negro These are narratives that tell about the sun woven by the wisdom and experience of the elderly “When your grandmother tells you the myth of Cassava we learn what nature can do to us if we don't respect it” With the arrival of schools in Cué-Cué Marabitanas Indigenous Land Bathing in the river and spending time with grandmother shared space in the routine with the literacy process Learning the Portuguese language - until then unknown to the Nheengatu-speaking girl - was her grandfather's request Elizângela paddled up the river in a canoe every day to get to school Unable to advance in his studies due to the precariousness of rural schools at the time he moved to the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira in 1993 she had to take care of the children of family friends to continue her studies.  At the doctors' house at Associação Saúde Sem Limites - which developed medical assistance projects for indigenous peoples and traditional communities - Elizângela Baré learned about the health and rights of indigenous peoples combined with participation in a Youth Ministry group allowed him to join the indigenous movement.  Participating in the events of the Department of Indigenous Youth of Rio Negro (DAJIRN) Elizângela followed behind the scenes of the creation of the Department of Indigenous Women of Rio Negro (DMIRN) of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) caring for her family did not allow her to continue her studies and this time in the community where her husband's family lived she received the invitation to work as a teacher at a time when the municipal school system stopped being "rural" to be "indigenous" and nucleated with the participation of the school community in decisions regarding pedagogical management and the calendar of activities respecting the ways of life and the dynamics of the collective activities of the communities she received a letter of recommendation from the community with students from the first to the fifth grade this time to take over the management of the Baré Napirikuri cluster school (which brought together schools from 08 communities) The regulations for holding the position required academic training but trusting in the work carried out as a teacher She was elected in a vote by the students' families in 2010 With the support of her family and community she faced criticism from male indigenous teachers who accused her of not being qualified for the role she performed “At the time I didn’t understand what bullying was I didn't know what this patriarchy stuff was but I took the microphone and said 'we have to respect Despite resistance from teachers and some men in the community she worked for gender equality and an end to violence against indigenous women.  families were encouraged to share food between men and women at the same time which led to a change in the dynamics where men served themselves before women she shared with students what she witnessed in the indigenous women's movement in São Gabriel da Cachoeira she held craft workshops and cooking seminars where she wisely and discreetly brought up issues such as empowerment women's rights and how to differentiate tradition from violence she took over as coordinator of the Department of Indigenous Women of Rio Negro of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Dmirn/Foirn) Elizângela had completed a degree in sociology and was specializing in Indigenous Education She says that the option to continue her studies while working generated distrust among some leaders.  the leaders said 'you have to choose: do you want to be a university student or do you want to be a leader?' I'm fighting for collective rights and mine'” During the Covid-19 pandemic, Elizângela, together with Janete Alves, coordinated the "Rio Negro, We Care" campaign which aimed to guarantee the promotion of health food security and the right to information in more than 800 communities where 23 ethnic groups from Rio Negro live together The initiative aimed to raise emergency resources for the purchase of cleaning products in addition to expanding fundamental communication services via radio In addition to working to raise awareness about the disease in communities, Elizângela was a spokesperson for video campaign published by Foirn in April 2020.  Elizângela was a finalist for the Inspiradoras Award for the survey and mobilization carried out to make data on violence against women in São Gabriel da Cachoeira public.  she won the Mulher Imprensa Trophy for collaborations with the Wayuri Network of Indigenous Communicators and the Sumaúma portal – where she presented the podcast Rádio Sumaúma Four years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic the first indigenous person to obtain a master's degree in Public Health at the University of São Paulo (USP) divides her routine between the Indigenous Land and the city of São Paulo their struggle so that the well-known knowledge of indigenous peoples those taught by family members long before learning Portuguese can be introduced into the Unified Health System (SUS) “We adhere very well to the Western system is also time to embrace our notorious knowledge” At an event at ISA's Floresta no Centro store, she recalled the actions adopted by indigenous communities to combat the health crisis during the launch of the Special “Memorables: resistance, strategies and indigenous knowledge in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in Rio Negro” which has been a partner of Foirn since 2010 that women's knowledge baskets have been rekindled because even that indigenous woman who lived in the city during Covid-19 she stopped and took care of his home [...] She looked for a cure in the backyard she looked for a cure on the path to the farm she looked for a cure on the riverbank,” she said In the fifth episode of Casa Floresta podcast Elizângela explains how the creation of so-called “knowledge baskets” passed on orally by family members and stored in the subconscious "Each of the women has a basket of knowledge I learned the traditional life system of my people Our mother passed on this invisible basket." have been promoting health for five centuries with our way of being When cultivating fields for food or managing plants with medicinal properties it is in contact with the land that indigenous peoples reaffirm their humanity In the worldview of many peoples of Rio Negro which means that the elements of nature are endowed with consciousness and agency so the pineapple is supposed to be the water canopy and take care of the cassava plants But without blessings and care we can get sick." In an interview with ISA, carried out in September 2023, after the 3rd March of Indigenous Women Elizângela Baré made the worldview of the original peoples the arrow that guides change in society What pain would she speak of when she is knocked down The mobilization took place in Brasília (DF) on the eve of the trial of the “Time Frame” at the Federal Supreme Court (STF) This legal and anti-indigenous thesis seeks to establish a temporal criterion for the demarcation of Indigenous Lands linked to the date of promulgation of the Federal Constitution In the interview, the leadership also defended the demarcation of its birth territory, the Indigenous Land of Cué-Cué Marabitanas (AM) which only had its Declaration process completed How is the Law going to say that that land is not mine? If our mother lost blood on that land to give birth to us “The 'Temporal Framework' makes us feel unsafe within our territory it is a law that aims to destroy indigenous peoples” The most relevant news for you to form your opinion on the socio-environmental agenda LAST ISSUE Rio Negro youth: it is urgent to talk about climate justice and environmental racism in Indigenous Lands intense rains that flood and devastate crops in addition to forest fires that result in droughts and isolation of communities are just a few examples of the impacts of the climate emergency felt and narrated by indigenous people who live in communities in the Northwest Amazon — in border region with Venezuela and Colombia known as Cabeça do Cachorro Members of the indigenous youth of São Gabriel da Cachoeira coordinated by the Department of Adolescents and Young People (Dajirn) of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) and the Wayuri Indigenous Communication Network participated on September 8 in a workshop on Climate Justice held by the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) at the community telecenter There were 15 young indigenous people present who are leaders organizers and/or communicators for their people and communities from eight ethnic groups on the Rio Negro: Arapaso The workshop was organized and taught by the socio-environmental policy coordinator of ISA's Rio Negro Program and was mobilized by the Wayuri Indigenous Communication Network and the coordinator of Dajirn representative of the Municipal Secretariat of Youth Sports and Leisure of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Semjel) also emphasized the importance of the Climate Justice agenda being included in the 3rd Municipal Youth Conference which will have the theme “Rebuild and Transform: Protagonism in defense of life The municipal event takes place on Wednesday (27/09) The workshop also had the support of the Rainforest Foundation together with the socio-environmental movement have been organizing meetings and taking the topic of the climate emergency to grassroots indigenous assemblies especially to youth meetings in the territories” specialist in Environmental Journalism who has already covered 10 Climate Conferences (COP) as a reporter it is time for indigenous youth from the Amazon to prepare to have an active voice at the UN Climate Conference in Belém being aware of what concepts such as climate emergency climate justice and environmental racism mean,” he added The workshop featured a presentation on the latest report by scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the IR6 The study brings the latest conclusions from 780 scientists around the world about the extremely serious climate situation on the planet due to the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions there was also a presentation on the concepts of climate justice and environmental racism with examples and a conversation with the group Young people received support materials to work on the topic in their communities The objective is to mobilize the indigenous youth of Rio Negro on the topic of the climate emergency to build a Charter of Climate Rights for Indigenous Rio Negro Youth a calendar of activities is being finalized and will feature virtual and in-person meetings with Dajirn organizers in the five regions where Foirn operates Santa Isabel do Rio Negro and São Gabriel da Cachoeira The expansion of internet points by Foirn has also facilitated the mobilization of young indigenous people on relevant and strategic issues for their communities we urgently need to know and study the Climate Emergency and the factors that affect and contribute to climate change I and the other indigenous people also need technical training to be able to work with this topic within the communities and understand the technical side of science we want to bring comparison and dialogue with indigenous knowledge and thus indigenous and non-indigenous knowledge can greatly contribute to solutions Indigenous knowledge is still alive and we need to create a digital platform to feed the data collected and those yet to be collected and thus we urgently need to carry out and mobilize campaigns in indigenous territory to address this issue of climate emergency I also see it as a great opportunity to showcase indigenous knowledge in these future discussions.” “We are already seeing the consequences of climate change according to research carried out by our Indigenous Environmental Management Agents (Aimas) who report the latest events in the Rio Negro region This observation is very impactful and we view the current environmental reality in Rio Negro with concern so that we can participate in an issue that is extremely important to us and that will have a lot of impact in the future We need to present our proposals as young people and as indigenous residents of Rio Negro We have our own management of the environment as well as other management of the world around us We have to present proposals that are always linked to our culture as well as needing to dialogue with our Territorial and Environmental Management Plan (PGTA) We also see that we cannot adapt to these climate changes as quickly as white people who can make these adaptations very quickly because they have money and a lot of resources to invest We here need the implementation of public policies that can benefit our people and communities that are affected by the consequences of climate change Even though we have a good traditional way of living we notice the need to have help from the government's public policies on this issue of climate change we need to preserve and also have a partnership with other people from outside who help us preserve our region” It was great to learn about this concept and follow the debate with the participants and with the Wayuri Network with the communicators themselves who have the role of publicizing and talking about our environment There were points brought by young people from villages and larger districts who will take the topic of climate justice to their communities The importance of caring for the environment to combat the climate emergency was very clear My observation is that this topic needs to be multiplied in communities native fruits and fruits planted by our grandparents and parents we forget to value and care for what is essential to our lives And our duty is to take this care of our territory The environmental impacts caused in other states and other countries have also been affecting us Because here we still have generations that have direct contact with the river the forest and the traditional way of eating Taking care of our environment is also taking care of our own health That's why we need to make caring for the environment our battle flag as indigenous youth and we must multiply this care Inauguration of new bishop of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) has Catholic and indigenous rites In a ceremony that brought together Catholic rites and indigenous rituals Bishop Dom Raimundo Vanthuy Neto took over the Diocese of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) on February 11th who was at the head of the Diocese for 15 years made the transition in the presence of Cardinal Dom Leonardo Steiner The director-president of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) The ceremony took place at the Arnaldo Coimbra gymnasium and brought together religious people institutions and representatives from parishes of São Gabriel da Cachoeira The indigenous dances and rituals at the ceremony were Carriçu Dom Edson Damian presented his resignation to Pope Francis upon turning 75 years of age beginning the process for appointing a new religious Dom Vanthuy was chosen and ordained bishop on February 4 of this year he introduced the family and said that his parents are migrants from the Northeast who moved to Roraima in search of a better living condition.  He began his training at the São José de Manaus Seminary in 1991 1999 and priest of the Diocese of Roraima in 2001.  He was director and professor at the Institute of Theology Pastoral and Higher Education of the Amazon and collaborates with studies on Christianity and Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon With the motto “Serve in charity and hope” Dom Vanthuy chose to celebrate Mass barefoot He asked indigenous people to teach him their courage remembering their persistence and resistance in the face of the pressures of colonization they say: 'we remain indigenous',” he said Dom Vanthuy spoke of his concern about alcoholism one of the main problems faced by the indigenous peoples of the Middle and Upper Rio Negro and addressed the institutions asking for joint efforts to tackle the issue.  participated in the ceremony and offered Dom Vanthuy an arumã sieve with the contours of the new bishop's face and a chalice made of wood from the forest.  “He showed this concern for ecology and our common home He showed humility towards indigenous people He also expressed concern about alcoholism which is a big problem in cities and in our communities He is being welcomed by the people of Rio Negro,” he said.  representatives from other institutions participated in the celebration such as the coordinator of the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (Funai) Rio Negro Region Dadá Baniwa; the coordinator of the Alto Rio Negro Special Health District (DSEI-ARN) Luiz Brasão; the director of the Federal Institute of Amazonas - Campus São Gabriel da Cachoeira Renato Valadares; Socioenvironmental Institute (ISA) and Army During his work in São Gabriel da Cachoeira Dom Edson Damian was open to interinstitutional dialogue with constant partnership and collaboration in meetings and debates held at FOIRN and ISA.  FOIRN informs that Marivelton Baré's presence at the ceremony highlights the importance of dialogue and cooperation between different institutions and social groups to promote peace and harmony in society.  Dom Edson attended several sessions of Cine Japu - a project by ISA and the Wayuri Network of Indigenous Communicators that promotes film screenings in São Gabriel da Cachoeira - participating in debates and publicizing the program during masses.  The Diocese is made up of 11 parishes: three in the city of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Catedral Iauaretê and Pari-Cachoeira (Triângulo Tukano) There are also the parishes of Santa Isabel do Rio Negro and Barcelos.  then Father Vanthuy was in São Gabriel and met leaders of indigenous communities and participated in a meeting at the School of Theology when the Letter of Commitment to Prevent Violence and Suicide was launched.  this is an initiative that will bring benefits to the entire population “My last days in São Gabriel are crowned by timely proposals that will bring benefits to the population,” he said He received a visit to the Diocese from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change passing on to them the demands contained in the letter.  Very emotional during the ceremony of exchanging bishops saying that in his heart he has a place for all those with whom he walked Dom Edson now becomes bishop emeritus of the Diocese of São Gabriel da Cachoeira and He spoke of the great learning he had alongside the indigenous people: “The indigenous people taught me to live with what is strictly necessary and to be happy.” Dom Edson recalled some passages while he was in charge of the most indigenous Diocese in the country Before coming here (São Gabriel da Cachoeira) I was advised to listen to several wise men who had worked here One of them was called Father Casimiro Beksta He was a Salesian who was very sensitive to indigenous cultural values ​​and was the first to start studying a lot we even owe him the translation of Grünberg's book from German to Portuguese (Theodor Koch-Grünberg - “Two years among the indigenous: travels in northwestern Brazil - 1903-1905”) It was the priest who discovered the talent of the Feliciano Lana (indigenous artist visiting a community near the Tiquié River and offering materials to it.  I visited the old Salesian who was bedridden to do an interview And one of the things he said to me was: “you are arriving at a totally different reality with extraordinary sociocultural and linguistic richness You take a notebook to record each day what you saw the people you talked to.” And I did that from day one Today I have around 15 diaries with these notes.  I remember the fear I felt when I went to visit the communities above Iauaretê On the Uaupés River and the Papuri River there are very dangerous waterfalls And the indigenous practitioners said: “Bishop here we can pass the waterfall without disembarking.” And I thought took a shower of water that was coming at us You walk along the trail that we take along the river.”  then over time I took the vest and used it to sit on top we put God to the test and trust too much.  knowing that it was the last trip I would take along the Papuri River there is the famous Cachoeira do Pato – there are three waterfalls I’m going to climb the waterfall alone.” There was always someone else who helped carry the material and he walked the trail for more than an hour and got on board again at the top.  have you already climbed Cachoeira do Pato?” I replied no “But this time there is enough water to climb safely.” I asked “Are you sure?” "I have." Young people are like that.  But I felt safe in this young man and managed to cross the three waterfalls I can now go through this adventure too.  I was going from Maturacá (in Yanomami territory) to visit the Maiá community We left early in the morning because we would arrive there in the late afternoon It had been about three hours since we left the village and the pilot I was sitting on the voodeira (small motorized vessel) and I fell When I was sinking in the water I remembered: “my parents and family will receive me dead And the following miracle happened: the pilot he removed the hose that supplied the engine but the flight didn't move because it had no fuel.  And there was a seminarian who was sleeping in the flight When he saw that I went up asking for help he took me by the arms and helped me get back in was swimming with one hand and carrying a stool with the other he had to sit on the stool to be able to drive I thought I was going to leave for eternity they told me: prepare yourself for malaria which is the baptism we receive when we get there.  because there is malaria in all the villages I visited all the villages and left here without any malaria.  if only one or two languages ​​were spoken here he taught me how I should say “good morning so I learned these few words in several languages they said: “but the bad bishop arrived and already speaks our language.” Of course When I went to Rome for my first visit to Pope Benedict XVI I was prepared for 15 minutes of conversation you will give a short report on the situation in the Diocese.” I arrived you must spend many hours on the rivers”.  First question: “Are the people of that region destroying the forest a lot?” Then it was my turn to say: “it is the most preserved region in the Amazon because the inhabitants are indigenous people: 90% The indigenous people do not destroy the forest This is why it is explained that they do not destroy now I’m going to confess in my own language.” The Pope asked me: “Do you understand all languages?” I replied: “in what way he made all people in his image and likeness In 2015, Pope Francis wrote the encyclical Lovato si´ A letter addressed to the entire world talking about caring for our common home The need to completely change this system that he calls technocratic that is destroying and endangering the survival of humanity calling for a special synod for the Amazon This meeting is dedicated to the theme of integral ecology Then I was able to speak personally with the pope and gave him the chalice made of brazilwood by a craftsman here He looked at me and said: “Today marks 75 years since I made my first communion”.  Afterwards, I was able to make another visit now in 2021, with all 19 bishops from the North region. I I took a gift in the name of all bishops At the end of the conversation I approached and said: “look Amazonas is the state that has the largest indigenous population in the country and that is why I am offering you this gift that was made by indigenous women there in São Gabriel.” he asked: “Can you imagine if I appeared in Saint Peter’s Square with a miter like that?” One of the things that impressed me were the people who live in such isolated communities We arrived in communities to visit homes with almost nothing one of the lessons I learned here is called sobriety Indigenous people teach us to live with what is strictly necessary we are happier than buying and consuming unrestrainedly This consumerist materialism is destroying mother Earth and generating people who are always dissatisfied and unhappy  The indigenous people taught me to live with what is strictly necessary and be happy Pope wins headdress made in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) and asks: "listen to the indigenous people" A multi-ethnic headdress was taken to the Vatican by Bishop Edson Damian a city known for having the highest concentration of indigenous population in the country He was part of the entourage of 17 bishops from the Brazilian Amazon who attended the meeting with the Pope The artisan and indigenous entrepreneur Gilda da Silva Barreto received the commission to make the adornment “It was an honor and I thought of a headdress inspired by the Amazon I put red feathers on the underside for that reason,” she explained “I live in the indigenous culture and I am Catholic I carry the two things together,” she said the piece traditionally used by the religious to cover the head during ceremonies.  Participated in the meeting representatives of the North Regional 1 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) from the states of Amazonas and Roraima and from the Northwest (Acre named on May 29 as the first cardinal of the Brazilian Amazon but it coincided with the murder of journalist Dom Phillips and indigenist Bruno Araújo The crime led to mobilizations in various parts of the world with requests for justice and also generated a series of complaints about the neglect of the current Federal Government with the Amazon and its peoples According to information on the Vatican's official website the Pope urged the bishops to "listen to indigenous peoples There are a large number of unemployed and indigenous peoples are being threatened in their territories the illegal mining - All this is destroying our Amazon” Bishop Edson also thanked Pope Francis for the Synod for the Amazon but also for listening to indigenous peoples that took place before that meeting residents of the most distant communities received questionnaires and were heard,” he said “This is the church that lives the plurality the Public Defender's Office of the State of Amazonas (DPE-AM) denounced serious problems related to the health and that of Yanomami children living in the State of Amazonas instituting a Collective Damage Assessment Procedure (Padac) in order to investigate possible violations the fundamental rights of the Yanomami in the municipalities of São Gabriel da Cachoeira Archeology and indigenous narratives meet in the history of Rio Negro Archaeological excavation in public space and visits by indigenous and non-indigenous researchers to landscapes that are part of the narratives of origin of the peoples of Rio Negro These activities were carried out in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) during the first face-to-face workshop of the Intercultural Archaeological Program of the Northwest Amazon (Parinã) held at the headquarters of the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) between the 10th and 20 of May.  ceramics and artifacts were found that indicate indigenous occupations of up to 2.000 years and research carried out in 2019 shows that the settlement may be older “This area has the history of our existence We can see in the concrete the stories we tell orally” He was one of the participants in the Parinã workshop which was attended by non-indigenous and indigenous researchers from different ethnic groups which brings exchanges of various ethnic groups There's a lot to be passed on for the future It increases the hope of preserving the identity and culture of the people” Even with the different languages ​​and approaches it is possible to find a point of convergence pointed out by the members of Parinã: São Gabriel da Cachoeira – known as the most indigenous municipality in Brazil – is a place that connects narratives of indigenous peoples to the colonial history of past centuries and contemporary experiences the indigenous peoples who live today in the Upper Rio Negro may be the descendants of the people who left the archaeological remains These characteristics are present in urban areas and in indigenous communities being a reason for special attention for public policies that recognize protect and preserve the territory and the narratives in their different forms One of the points of the program is to propose an intercultural reconstruction of the meaning of cultural heritage beyond what is defined in the legislation.  anthropologist and researcher at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG) is part of the Parinã team and reinforces the importance of an interdisciplinary approach “We did not come to teach the indigenous people about history Indigenous connoisseurs have knowledge that needs to be valued mixing indigenous and non-indigenous knowledge and perspectives” An archaeological and heritage exhibition is scheduled to take place in São Gabriel da Cachoeira at the end of the first stage of the Parinã Program The organization will be in charge of the Museu da Amazônia (Musa) with collaborative curation involving program participants and partners.  narratives and documents gathered within the scope of the project can be seen in the exhibition The filmmaker and communicator of the Wayuri Network filmed narratives by indigenous connoisseurs so that these stories are also part of the show.   The Parinã program started in 2018 and involves several partners the Institute of Archeology at University College London (UCL) and the Federal University of São Paulo researcher and anthropologist Geraldo Andrello The Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) also supports the initiative The archaeological excavations carried out within the Parinã Program took place in an area of ​​16m2 in the square in front of the Diocese and the Cathedral of São Gabriel ceramic fragments of objects such as plates and stoves were found as well as axes and lithic instruments that indicate settlements up to 2.000 years old Also found was the so-called "terra preta de Índio" a type of soil enriched by human activity and present in other parts of the Amazon “It is a legacy of ancient peoples for the composition of the forest” says archeologist and professor Helena Pinto Lima a researcher at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi who is participating in the excavations in São Gabriel She explains that the excavation site has strategic characteristics for locating an indigenous settlement such as being in an area of ​​natural elevation Also participating in the excavations were the coordinator of Parinã from the Institute of Archeology at University College London (UCL); Musa's deputy scientific director archaeologist Filippo Stampanoni Bassi; the coordinator of the Archeology and Ethnography nucleus at Musa and the coordinator of the Archeology Laboratory at Musa The excavation work at the archaeological site was accompanied by students of the archeology course at the State University of Amazonas (UEA) – Campus São Gabriel One of the students is Junildo Rezende Costa who observed similarities between objects taken from the archaeological excavation and narratives he hears at home Hatchets and ceramics are similar to the ones my grandparents say were used around here,” the student recalled Filippo informs that in the area of ​​São Gabriel there is an extensive archaeological site with parts occupied by constructions of public agencies and others He participated in the excavations in front of the Diocese of São Gabriel and excavated the area of ​​the local office of the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) where terra preta and artifacts dating back 2.700 years were found in an archaeological site that is still little known It may be that the occupations are older.” Manuel explains that studies indicate that in São Gabriel there was once an indigenous settlement and the city has the important characteristic of possibly having among its residents the descendants of the people who lived here in a remote past “We have a justified hope that today's indigenous peoples are descendants of the people who were responsible for creating the archaeological remains In the municipality there are about 750 communities and places where indigenous people from 23 ethnic groups live there are four co-official indigenous languages ​​besides Portuguese: Nheengatu Manuel Arroyo considers that the Rio Negro Basin ethnographic and archaeological crossroads “This leaves us with several questions about what the past of this region was like since when there was human occupation here if the people who lived here were related to people from other regions of the Amazon The discoveries made so far in the region are in line with other studies that indicate that there were ancient settlements – from up to 9.000 years ago – with intense exchanges between peoples Some of these studies were conducted by the archaeologist Eduardo Neves who has already carried out research in the region of Iauareté Another proposal by Parinã is the development and updating of a georeferenced digital database gathering research material already produced in the Rio Negro region by ISA and collaborators for at least 20 years This work is in progress and is being led by ecologist and geoprocessing analyst Renata Alves “We are working on a digital platform that shows the various layers of indigenous historical theories from the pre-colonial and post-colonial period Some of the indigenous stories do not happen in this plan but is part of their history and they need to be recorded as much as the other knowledge” An example of what can be found on this platform is the Ipanoré Waterfall where the first ancestors emerged into this world after a long underwater journey aboard the snake-canoe narratives and other information about the waterfall will be available on the platform.  Another proposal discussed during the Parinã workshop was the creation of a virtual museum with the Goeldi Museum's collection of pieces collected in the Northwest Amazon during Theodor Koch-Grünberg's voyage in the early years of the XNUMXth century Images with some of these pieces were shown to indigenous researchers during the workshop by anthropologist and researcher at Goeldi groups of indigenous and non-indigenous researchers visited some points of the landscape of São Gabriel da Cachoeira One of these hikes was proposed by Márcio Meira who led the group to Pedra da Fortaleza – today a tourist spot in the city with a view of the sunset and the Cabari mountains and where a fort installed by Portuguese colonists was once located The setting of colonial history is recorded in a watercolor from 1785 that was reproduced on a banner to be taken to the site by the group the indigenous people found important points of their historical narratives is part of a snake that was killed there during a battle.   Meira explains that the dialogue between different types of knowledge is essential for understanding the region “This possibility of dialogue between history archeology and traditional knowledge is the way we have for us to better understand this social reality in the region There is no way to understand if there is not this dialogue between knowledge” the colonial history in the region was marked by violence against the indigenous people who were often used as slave labor for the extraction of forest products but it was not strong enough to erase the way of life of the people who live in the Rio Negro” The Parinã team also includes indigenous scholarship researchers who work in different ways such as activities in the archeology and translation laboratory The objective is for the research to also be carried out in indigenous communities an activity that has been limited due to the pandemic.   One of the fellows is the Social Sciences student at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) who has been rescuing the traditional narratives told by his father the traditional connoisseur Durvalino Moura Fernandes They are Desana of the Wari Dihpotiro Porã clan The narratives can vary according to the people and even the clan Durvalino Moura pondered that some objects and documents will appear during the researchers' work as they only exist in sacred narratives that reach other spheres “This is a meeting to rescue some knowledge But there is knowledge that we do not reveal that are only passed on between family members” Cine Japu shows films and connects people in an indigenous city in Rio Negro a city in Amazonas on the banks of the Rio Negro and surrounded by forest The project took flight in 2023 on the initiative of the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) with the participation of the Wayuri Network of Indigenous Communicators bringing together an audience of around 630 people – an average of 42 per session Cine Japu promotes conversation circles and meetings to broaden horizons For the deputy coordinator of ISA's Rio Negro Program Cine Japu is a project that has been promoting the meeting that brings the organization closer to the city of São Gabriel da Cachoeira which has its doors open to the São Gabriel community,” she said.  Other debates were held by public officials “We managed to bring emotion and reflection to our viewers in the sessions mainly drawing attention to various issues and realities Cine Japu also enabled the transmission of values ​​of struggle survival and achievement of the rights of the indigenous cause we managed to reach this space of great importance and representation for the population of Gabriela” The 2023 sessions were opened and closed by indigenous people. A first screening of Cine Japu happened in May, with the film wayuri a documentary that tells the story of the first five years of the communicators network there were the protagonists: the communicators themselves.  On the same night the documentary was shown Wetapena Nette Ianhapakatti (“Our remedies and blessings”) In the last showing of 2023, in November, Cine Japu – which takes place at the ISA telecenter – took flight and arrived at the Maloca-Casa do Saber of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn), with the launch in São Gabriel da Documentary waterfall Rionegrines which tells the story of women's struggle and resistance within the indigenous movement of Rio Negro.  A first showing The documentary took place in September in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Department of Indigenous Women of Rio Negro (DMIRN-Foirn).  Cine Japu also welcomed three female film directors throughout 2023. Filmmaker Mariana Lacerda brought the delicate and impactful Gyuri She led the conversation alongside the Braz França indigenous leader – who passed away a few months later – and the artist Rosi Waycon The film shows the connection between photographer Claudia Andujar and the Yanomami people was moved when she commented that the crisis portrayed on the screen was being repeated today due to the mining invasion.  Filmmaker Julia Bernstein participated in the screening of the film Karai ha'egui kunha karai 'ete - True Spiritual Leaders Júlia Bernstein developed workshops with indigenous communicators and shared her experience cinema can bring young indigenous people closer to their traditions which is a technology thing that is of great interest to young people can reconnect young people with tradition too What Alberto does is the preservation of memory the Guarani way of life and people's history” Maya Da-Rin screened the film in São Gabriel da Cachoeira the fever The film's cast includes two indigenous people from São Gabriel da Cachoeira: Regis Myrupu and Rosa Peixoto Much of the dialogue is in indigenous language In the audience made up mainly of indigenous people from São Gabriel “I waited a long time for the film to be released here in São Gabriel da Cachoeira and I still dream about showing it in indigenous territory And that delayed this meeting that is happening now,” she said Maya Da-Rin also held a film workshop with communicators from the Wayuri Network.  watched the film and spoke about the importance of each indigenous person's story The indigenous person has to be the protagonist of their story,” he said This screening had the special presence of Dr writer and communicator who was in São Gabriel and went to see Cine Japu.  In a partnership with a project at the Berlin Museum one of the sessions featured interviews recorded in the Rio Negro with the theme of contact between indigenous and non-indigenous people The conversation was led by communicator Ray Baniwa archeology students from the State University of Amazonas (UEA) highlighted the importance of the project bringing indigenous narratives.  special invitations were made to two communities: The residents of Waruá The community of Itacoatiara Mirim was attended by the indigenous leader Cine Japu also promoted a children's session aimed at children with special needs.   from the Piratapuya people and female leaders Edneia Teles One of the biggest supporters of the project was the archbishop of São Gabriel da Cachoeira who was present at most of the sessions and also made announcements at mass in the city's cathedral Other supporters include the Federal Institute of Amazonas (IFAM) Public Defender's Office and Association of Indigenous Artisans of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Assai) The first session of 2024 took place in April students of the Literature course at the State University of Amazonas (UEA) researchers and the public in general for the film screening Forest Languages (directed by Juliana de Carvalho and Vicente Ferraz) The film features images recorded in São Gabriel da Cachoeira and other locations a conversation with the presence of Roberto Sanches discussed the fact that in São Gabriel - the third most indigenous city in the country - many of the names of streets squares and tourist attractions are not in indigenous languages Cine Japu sessions take place every two weeks on Tuesdays Entry is free and popcorn and juice are also distributed Exhibition of archaeological pieces tells indigenous stories of the Rio Negro A constant construction of history with archaeological pieces photos and documents about the Rio Negro at different times was the proposal for the exhibition “Memories of Ancestral Landscapes” held at Casa do Saber/Maloca of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Black (Foirn) The show, held in February, was produced by the Museum of the Amazon (MUSA) and brought together part of the result of the work of the Intercultural Archaeological Program of the Northwest Amazon (Parinã) developed by indigenous and non-indigenous researchers in the areas of archaeology Visitors were able to contribute to the exhibition through an interactive map of the region we gave feedback on what has been done so far within Parinã with several layers of knowledge that range from archaeological pieces to the oral narrative of a myth From old documents and photos to the story of a person who knows what happened in that place because his grandfather told him," said Filippo Stampanoni archaeologist and deputy scientific director at MUSA "We offered visitors a walk along the trajectory of what this collective experience of history in the Rio Negro region is." The exhibition was financed by the British Academy the Parinã Program involves several partners such as the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) the Institute of Archeology of University College London (UCL) and the Federal University of São Carlos ( UFSCar) In the path of stories proposed by the exhibition visitors were able to see archaeological fragments found in excavations in São Gabriel da Cachoeira in 2019 and 2022 in the square of the Diocese and in the area of ​​​​the headquarters of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) They indicate that the region has been occupied for at least two thousand years.  With the fragments taken from the archaeological site it was possible to reconstruct a piece from the pre-colonial period which ended up standing out from the others due to the difference in style One of these possibilities is that the region where the municipality of São Gabriel is located today may have housed a pluriethnic society in the past The city retains this characteristic today as it is one of the main urban centers of a large territory where 23 indigenous peoples live.  pieces of the so-called Polychrome Tradition of the Amazon were found a stylistic set with a wide and standardized distribution dating from the period from 800 to 1.600 (AD)” “We can imagine that this model is older than the period mentioned We can also think that the piece is from the same period but from regional groups that met in the region where São Gabriel is today A post shared by Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) (@socioambiental) the pieces found bear an important similarity in the way they are made All are made with the same type of material – basically clay and caraipé (a house made of burnt and ground trees) – still used today by potters in the region “We can say that there is a technological tradition in ceramic making that starts two thousand years ago and reaches today and is continuing into the future the Upper Rio Negro is a region where it is possible to stretch a timeline a cultural continuity from ancient times to the present day” Ceramics is one of the parameters to observe this continuity who researches the role of women in Baniwa society visited the exhibition and brought reflections on the connection between the peoples of the Rio Negro and the territory Made the way we still use it today,” she described it what is already in our narratives: that we have always been here The study is fundamental and reaffirms our presence in this territory” These narratives cited by Fran Baniwa were part of the exhibition A mini-documentary produced by anthropologist Aline Scolfaro and filmmaker Moisés Baniwa showed indigenous connoisseurs walking around São Gabriel and explaining points considered to be spaces for important events reported in mythical narratives the show's differential was seeing people identifying with the exhibition and telling their story or retelling what had already been written.  One of the panels brought a map where people could add points of sacred places that they know “People like to see what is related to their story This is one of the special parts of the exhibition,” she reflected.  The exhibition was visited by experts and indigenous leaders from the region she carried out this exercise in building knowledge remembering the history of her community.  “The island of Duraka is one of the places where the transformation canoe has anchored She anchored and tied her canoe to the trunk of the tree called Duraka and went out to see if she could continue her journey as just above that point there are many rocks in the stretch of river but in stone form and it is a sacred place,” she said The myth of the snake-canoe or canoe of transformation talks about the origin of the Tukano peoples in the region Check out: Routes of creation and transformation: origin narratives of the indigenous peoples of Rio Negro The exhibition also featured narrative panels images and documents referring to the colonial period and the presence of Europeans in the region The cartographic material allowed the visualization of São Gabriel with its several layers of stories.  a conversation was held with the presence of anthropologist Manuel Arroyo-Kalin from the Institute of Archeology at University College London (UCL) Participating in the meeting were biologist Natália Pimenta an analyst at the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) Hupda and Yuhupdëh indigenous people are exposed to serious risks in unhealthy camps in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) lives with her family in the Santa Rosa community but has been in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) for about a month She traveled to the city to collect documents from family members and also try to get her pension and since then she has been in an improvised camp near the urban area of ​​the municipality She has already gone to several public bodies in the makeshift camp in the place called Parawary she talks about the difficulties she has been going through and her concern for her family which is not eating properly and is subject to illness took a trip that lasted about two weeks along the Tiquié in a canoe with a sterndrive motor – that is The situation of Dona Cristina's family affects many other Hupda and Yuhupdëh indigenous peoples – peoples of the Naduhupy linguistic family who are considered to have been in recent contact and are very knowledgeable about the paths of the forest At least 800 people are on the Parawary site in a situation of water and food insecurity A bureaucratic tangle ends up lengthening the period that indigenous people need to stay in the city to resolve pending issues with documentation and benefits the Alto Rio Negro Special Indigenous Health District (Dsei-ARN) São Gabriel da Cachoeira Registry and City Hall and the Army carried out a joint effort to assist these peoples to try to speed up the resolution pending issues that end up holding the indigenous people back in the city in addition to the removal of garbage around the camps and will continue until the situation is controlled.  “We are mobilizing the institutions for a broad emergency service There is a fear of deaths if we don't act” The Federation has been pointing out problems in the service offered by public institutions structure and translators of languages ​​in the region making it difficult to relate to institutions.  there is a lack of material for issuing documents The State provides 400 bills per month to the municipality which is not enough to serve the population especially in times of greater demand.  The issue surrounding the departure of the Hupda and Yuhupdëh from their communities to the city is recurrent it is accentuated during the school vacation period and has been getting worse year by year when they started to access public policies such as the Bolsa- Family there was a period when up to five deaths of indigenous people in this situation were recorded Renata Vieira is part of the emergency action team for the Hupda and Yuhupdëh peoples She explains that public policies designed at the federal level often do not take into account the reality of indigenous peoples which ends up contributing to their situation of vulnerability.  in addition to carrying out bank operations with the handling of magnetic cards to register in CadÚnico to access the Bolsa-Família or file a request for maternity pay” “Since this bureaucracy is not part of the culture of these peoples the indigenous people are going from institution to institution with various limitations to understand and obtain the necessary documentation to resolve their disputes which initially is to access basic social rights becomes a series of human rights violations” A report by the Alto Rio Negro Special Indigenous Health District (Dsei-ARN) points out that this indigenous population camped on the outskirts of the city is in precarious conditions with children and the elderly more susceptible to the consumption of alcoholic beverages lack of drinking water and basic sanitation Tents are mainly set up during the holiday period when families take advantage of the recess to resolve pending issues in the city 📷Raquel Uendi/ISA and Ana Amélia Hamdan/ISA The health team removed six people to the Indigenous Support House and the Garrison Hospital (HGU) a woman who had just given birth to a stillborn baby and three elderly people with symptoms of tuberculosis The death of a 16-year-old teenager was recorded There are also records of dehydration and diarrhea At least 53 cases of malaria have already been identified To prevent indigenous people from returning to their homes with the disease – which could lead to an increase in cases in indigenous territory – a sanitary barrier will be set up to carry out tests The risk is aggravated by families circulating in public institutions in an attempt to obtain documents Indigenous Cristina Isabel says that she left Parawary went to the center of São Gabriel and ended up being robbed: the few documents of one of the family members were stolen as she has difficulties in speaking Portuguese.  The flour she brought on the trip to feed the family was exchanged for fuel on the way They traveled with the whole family to resolve pending documents But one of the boats was stolen in the port of the city which is also living in the makeshift camp is counting on the help of relatives to return to Cunuri Maria Conceição says that her family is starving An alternative presented during the emergency group meetings was the construction of support houses in São Gabriel with the structure for these families to stay respecting their cultural characteristics.  Other actions are underway to assist the Naduhupy peoples – Hupda such as the Outbreak and Epidemic Contingency Plan in Isolated and Recently Contacted Peoples (PIIRC). In the formulation phase this is an important document for planning urgent actions and jointly confronting epidemics and social determinants that negatively impact the mortality of these indigenous people The PIIRC is foreseen in the joint ordinance 4.094/2018 of the Ministry of Health and Funai and has been built jointly by public agencies and organized civil society together with FOIRN and leaders of the Naduhupy peoples suffer from situations of extreme social and epidemiological vulnerability being exposed to the contagion of Covid-19 and an increase in the number of deaths by suicide and risks associated with alcohol consumption in urban areas.  in partnership with the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam) is the Intercultural Indigenous Degree course aimed at these groups People who traditionally occupied interfluve areas the indigenous peoples of the Hupda and Yuhupdëh ethnic groups have settled in riverside communities and closer to urban districts (villages) This movement has been accompanied by the leaders of the Naduhupy peoples by anthropologists and by organizations such as Funai and FOIRN These peoples are holders of knowledge of how to live Wisdom that is increasingly rare and precious when the sciences of forest dwellers on how to survive from it and The Hupda and Yuhupdëh indigenous people interviewed in this article spoke mainly in the Tukano language and were translated by Wayuri Network communicators Deise Alencar and Euclides Azevedo Articulations for indigenous rights gain strength in the triple border Brazil Building paths for access to justice in the Amazon was the motto of the Public Defender of the State of Amazonas in the celebration of its 33 years of activity celebrated on April 17 at Maloca Casa do Saber in the most indigenous municipality in Brazil the Ombudsman highlighted the importance of inter-institutional work and the partnership with civil society organizations that work for indigenous rights in the triple border and awarded the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) and the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) an honorable mention for promoting access to justice in the Northwest Amazon “Without the partnership of institutions that know the reality of indigenous peoples the local culture and the social problems that exist in the region it would be impossible to carry out our work in this first year of operation of the Alto Rio Negro Pole we thank the partners for joining efforts with us in improving access to justice in the region" emphasized defender Isabela do Amaral Sales during a ceremony with the presence of the general defender of the State of Amazonas Joint initiatives to promote better access to Justice and to the services provided by the Ombudsman's Office were carried out by the institutions among them the service in indigenous languages member of the Wayuri Network of Communicators Indigenous Peoples supported and articulated by ISA together with Foirn “Most of my Hupd'äh people come to the city to get documents and they don't know how to speak Portuguese well and don't know how to do these jobs The Ombudsman's communication with the communities has been strengthened since defenders Isabela Sales and Danielle Mascarenhas have been closer to the indigenous media that bring information to the communities such as the Papo da Maloca program and the Wayuri podcast information and events carried out by the Ombudsman judicial and extrajudicial assistance to those who cannot afford a lawyer the Ombudsman also provides services related to separation The agenda of articulations with State institutions that have strategic action in the Alto Rio Negro region also included the visit of the new general in São Gabriel da Cachoeira Rodrigues assumed command of the Second Jungle Infantry Brigade on April 17 replacing General Ricardo Augusto do Amaral Peixoto The meeting was attended by members of ISA's Rio Negro Program team who work in the region in areas such as socio-biodiversity economics articulation of socio-environmental policies it was possible to convey to General Diniz some of the challenges of working in the Alto Rio Negro and a sociocultural overview of one of the most diverse and extensive regions in Brazil live in the largest hydrographic basin of black waters in the world – considered the most preserved region of the Brazilian Amazon Institutional collaborations and partnerships for the benefit of indigenous communities such as logistical support for more remote regions where the Army's six border platoons (Pefs) are located were also articulated during the conversation who was a military attache in diplomatic relations with Norway and the United Kingdom commented on the extreme importance of preserving the Amazon and indigenous cultural diversity for Brazil and the world He also emphasized that the work of civil society organizations together with national and international public opinion is fundamental for effective efforts towards valuing preserving and sustainably developing the Amazon Focusing on the defense of indigenous rights a meeting was also held on April 18 with the justice inspector of the State of Amazonas who was in São Gabriel da Cachoeira to accompany the first visit of the National Corregedoria to the municipality The mission was attended by the Minister of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) who is also a member of the National Council of Justice (CNJ) “We were in the Comarca of São Gabriel da Cachoeira for another phase of the extraordinary correction work in the municipality which aims to verify the judicial performance and notary and registration services in actions involving the rights of indigenous peoples public agencies and institutions in the municipality that have a direct or indirect relationship with indigenous peoples to learn about the work and projects aimed at this population” During the meeting at ISA, Saunders learned about the work carried out by the Institute in partnership with Foirn, with emphasis on the defense of rights, protection and territorial management, as well as aspects related to cultural appreciation and access to public policies. The inspector received the territorial and environmental management plans for the Indigenous Lands of Rio Negro (PGTAs) carried out based on the technical cooperation agreement between ISA which aims to implement a series of actions projects and public policies aimed at indigenous well-being.  Indigenous people from Rio Negro expect active participation in new Lula government the most indigenous municipality in Brazil elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) with 80,63% of the votes The result is a reflection of discontent with the current administration of Jair Bolsonaro illegal tourism and allegations of trafficking in addition to threats to the constitutional rights of indigenous peoples Lula also won with a large majority: in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro The three municipalities are located on the Upper and Middle Rio Negro in one of the most preserved regions of the Amazon – with approximately 750 indigenous communities of people from 23 ethnic groups Director-president of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) He projects a reconstruction of the indigenous rights policy and the protagonism of indigenous peoples in the new government with the occupation of leadership positions in the promised Ministry of Indigenous Peoples or Ministry of Native Peoples and in the National Indian Foundation (Funai) Now we have President Lula democratically elected and we hope that he will be able to seek to rebuild a whole policy of rights for the indigenous peoples of Brazil that was brutally ended and deconstructed during this Bolsonaro government” “The portfolios that are meant to work with indigenous peoples [must be occupied by indigenous peoples] in this participatory construction or in the protagonism of the environmental and territorial management policy of indigenous lands,” he said Marivelton Baré also demanded that the new management respect the Territorial and Environmental Management Plans (PGTAs) – an instrument of the National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands (Pngati) – and the consultation protocols The Rio Negro region has PGTAs prepared and published with proposals for land management in areas of forest economy The Rio Negro consultation protocol should be concluded at Foirn's general meeting at the end of November regional meetings were held to ensure broad participation in the elaboration of the document “It is still necessary to guarantee the indigenous organization model articulations and coordination in the Amazon We expect a reconstruction of everything we lost We expect that our elected president will make history for indigenous protagonism in the country” In his first speech after the result was announced Lula said that he is committed to indigenous peoples and that his government will fight for zero deforestation in the Amazon “We want environmental pacification,” said the president-elect the streets of downtown and the edge were taken by motorcades and celebrations The election took place in a peaceful atmosphere A post shared by Rede Wayuri (@rede.wayuri) Jair Bolsonaro (PL) obtained only 19,36% (4.103) of the votes Eduardo Braga (MDB) received 13.490 votes (64,69%) and reelection candidate Wilson Lima (UNIÃO) 7.364 (35,31%) Lima won the election and will govern Amazonas for another four years Difficulties to vote faced by indigenous people throughout the country, which led the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib) to send a craft to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and to the Regional Electoral Courts requesting ample provision of transport and denouncing electoral crimes the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) decided that city halls and bus companies could offer free public transport in the second round of elections São Gabriel da Cachoeira City Hall offered free buses in some regions of the city used a free bus to get to the polling place she told communicators Juliana Albuquerque and Adelson Ribeiro that A post shared by Rede Wayuri (@rede.wayuri) Another issue that led to high abstention was the voting time which this year was unified across the country the election took place from 7 am to 16 pm which confused voters – especially in the first round who was unable to vote on October 2 because she arrived half an hour late – trying to protect her disabled daughter from the hot sun – She gave an interview to the Wayuri Network and said she was happy to be able to exercise her citizenship A post shared by Rede Wayuri (@rede.wayuri) the election has complex characteristics: there are 33 voting points five in urban areas and 28 in communities in the middle of the forest Iauaretê (2.764 voters) and Pari-Cachoeira (1.028) have the largest number of voters logistics are needed that involve vehicles Not all communities receive ballot boxes and many indigenous people need to leave the places where they live to go to vote The Yanomami who live in the Maiá community they traveled for six days in voadeiras – small motor boats – reported Pauderney Rodrigues son of the leader Luciano Nascimento Figueiredo around 200 indigenous people from this community left their homes to vote Now I came earlier and it took me about XNUMX minutes to cast my vote” and says that it is difficult to vote in the interior Some communities receive electronic voting machines and residents of other locations need to travel on their own to cast their vote Whoever is there has to go to Tunuí-Cachoeira” A Wayuri Network de Comunicadores Indígenas which has about 50 members in the Upper and Middle Rio Negro region has been addressing the elections since July on the radio program Papo da Maloca Then the show is edited and available as the Wayuri podcast on major audio platforms the communicators who work in São Gabriel covered it live on Instagram Those who were in the territory sent photos and voting information in their communities sent a photo of indigenous people crossing the Rio Negro by boat – between the Waruá community and the city's main waterfront – to exercise citizenship producing cards and videos in Portuguese and in the indigenous languages ​​Nheengatu participated in the coverage of the election following the voting of indigenous people in the urban area; Cláudia Ferraz The communicator Ray Baniwa has been part of the network since its creation and has worked remotely The works were made with the support of the photographer and web designer Raquel Uendi The Wayuri Network is linked to the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) and has a partnership and advice from the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) The original version of this story was published in Portuguese on July 13 by Greenpeace Brazil Since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit Brazil an alarm has been ringing for the country’s Indigenous Peoples Already with a history of destruction caused by epidemics transmitted by non-Indigenous People COVID-19 brought a frightening reminder of a past that must not be repeated According to data from the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) there are 19,893 confirmed cases of Indigenous People infected by COVID-19 and 125 affected ethnicities in the Amazon Amazonas was the first state to confirm cases of infected Indigenous people and has the highest concentrated number of deaths among them.   the city in Brazil with the highest number of Indigenous Peoples (approximately 90% of the population) a multi-institutional effort has been mitigating the impacts of the pandemic.  The effort is aiming to stop the disease from advancing further through the forest and avoid catastrophic consequences.  The Coping with COVID-19 Committee was created by São Gabriel da Cachoeira’s City Hall on March 18th, and a group of organizations and civil society, such as the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (FOIRN), Brazil’s National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI) and the Army The group began implementing actions to fight COVID-19 before the disease reached the town.  Sanitary barriers were also installed as another preventive measure to control the water and air traffic “This held us over for 37 days [until the virus arrived],” says Marivelton Barroso a lot of people didn’t like these barriers saw it as a hassle and started to come through the back door Today we don’t know where the virus began to spread health professionals and with a low supply of oxygen The hospital does not have an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and had only seven respirators for treating COVID-19 patients the city government ordered a lockdown from May 9th to June 8th and made the use of masks mandatory São Gabriel da Cachoeira had 3,749 confirmed cases the effort that brought together such diverse institutions was vital in dealing with this enormous and logistically challenging situation—about 750 communities of 23 Indigenous ethnicities “Interinstitutional work is crucial and regionally strategic This model has to continue even after the pandemic,” he said Greenpeace Brazil joined forces with the Committee as time moved along by enabling donated materials to be transported both by the organization itself and by partner organizations “We really need to understand the challenges faced by those who live in the Amazon Those who live in São Gabriel da Cachoeira are 850km from the Manaus the only city in the entire state that has an ICU,” explains Carol Marçal “So the formation of this solidarity network is essential to face this crisis.”  Greenpeace and other partners delivered thousands of COVID-19 rapid tests power generators and electrical equipment to assemble field hospitals food and sewing machines for people to make masks Healthcare professionals were also taken to the city to run tests assess the status of the municipality’s healthcare infrastructure and train healthcare workers.  The field hospitals set up to treat Indigenous People during the pandemic are an example of the efforts being made by the Coping with COVID-19 Committee and many supporting organizations Called Indigenous Primary Care Units (UAPI) they are coordinated by the Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI) and treat low and medium risk patients providing an environment adapted to their needs.  12 field hospitals have been set up in the Rio Negro region to offer assistance within communities and keep Indigenous People with lower-risk cases from having to be treated in the city helped make these units viable and explained they are simple operations the idea is to take medication and treatment to the community,” he says The units also facilitate treatment for the at-risk group as many elderly people resist going to the cities for treatment for fear of never coming back “Many people will not want to leave their communities This is a way of giving them another chance at treatment,” explains Guilherme. The loss of elders is one of the Indigenous Peoples’ utmost concerns the region has already experienced the irreversible loss of elders who held the entire history and knowledge of territories and cultural issues with them The elders are the main doctors and teachers the holders of traditional knowledge,” he says The intention is to decentralize treatment and help reduce the flow of Indigenous patients seeking help in the cities Luana Lila is the Head of Storytelling at Greenpeace Brazil we explore how to move from a world that serves the economy to an economy that serves people and the planet Of the many risks related to plastic pollution policymakers express most concern about the human health impacts and are calling for measures to reduce production or putting food on the table are at the top of your concerns climate change seems to be something for somebody else to solve Please select which cookies you are willing to store These cookies are required for technical reasons so that you can visit our website and use the functions we offer These cookies are used to recognise you between successive visits and thus provide you with a better experience storing your consent preferences and the last Greenpeace.org website visited We use tracking and analysis tools to ensure continuous optimisation and demand-oriented design of our website These cookies will allow us to collect statistical and anonymised data such as how visitors use our website or which pages are accessed most frequently to ultimately improve Greenpeace.org and provide you with a better experience of our website In addition to the Performance cookies mentioned above we may also place in your browser cookies from third-party services (e.g Facebook or Google) to track the effectiveness of our online marketing strategies and to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests These cookies may also be used to serve advertising to you after you have left our site (retargeting cookies) On the air for 5 years Rede Wayuri strengthens indigenous communication in the Amazon A post shared by Rede Wayuri (@rede.wayuri) the governance document of the Wayuri Network follows the network's way of working which bears this characteristic in its name In Nheengatu – one of the languages ​​spoken on the Rio Negro – Wayuri means “collective work” “I feel that the Wayuri Network is maturing and moving towards doing various types of work with the participation of communicators we need a structure and a governance document” communicator and coordinator of the Wayuri Network An initial version of the governance document was prepared throughout 2022 by Wayuri Network communicators – in partnership with ISA and support from Reporters Without Borders it received the suggestions brought by the communicators the communicators showed that they want a network that really represents the 23 indigenous peoples of the Rio Negro and proposed that the document have points on the production of content in indigenous languages ​​and ethnic and gender equity in the composition of the collective and in the offices The articulator and communicator Hélio Lopes raised the concern about the participation of the Hupda peoples but we must organize ourselves to enable their participation” The Charter of Principles was forwarded to Foirn which will evaluate the document in consultation with the Board of Directors The Wayuri Network is linked to Foirn and has a partnership with ISA About 70 communicators and collaborators from the urban areas of São Gabriel da Cachoeira Santa Isabel do Rio Negro and Barcelos and communities in areas of Foirn's regional coordination offices participated in the workshop – held by ISA in partnership with Foirn: Diawii the communicators themselves had the opportunity to give a workshop Supported by the geographer Jéssica Lozovei passed on their knowledge in a pole-radio workshop equipment mounted with megaphone and widely used in the communities also prepared together with the communicators The equipment used in the workshop was donated to the Caibarnx coordination office the only one that still did not have this equipment in its coverage area who has been part of the network since the beginning passed on knowledge to other communicators who have been part of the Wayuri Network for the longest time Adelina Sampaio led a workshop on graphics – an important form of communication for the people of Rio Negro “These graphics signify joy and are used in festive moments,” she explained the indigenous digital influencer Christian Wariu spoke about his work and gave a workshop on videos for social networks Christian Wariu also brought his experience in social networks are around a very empty thing that is the influence of numbers: who has more followers I think that indigenous communicators have a different vision [since they are dedicated to] using these tools for something the dissemination of their own culture or the denunciation of threats to their territories” Wariu guided communicators to produce short videos for TikTok The groups produced videos with themes about culture The realization of the V Workshop of the Wayuri Network had the support of GIZ (German International Cooperation) and the presence of the organization's technical advisor who brought to the discussion topics such as digital security and communication for the defense of territories showing technological tools that can used as a resource by indigenous peoples One of the projects presented was the Living Territories which has among its proposals the dissemination of information through the Traditional Territories Platform which makes it possible to identify digital content of dubious security The meeting was also accompanied by Diálogo Brasil an institution that supports the Wayuri Network with the project Journey of Communication for Indigenous Organizations focused on indigenous communication networks “The Wayuri Network is a model and inspiration for other networks for having a structure established five years ago and for operating in an extensive territory” podcaster and head of the production company Vem de Audio who has followed Rede Wayuri since its inception also participated in the workshop through Diálogo Brasil She spoke with communicators about the podcast format and brought reflections on the scenario of indigenous politics in the country with the change of government and the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples An example of a cited podcast is that of Sumaúma a communication agency focused on defending the Amazon and its peoples The program is anchored by the Wayuri Network communicator “At Sumaúma I work with journalists who have graduated he said in conversation with the communicators Juliana Sangion talked to students about indigenous entrance exams and about the Ecoa Maloca podcast developed by indigenous university students the main production of the Wayuri Network of Indigenous Communicators is the weekly radio program Papo da Maloca with production and narration by Cláudia Ferraz and Juliana Albuquerque the program is edited by Cláudia Wanano and is available on audio platforms such as the Wayuri podcast The Network also produces content for Instagram where live coverage of the presidential election in São Gabriel da Cachoeira was concentrated another highlight was the participation of communicators in exchanges including those carried out with the support of the RSF organization the Wayuri Network had five scholarship holders working from São Gabriel da Cachoeira and around 50 volunteers the network will increase the number of fellows working in indigenous territories and in urban areas getting closer and closer to its collaborative work with volunteers Network of indigenous producers expands ties and experiences with the forest economy in Rio Negro A network of indigenous producers from Rio Negro (AM) is At the opening of the 10st General Meeting of Indigenous Producers of Rio Negro which took place in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) between October 14th and XNUMXth indigenous people gathered in a circle used a ball to represent the moment each one introduced themselves and talked about their production showing the diversity of peoples and productions in the region.  Dynamics at the beginning of the meeting at Casa do Saber formed a network between the peoples of Rio Negro and their productions| Ana Amélia Hamdan/ISA During the dynamic, the tucum braids of the Baré and Piratapuya women were linked to Yanomami basketry, made with vine and perisi fungus without leaving aside the products of the countryside and the ancestral tools used in these activities The braiding of the aturás (baskets) Hupda found seeds and necklaces brought by other peoples.  the network involved a good part of the 23 peoples who live in the Rio Negro region and the next day it expanded also counting on approximately 20 indigenous producers from eight states of the Brazilian Amazon through the Exchange of Value Chains of Amazon Cooperation Network (RCA) composed of 14 indigenous and indigenist associations.  The XNUMXst General Meeting of Indigenous Producers of Rio Negro and the RCA Value Chain Exchange were promoted in Maloca – Casa do Saber da Foirn by the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) in partnership with the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) and the own RCA.  spoke about the wealth of the forest economy and the strengthening of the Rio Negro's value chains which generate income by preserving the forest the structure of Foirn's Sociobiodiversity Business Department has been strengthening even in the face of political pressures that propose unsustainable models within Indigenous Lands One of the main agendas of the meeting of producers was the signing of the term of political agreement and co-management agreement of Wariró – Casa dos Produtores Indígenas do Rio Negro which is located in São Gabriel da Cachoeira and sells products from the region.  The document is an instrument for consolidating excellent To guarantee the legitimacy of the processes representatives of the five coordinators of Foirn - Nadzoeri Caiarnx and Coidi (see below for the meaning of the acronyms) participated in the meeting analyzed and approved the co-management agreement in the assembly.  For the coordinator of Foirn's Sociobiodiversity Business Department this process guarantees the transparency of decisions and brings artisans closer to Casa Wariró “The meeting of artisans is very important for strengthening ties with the grassroots It is important to emphasize the role of grassroots associations in the forest economy,” she said ISA's advisor on indigenous business management economist Ana Letícia Pastore Trindade said that Wariró is in an expansion process with income generation for indigenous peoples and sustainability.  Wariró proposes to trade with financial and environmental sustainability It is not possible to increase the supply with the degradation of the environmental balance production is also linked to intercultural research to care for the raw material,” he explained.  One of the indicators of this growth is the 78% increase in the number of artisans selling products to Wariró from 60 in the first half of 2021 to 107 in the same period in 2022 The most sold products were Yanomami basketry Indigenous products are sold mainly in Amazonas and also in São Paulo Also presented at the meeting were the experiences of Casa de Frutas and of support for the National School Feeding Program (Pnae) protect the Traditional Agricultural System of Rio Negro (SAT-RN) registered as Brazilian intangible cultural heritage by the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional The meeting was attended by the technical advisor of the ISA Value Chains Project in São Gabriel da Cachoeira Initiatives developed by ISA in Roraima were shared by production engineer Amanda Latosinski and by technical advisor Stephany Caroline Rodrigues Sérgio Marques spoke about the experience of the ISA store and which sells products from the sociobiodiversity of territories where the organization operates more than half of the products sold in the space come from Rio Negro “The store is a promoter of partnerships within ISA” Deputy coordinator of ISA's Rio Negro Program Aloisio Cabalzar spoke about the importance and cultural richness of the forest economy including as a way of protecting the culture of the peoples of the Rio Negro.  Indigenous leader André Baniwa also shared his knowledge at the producers' meeting analyzing that the indices shown by Casa Wariró indicate that strengthening business goes hand in hand with culture such as Yanomami basketry or the Hupda aturás They are pieces that tell a story,” he detailed.  One of these stories is told by artisan Verônica Ramos Pena and makes the traditional aturá of her people we have to sleep in the forest because of the distance burn the vine there in the forest and burn the hand” Then the raw material is taken to the community Vice-president of the Association of Yanomami Kumirayoma Women (Amyk) to start the work of making Yanomami basketry “Sometimes we take the men to remove the big vine Then we went back to the community to make handicrafts,” she said.  and her husband Benjamim Antônio Montalvo Cardoso helped to create the Clube dos Casais to produce handicrafts and pass on knowledge to young people the group – made up of about 20 couples – meets to work and share knowledge In addition to the experiences of Rio Negro the participants of the producer meeting were able to learn about initiatives from other states in the Brazilian Amazon through an exchange on value chains promoted by RCA.  “The experience between different territories and realities promotes cooperation “We are taking the first steps knowing the actions of Rio Negro which has experience in diversified production chains Technical advisor to the Executive Secretariat of the CAR Patrícia de Almeida Zuppi highlighted the importance of the meeting between indigenous peoples “The exchange in the territory is very powerful as the shared experience leaves the narrative line and goes to the hands in the dough.” One of the experiences developed on the Rio Negro is the community-based sport fishing tourism developed on the Rio Marié Members of Foirn and RCA went to the community of Tapuruquara Mirim which benefits 14 indigenous communities.  president of the Xingu Indigenous Land Association (Atix) considered the exchange of experiences inspiring He pointed out that indigenous peoples have been going through a period of political pressure which can make it difficult to structure socio-biodiversity production chains.  The initiative was built with the support of the Indigenous Research and Training Institute (Iepe) “The sale of açaí by the indigenous people was disorderly Now we buy açaí and resell it in natura or smoothie at Empório Uasei guaranteeing a fairer relationship with the indigenous people” Diemisom dos Santos brought the experience of commercializing açaí and took to Oiapoque the example of Wariró's management the exchanges between the peoples of the States of the Amazon show that the networks for strengthening socio-biodiversity businesses are expanding Nadzoeri (Baniwa and Koripako Organization) Diawii (Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Tiquié Caibrm (Coordination of the Indigenous Associations of the Middle and Lower Rio Negro) Caiarnx (Coordination of the Indigenous Associations of the Upper Rio Negro and Xié); and Coidi (Coordination of Indigenous Associations of Iauaretê) Boiuaçu Constellation 'falls' and gives pause to the drought but the level of the Rio Negro remains low The municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) is experiencing a period of apprehension due to the drought that affects the entire state has difficulty accessing water and a shortage of food items making it difficult to maintain the fields.  News arrives from the indigenous territory that the constellation Boiuaçu – or Jararaca – 'fell' Experts indicate that constellations are associated with mythical narratives as well as environmental phenomena and cycles the Civil Defense of the State of Amazonas reported that the river is at a level below the average for this season in São Gabriel da Cachoeira the average for the month of November (period from 1982 to 2023) is between 700 cm and 900 cm.  A post shared by Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) (@socioambiental) Measurements from the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB – CPRM) indicate that the Rio Negro in the municipality was 610 cm; on November 13 The scenario worries the Civil Defense of Amazonas the peak ebb period is concentrated in the months of January and February.  “This leads to the prediction of severe low water at the beginning of 2024 in the Upper Rio Negro Public bodies are informed about this situation Our desire is for the rain rate to improve from the Amazonas Civil Defense Monitoring and Alert Center.  The record drought of the Rio Negro in São Gabriel da Cachoeira occurred in February 1992 (the level reached 330 cm) and At the beginning of the dry season that ended in 1992 (record low) the river level was in a better situation than it is today.  the Rio Negro reached the mark of 135,9 cm – the lowest since 1902 when measurements began in the capital's port – on October 16th the so-called Amazon summer (the period when it rains less) runs from June to October.   this is the time when the Boiuaçu or Jararaca constellation falls Indigenous Environmental Management Agent (AIMA) Mauro Pedrosa explains that on a certain day there is strong thunder when the river fills – leading to the disappearance of fish and piracema happens – and then empties again.  Wayuri Network communicator Rosivaldo Miranda reported that the level of the Uaupés River had risen.  he was worried about the delay in Boiuaçu and the lack of rain where residents needed to drill new wells to guarantee access to water He reported that the Ayari River is beginning to gain volume “This repickling should last around two weeks and it will begin to dry out again which will be Maalinai summer (Khewidapani Idzalemi) This Maalinai period extends until mid-January when another constellation begins,” he explains resident of the community of Serra de Mucura (Rio Tiquié) but explains that from now on the so-called Summer of Ingá begins “This year there was the fall of the Boiuaçu constellation It filled up a little and emptied again,” he reports.  Data from the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) indicate that it rained 16% below average in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira said that for November the forecast is for below-average rain with some regions experiencing normal rainfall.  Jussara Cury Maciel informs that the dry period in São Gabriel da Cachoeira begins in August During this interval there are rises related to isolated precipitation in the region Periods of high water and low water in the region are also associated with precipitation from the northern part of the basin with contributions from springs in Venezuela São Gabriel and Santa Isabel do Rio Negro have presented very low levels of rain for the period and which indicate that the drought has been severe in the entire Amazon Basin The effects of the drought are being felt in different ways in São Gabriel da Cachoeira In the urban area of ​​the municipality – the third with the highest concentration of indigenous population in the country – residents faced around 20 days of rationing with losses including in essential services such as water supply and school operations.  such as difficulty sleeping due to high temperatures and insects some residents stayed outside their homes until later.  rationing changed to 6 hours: three hours in each part of the city Supply was guaranteed for some essential services such as the hospital; the healthcare facility where vaccines are stored; Caixa Econômica Federal where indigenous people access benefits; and the water pump that supplies the city The crisis management committee created by the city hall suspended rationing on 4/11 but reported in a note that “the Rio Negro continues to be at a critical level for navigation and it is very important that everyone maintains a behavior focused on the economy of energy and water” It was informed that the rationing regime may be activated again depending on the transport of fuel two ferries with fuel were in the port of Camanaus One of them transported 700 thousand liters of gasoline alcohol and diesel to supply gas stations in the city The practical Manoel Ferreira Filho said that it took him 12 days between Manaus and São Gabriel da Cachoeira and normally this trip lasts a week.  We use a flying boat (small boat) to go ahead And we can’t navigate at night,” she reports.  The other vessel is the Galo da Serra ferry which transported 450 thousand liters of fuel to supply the thermoelectric plant that generates energy for the city 1,3 million liters of fuel should arrive to maintain the energy supply Diesel is being transported on several trips on smaller vessels that are navigable during the dry period energy is supplied by a thermoelectric plant which requires approximately 44 thousand liters of diesel per day As the city depends on ferries for its supply – including fuel and food – services are affected during the dry season.  The scene of people seeking water from taps in the city of São Gabriel da Cachoeira is common as in some regions there is no regular supply of white water – that is some families had to walk to the river to bathe “We leave little water at home to wash the containers We bathed in the river and fetched water from the spout to drink and cook” who on the night of November 2nd walked about 20 minutes from their house to the banks of the Rio Negro to take a bath.  Some wells are drying up or running low on water The Public Ministry of Amazonas (MPAM) reported on its website through the Public Prosecutor's Office of São Gabriel da Cachoeira it obtained a favorable decision in court to guarantee the continuous supply of drinking water to the local population giving a period of one year for the necessary works With the absence of a basic sanitation structure the region's water supply is provided by taps and wells Trader Manoel Maurício has a shop in the city center He had to turn off the refrigerators and freezers due to lack of merchandise.  “I buy between 200 and 300 volumes per week But the ferries are taking too long and it is not possible to bring vegetables and fruits and it ends in a few hours,” she reports.  says that the issue of shortages happens every year during the dry season which surprised her and prevented her from reinforcing her purchases she has to struggle to find ingredients to make meals and keep customers “I keep going to different places until I buy all the ingredients There have been times when I went out for a walk interrupted the walk to go shopping and return home,” she says Other city residents point out that this is a chronic problem The situation may worsen depending on the intensity of the dry period the public administration could plan to avoid energy rationing and item shortages.  residents staged a protest in front of the municipal forum where crisis group meetings were taking place demanding transparency about the actions being taken the group has published bulletins with the energy supply situation According to the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB-CPRM) the El Niño phenomena (warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean) and anomalous warming of surface waters in the North Tropical Atlantic are causing a reduction in rainfall The phenomenon has been worsened by the climate emergency According to the Bulletin of the Intersectoral Committee for Coping with Environmental Emergency Situations all 62 municipalities in the State are in an emergency situation with 598 thousand people being affected.  The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on November 8 that the El Niño phenomenon will continue until April 2024 anticipating that next year should be even hotter who work in urban areas and communities in the Middle and Upper Rio Negro are observing the impacts of the drought and disseminating information the dry season extends until the beginning of 2024 which raises concern given the scenario seen in other regions of the state Information that comes from within the indigenous territory can be monitored on the Wayuri podcast and Instagram.  Also in a mobilization and awareness action the Wayuri Network is promoting D-Day – Rio Negro is not a place for garbage!  a large amount of garbage appeared in the Port of Queiroz Galvão which went viral in the city and generated mobilization.  There was a garbage collection and awareness campaign on the 4th and 11th of November Gold mining in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira would drive deforestation and increase mercury pollution By Luke Taylor An Indigenous village in São Gabriel da Cachoeira The Brazilian government has approved gold exploration in a pristine expanse of Amazon rainforest that is home to 23 Indigenous groups, an investigation by the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper has revealed It reported that the head of Brazil’s Institutional Security Cabinet, Augusto Heleno, granted seven licences this year to explore for gold in a virtually untouched stretch of jungle bordering Colombia and Venezuela within the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira would drive deforestation in one of the… Peoples of Rio Negro launch a cry against the Temporal Mark with mobilization in the territory and on social networks Representatives of the 23 peoples of the Rio Negro gave a war cry against Marco Temporal in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM), the most indigenous city in Brazil, on voting day for the PL 490 in the Chamber of Deputies.  The demonstration, convened by the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (FOIRN), took place this Tuesday (30/05) in response to the setbacks to the indigenous and environmental agenda pending in Congress and also used social networks and political organization in the territory to amplify their voices The mobilization took place at Casa do Saber – Maloca da Foirn and brought together indigenous people from the five Foirn coordination offices ensuring representativeness of the territory of approximately 13 million hectares in one of the most preserved regions of the Amazon.  The mobilization had banners, posters and multiple voices, and was broadcast live on the foirn nets and Wayuri Network of Indigenous Communicators.  reinforced that the people of Rio Negro are also mobilized at the grassroots level to take a stand against projects that violate their rights.  “We are not going to accept any proposal or project that comes to exterminate us or that has the ambitious look of exploitation The Rio Negro region is an example of mobilization and conquests due to its political organization that involves grassroots associations We are the federation that ensures that the indigenous peoples of the region are heard Let's go together against proposals that violate our rights at the municipal the peoples of Rio Negro approved the consultation protocol an instrument to ensure that indigenous peoples are heard on bills or administrative acts that impact their lives.  Funai Regional Coordinator – Rio Negro Coordination it is hard and we will not accept setbacks like the PL 490 Indigenous women were also mobilized on social media and in person In a video recorded in the Nheengatu indigenous language You have said many times how we should live The coordinator of the Foirn Indigenous Women's Department was also present at the protest.   Documentary brings rare record of the exchange of ancestral knowledge between indigenous people in the Amazon in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) keeps some of the Houses of Knowledge in the Tiquié River region there are four caves that represent Yepamasã Knowledge Houses they would have originated some of the peoples of the region and that They are the Pamurimasa – People of Transformation People who hold a set of knowledge – masise – for healing and protection Pamurimasa masise – The People Science of Transformation is a documentary produced jointly by the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) and the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) and brings the rare and delicate record of the conversations and exchange of knowledge between these experts The film will be released on September 23 in Manaus at the Indigenous Medicine Center (Bahserikowi) with the presence of Indigenous Environmental Management Agents (Aimas) and experts Damião Amaral Barbosa with the presence of the indigenous anthropologist and advisor and socio-environmental research and development analyst at ISA The documentary was recorded in the community of Serra de Mucura when the 1st Meeting of Traditional Indigenous Connoisseurs on Covid-19 took place bringing together ethnic groups such as Tukano conversations and rituals were recorded by documentary filmmaker Christian Braga a member of the Wayuri Network of Indigenous Communicators Registered in indigenous languages ​​of the region pamurimasa masise not only shows indigenous knowledge but brings reflection on the need to value indigenous peoples integrated into a set of cosmological knowledge In the scenario of uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic residents of the Rio Negro region applied their own knowledge for protection and healing ranging from the use of plants from backyards Among the protective practices are the basesse (blessings) and protection rituals And in the report of these peoples – there are 23 ethnic groups living in the territory of the Upper and Middle Rio Negro in the area of ​​the municipalities of São Gabriel da Cachoeira Santa Isabel do Rio Negro and Barcelos – the pandemic only caused more damage due to indigenous care The film deals with how the Kumûa (shamans/specialists) were able to bring very important knowledge about preventing The use of this knowledge in the Tukano language is called basese explains indigenous anthropologist Dagoberto Azevedo He says that the film helps non-indigenous people to understand the set of knowledge that form indigenous science in addition to being an important way to seek recognition of this complex system of knowledge we invite non-indigenous people to have a dialogue about joint treatments and assistance bringing together the knowledge of the Pamurimasa and non-indigenous people And to seek that this joint practice can be recognized and encouraged by public policies” About 60 people participated in the meeting in Serra de Mucura Indigenous Environmental Management Agents (Aimas) and communicators from the Wayuri Network The only Yaí shaman to participate was Jairo Lodoño Assistant coordinator of ISA's Rio Negro Program anthropologist Aloísio Cabalzar considers that the reaction of the indigenous people of Rio Negro to the Covid-19 pandemic reinforced the autonomy of these peoples “It is their own way of coping and it also has a side of self-confidence as the indigenous people have their own resources to deal with it warns that the appreciation of this knowledge of healing and protection is essential for the sustainability of the region as they are part of a complex and integrated system of knowledge that involves environmental cycles “This meeting and the film create the expectation of appreciation is that the people holding this knowledge will not be able to continue their work” São Gabriel is the municipality in the country with the highest concentration of indigenous population and was heavily affected by Covid-19 reaching the first place in the ranking of the city with the highest contamination rate in the comparison per 100 thousand inhabitants because in the region there are difficulties in accessing health services and the indigenous people are considered more vulnerable to certain respiratory diseases According to information from the Government of the State of Amazonas the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 reached 615.181 with 14.307 deaths – a case fatality rate of 2,3% there were 11.033 cases and 113 deaths (1% case fatality rate) In the municipality of Santa Isabel do Rio Negro there were 3.194 cases and 57 deaths while in Barcelos there are 5.359 confirmations and 60 deaths These are the three main municipalities in the Upper and Middle Rio Negro region Pamurimasa Masise – The People Science of Transformation Ancestral protection and healing practices used by indigenous peoples of the Rio Negro were strengthened during the Covid-19 pandemic Faced with the threat of the virus and the scenario of global uncertainty these peoples applied their own knowledge to create a protocol that involved everything from the use of plants from backyards including the performance of sacred rituals a meeting held in the Serra de Mucura community municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM) in one of the most preserved areas of the Amazon brought together indigenous experts from ethnic groups such as Tukano Yebamasã and Makuna for knowledge exchange Most of the exchanges of experience took place in the Tukano language The Pamurimasa masise – Science of the Pamurimasa or Ciência da Gente de Transformação – is a documentary that brings the delicate and rare record of this exchange of knowledge between experts Indigenous people fight for better conditions to vote in the second round With abstention rates above the national average (20,9%) Bahia and Mato Grosso reported difficulties and irregularities in voting in the first round as determined by the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA).  The high number of complaints led the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib) to send a craft to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and to the Regional Electoral Courts “We are requesting measures from the responsible bodies so that there is greater inspection regarding attempts to coerce and impede the legal exercise of the vote, thus reducing the number of abstentions”, said Kleber Karipuna, executive coordinator of Apib, in note the municipality with the highest concentration of indigenous people in Brazil 10.273 voters failed to vote – an abstention rate of 32,5% according to data from the Regional Electoral Court of Amazonas (TRE-AM) In neighboring Barcelos and Santa Isabel do Rio Negro Reports by the indigenous people themselves point out that one of the main challenges is the long distances that many have to travel to the polling place Other registered obstacles were long lines and the change of voting time where some families have to travel all day or even more than a day to get to the polls” a professor at the University of Brasília and one of the founders of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro ( Foirn).  28 indigenous communities received ballot boxes in São Gabriel da Cachoeira and another two in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro close to the estimated 750 communities and sites in the three municipalities Yanomami indigenous people who live in the Maiá community had to travel for three days in voadeiras – small motor boats – to be able to vote at the headquarters of São Gabriel da Cachoeira.  And then there are the costs involved in the trip decided that city halls and bus companies can offer free public transport in the second round of elections the Municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira said that it was still getting information about the measure.  may not be sufficient to guarantee the right to vote support must be differentiated and ensure the provision of public transport from the villages to the nearest polls where the majority of indigenous voters are Yanomami complex logistics and a lack of resources have prevented people from voting president of the Barcelos Indigenous Association (Asiba) because it is too far away and the expense is very high “I believe that this rate [of abstention] will increase even more in the second round because those who came from the communities to vote in the first round no longer come”.  “The people themselves pay the [fuel] expenses to be able to vote” had to go to Tunuí to register their votes.  the cost of travel is much higher than the fee charged by the TSE for non-attendance voters may be more vulnerable to vote buying or face difficulties in returning to the villages in the case of 400 Yanomami voters who have been in Barcelos since the first round without access to the fuel needed to make the trip “We need to materially guarantee the right to vote Just as public transport is allowed in cities voting across the country followed Brasília time with adaptations to local time in municipalities that are in different time zones the polls were open from 7 am to 16 pm.  The change was announced by Wayuri Network of Indigenous Communicators and by the São Gabriel da Cachoeira Electoral Office on Rádio O Dia FM but some voters still got confused and arrived at their polling stations after the gates closed.  Read alsoIn Rio Negro, indigenous communicators cover the elections in real time Elza Tenório Vieira is a resident of São Gabriel da Cachoeira and was one of the voters who was unable to vote in the first round because she was confused with the new schedule She prefers to vote in the late afternoon because she has a daughter with a disability and is therefore careful to avoid the hours of strong sunlight.  and that's why we didn't vote in the first round the Wayuri Network produced advertisements and videos in Portuguese and in the Yanomami such as voting times and which documents to bring Cards with information for voters in the Yanomami and Nheengatu languages respectively | Wayuri Network of Indigenous Communicators some indigenous voters waited up to three hours in queues a problem that was repeated in polling stations across the country The delay demobilized voters and part of them preferred to leave without voting.  one of the factors that contributed to the long lines was the difficulty in using the electronic voting machine especially for indigenous people who do not speak Portuguese.  created complicated situations: a Yanomami voter would have been induced by the interpreter who accompanied him to vote for a different candidate from the one he intended The second round of the 2022 Federal Elections takes place in October 30th.  voting takes place from 7 am to 16 pm local time.  as well as in 11 municipalities in Amazonas: Amaturá Tabatinga and São Paulo de Olivença.  voting follows Brasília time and goes from 8 am to 17 pm Keep an eye on the clock so you don't miss the time abstention reflects a worsening of the local population's commitment to politics and citizenship “We perceive very little debate about the importance of voting the political polarization in Brazil is also registered in indigenous communities Aiming at greater participation of indigenous peoples in future elections it reinforces the need for indigenous associations to strengthen the political and civic education of communities “It is necessary to do extensive work in the villages indigenous people have difficulties in electing their representatives”.  ISA contacted the Superior Electoral Court by e-mail asking them to comment on the challenges registered across the country but was instructed to seek out the Regional Electoral Courts and the Federal Public Ministry the TRE do Amazonas had not responded to questions about the problems reported by the communities of Rio Negro the state with the lowest abstention rate in the country the right to vote of indigenous communities has not been fully fulfilled resident of the Novo Paraíso Community in Bonfim (RR) reports One of the reasons is that many young people did not obtain the voter registration card”.  the main challenge was the lack of transport the polls have not yet reached her community and voters are divided between two polling stations: one in Vila São Francisco approximately 7 km away and another in Manoá Community “Many families don't have [private] transport and can't reach the destination of their vote,” he says.  Similar problems were raised by communities in the Xingu Basin Within the electoral zone of Querência (MT) no ballot box was installed in indigenous villages The electoral registry in the region offered buses to support the journey to the city but some difficulties were recorded.  reported that the drivers of the vehicles had gotten lost on the way they ask that buses arrive in the village the day before the elections this measure is subject to a check on the volume of rain and the condition of the roads the electoral registry replied that “the buses will go where traffic is possible [being] made with the leaders of the places [where there is] the possibility of inaccessibility leaders indicate that there was a demobilization when they learned that they would need to take a bus to Querência and spend the day away from the village to vote.  an emergency measure to combat covid-19 allowed the installation of ballot boxes at the Central Kisêdjê State School in the Wawi Indigenous Land and at the Kalapalo Village School facilitating the citizen expression of indigenous people in these territories The electoral registry did not maintain this resource in the 2022 Elections and informs that the inclusion of ballot boxes in indigenous lands will only be possible after this cycle “conditioned to studies that guarantee the effectiveness and safety of electoral work” you have the right to vote in the second round even though he did not register his vote in the first round Simply bring a photo ID or your virtual voter ID (e-ticket) to your polling station on Sunday In the villages of the Xingu Indigenous Territory that are close to the municipality of Feliz Natal (MT) there is a polling station at the Ikpeng State School The displacement of these voters is the responsibility of the Electoral Transport Commission of the Electoral Office of Vera (MT) which claims to have supplied this year 700 liters of fuel and 14 liters of nautical oil regional director of the Xingu Indigenous Land Articulation (ATIX) in the Middle Xingu but comments that the quantity is still not enough to guarantee the broad right to vote for indigenous people in the region so there is a lack of [fuel] to bring these voters,” he says these villages don't show up to vote”.  He argues that the amount of fuel provided may increase in future claims but this depends on a compatibility between the resources allocated for this purpose by the Transport Commission and the amount required by indigenous communities they should be taken to the Electoral Judge or to the TRE-MT so that they can point out a solution that could be made feasible” Oporike also mentions the lack of support with food for voters who come from far away as a difficulty but he believes that this is not a decisive factor in raising the abstention rates the Pavuru village recorded 24,6% abstention indigenous communities were prevented from voting in the first round of elections according to reports collected by the Association of Teachers of the University of the State of Bahia (ADUNEB) and by the Center for Intercultural Studies and Research on Indigenous Issues ( CEPITI) between the 15th and 17th of October.  indigenous people were unable to leave their villages for fear coercion by gunmen and the closing of roadways where more than six thousand indigenous people live the municipality with the largest number of indigenous people in Bahia "Abstention is a bland word that doesn't mean anything You have to unwrap the word 'abstention' as we unwrap school evasion just like the evasion of blacks and indigenous people from the university because there is no policy of permanence which is not the guy who says: 'I don't want to vote and professor of the collegiate intercultural degree courses in indigenous school education and intercultural pedagogy how many indigenous peoples and communities are being attacked today Is it just a Pataxó phenomenon?” he asks.  Read alsoSocio-environmental debate will heat up in the new Congress with the results of the elections In addition to the coercion of gunmen and the widespread fear of indigenous people to leave their villages to go to vote Those who did not face an imminent threat to their lives were unable to go to the polling stations due to the long distance between communities and polling stations indigenous people need to travel more than 100 kilometers to vote.  The Indigenous Movement of Bahia (MIBA) filed at the Regional Electoral Court of Bahia (TRE-BA) a request for measures to ensure compliance with the right to vote of “not only indigenous people but also quilombolas and all those who need such policies”.  MIBA requests that the TRE “assist such communities with regard to transport to the respective polling places that the Municipalities of Porto Seguro and Prado to carry out such steps” the Justice of the 112th Electoral Zone of Prado manifested itself in favor of the action provided they are duly inspected and accredited by the Electoral Registry it was emphasized that the decision is restricted to the territorial extension of the municipalities of Prado as it is a different electoral court.  The agency also highlighted “that the need to guarantee the full exercise of political rights by local indigenous communities remains evident” and indicated that “the provision of transport to the population of indigenous villages quilombolas and members of remaining communities should be ensured Any doubts about the inspection and accreditation logistics can be addressed directly to the Electoral Office of Prado Along the banks of the Rio Negro in northwest Brazil there lies the largest untouched rainforest tract in the whole of the Amazon basin know that the region was inhabited in pre-colonial times Yet archaeological knowledge about the details remains scarce thanks to a British Academy/Global Challenges Research Fund grant in Sustainable Development UCL archaeologist Dr Manuel Arroyo-Kalin has led an exciting interdisciplinary project there It seeks to uncover evidence of age-old human occupations as well as developing intercultural dialogue with local indigenous communities Partnering with researchers from Brazilian museums - Museu da Amazônia (Musa) and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG) - as well as São Carlos Federal University (UFSCar) and NGO Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) the Intercultural Archaeology Programme of the Northwest Amazon (PARINÃ) took shape It is a long-term research strategy that aims to study the history of the north-west Amazon through intercultural engagement with the people living there PARINÃ archaeologists helped to train the region’s first indigenous archaeology students involving them in archaeological excavations uncovering artefacts that could be up to 2,000 years old In February 2023 the team presented initial results of these excavations in an exhibition in São Gabriel da Cachoeira This small municipality in the Brazilian state of Amazonas is widely known as “Brazil’s most indigenous town” due to its location within a territory inhabited by more than 25 different indigenous groups entitled Memories of Ancestral Landscapes and curated by Musa aimed to return to the community the results of recent research with a view to promoting discussion about the relevance of cultural heritage Dr Meliam Gaspar (MUSA) and student archaeologists excavate artefacts as part of the PARINÃ programme in the Amazon Left: An indigenous ceramic specialist from Taraquá shows Dr Manuel Arroyo-Kalin wares from the Amazonian rubber boom era Right: A decorated pre-colonial adorno found at the time of excavation is considered Brazil's most Indigenous town Dr Arroyo-Kalin is Associate Professor in Geoarchaeology at UCL Institute of Archaeology including nearly a year spent living with local communities on the upper Rio Negro His expertise is in soils and geoarchaeology having studied the phenomenon of the Amazon’s anthropogenic ‘dark’ earths: patches of rich soils formed where pre-colonial settlements were located in time becoming expanses of fertile ground Dr Arroyo-Kalin explained: “The site is dominated by black soil – or dark earth In the context of the broader cultural history of Amazonia you begin to see the formation of these when people became more fixed and adopted sedentary life The north-west Amazon has always been seen as a nutrient-poor region implying past populations would have been small and hence no dark earth would have formed; we are finding evidence of the opposite.” Pre-colonial indigenous people in the Amazon basin would change the nature of soils by discarding vegetable refuse and pottery shards around their communities fertile soil that could sustain crop cultivation By studying ancient objects uncovered with the archaeology students during excavations in 2019 and 2022 and documents relating to people who lived in the area during several periods the team gained a detailed picture of daily life hundreds and even thousands of years ago The team painstakingly peeled back layer after layer of soil to reveal the remains hidden beneath – pottery Dr Arroyo-Kalin said: “We work with local descendent communities showcasing what lies beneath their feet It is unique because we are working with the first generation of indigenous archaeologists that have been trained in this region “Our second excavation was at the plaza associated with the main church that the Catholic missionaries built in the early 20th century in São Gabriel da Cachoeira Inhabitants of the city became very interested in finding out more about a place that they’d walked past their entire life Records from the 16th century refer to the northern half of the Amazon basin as where El Dorado was located and we had lots of people stop and joke ‘Are you looking for gold?’” PARINÃ was recently featured in a US TV film "Ancient Builders of the Amazon," directed by Graham Townsley said: “I want to get involved with archaeology And I do it so I can learn the story of my people my people are interested in reclaiming the history of our indigenous Tariana community learning how we got from the past to where we are now and into the future.” The exhibition was hosted at the Knowledge Longhouse of the local indigenous political federation The 'Memories of Ancestral Landscapes' exhibition took place in the Knowledge Longhouse of indigenous organisation FOIRN Dr Arroyo-Kalin explained: “FOIRN was the organisation that led the indigenous struggle to demarcate this land It is an important organisation that symbolises the resilience of the indigenous movement in the region Our excavations were the first investigations into the past of São Gabriel da Cachoeira and we presented them in these core and symbolically-charged premises This was a highly emblematic gesture in terms of making heritage in the context of the indigenous movement.” The work leading to the exhibition had its share of challenges the team opted to spend four days travelling along the river by boat carrying artefacts that would be displayed Dr Arroyo-Kalin said: “Some of the most interesting sources of information of the beginning of the colonial period are the records of travel along the Rio Negro the chronicle of Alexandre Barbosa Rodrigues refers to villages and locales that we cruised by on our 800km ascent to São Gabriel da Cachoeira It gave us an opportunity to examine the bigger riverscape that we spend so much time thinking about A view on Google Earth is very different from slowly making your way along the maze of canals and rivers.” Materials were translated into three different Amazonian indigenous languages (Tukano Baniwa and Nheengatú) to be handed out at the exhibition Dr Arroyo-Kalin said: “It was important for us to return to local communities a good account of the results of the project One of the big complaints communities have is that they see generations of researchers coming in – anthropologists – and the consistent theme is that they do their research and never return anything back We have tried to build the opposite into our research programme developing ways to work with local people and putting on an exhibition early in the process We wanted to show people the results of our research within months rather than years down the line.” As well as working with the student archaeologists the team held workshops with indigenous ‘connoisseurs’ – shamans and elderly people – about what cultural heritage means to them Dr Arroyo-Kalin said: “We spoke to them regarding their understanding of the cultural history of the landscape what the sacred places are and why we need to look after them It was very much intercultural – involving academically-trained researchers and indigenous people in recognition that these were two complementary bodies of knowledge.” Archaeology students provide context for visitors to the 'Memories of Ancestral Landscapes' exhibition in São Gabriel da Cachoeira The scale of destruction brought about by the conquest where European diseases and violence by settlers wiped out about 80% of the indigenous population within as little as 100 years gave the excavation of the land a heightened relevance to the students involved Student archaeologist Odanilde Freitas said: “There has been a big impact on our culture of the centuries of colonisation I feel we can rescue and reconstruct our identity The exhibition attracted more than 100 visitors including a performance by a local indigenous artist Rose Waikon and discussion with indigenous connoisseurs and leaders Dr Arroyo-Kalin said: “The exhibition showed the relevance of archaeology when plugged into the priorities of the indigenous movement and led to a research project in a political space “The biggest thing I have learned has been the importance of this history to the people themselves There was an emotional relevance – students really felt emotional about what we were doing our understanding of the landscape and the way people transcribe their history onto it – it teaches you about how people live in place there’s a stone around the river bend where ‘xxx’ happened It’s about how people historicise the place We realised there are stores of knowledge within people’s existence.” The PARINÃ team working with Manuel are: Helena Pinto Lima Lucia Hussak van Velthem (MPEG); Filippo Stampanoni Bassi Aline Scolfaro (UFSCar); and Alosio Cabalzar Indigenous leadership records on video flooding of fields in the Amazon The scenario of flooded traditional swiddens with damage to riverside and indigenous populations the state experienced record floods and floods. This year which becomes more pronounced from June onwards with the intensification of rains This reality has been monitored from within the indigenous territory by the watchful eye of the Baniwa indigenous leader Juvêncio Cardoso also known by the name of blessing Dzoodzo Aawadzoro He posted a video on his social media page showing fields flooded by the flooding of the Ayari River According to the report of the Baniwa researcher the river has already reached 50 cm more in comparison with 2021 The flooding of the gardens compromises the food security of indigenous communities To ensure that part of the plantation was not lost which is the region's staple food and produces a series of products such as flour the flood will repeat itself even before the period of one year There were 10 days left to complete one year and the water from the Ayari River returned to take care of the gardens” the floods caused damage to 18 families in six communities surveys are still being carried out as the flood season is just beginning “We are in one of the most preserved areas of the Amazon We want public authorities and organized civil society to take measures to help us,” he said Coordinator of the Baniwa Organization and Koripako Nadzoeri one of the five coordinators of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) Dzoodzo is also a licensed professor in intercultural physics and a master in environmental sciences.  extreme weather events and their impacts on the Amazon Read alsoWithout crops, fish and worms: record flood in Rio Negro exposes systemic impact of climate change (ANS - Brasilia) - Since 1915 the Salesian mission has operated with 23 indigenous ethnic groups in the Rio Negro region and its tributaries in the extreme north of Brazil The Salesian missionary dimension in the country finds expression above all in the presence among the original peoples: the Provinces of the Salesians of Don Bosco "St Domenico Savio" and "St Alfonso Maria de 'Liguori" based in Campo Grande (BCG) and the Provinces of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians dedicated to “Laura Vicuña” and “Santa Teresinha” (Manaus) and “Our Lady of Peace” (Cuiabá) are considered missionary Provinces for this very reason “The missionary concept today goes further in the sense that mission has no boundaries But these Provinces are considered missionary because they have a very specific work with the indigenous,” explains Fr Reginaldo Cordeiro Vicar and Delegate for Missionary Animation of BMA “Our Province was born with the first house in São Gabriel da Cachoeira in 1915 and developed from the periphery from the indigenous populations to the urban centers we have made much progress in knowledge and evangelization We see that indigenous and non-indigenous peoples need each other and this meeting of cultures is very beautiful and important,” adds the Salesian The State of Amazonas is geographically very large In 1914 the Holy See entrusted the Apostolic Prefecture of Rio Negro to the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) and the first Salesians arrived in the region the following year establishing the headquarters of their new mission in São Gabriel da Cachoeira without neglecting the missionary presence among the indigenous Today there are five Salesian missionary presences in the Rio Negro region and its tributaries the mission is shared between SDB and FMA and involves 23 different indigenous ethnic groups vocational training courses and visits to different communities While in Maturacá and Marauiá the Salesians work exclusively with the Yanomami; in Maturacá through a parish and the spiritual assistance offered in periodic visits; in Marauiá “Missionary work with indigenous peoples consists above all in a quality religious presence It is an experience of encounter with the other and development and evangelizing action,” explains the Salesian one of the great challenges of the Salesian mission today is the encounter between the Salesian charism and the spirituality and way of being of the indigenous people “The great challenge is this meeting of values ​​to form an indigenous Church one that emerges from the meeting of two cultures The Synod of the Amazon has come to reinforce this concept that the Church express its values ​​by taking steps towards inculturation.” ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements The clashes came days after a supreme court justice ordered the government to protect indigenous populations threatened by the miners who appear to have been emboldened by President Jair Bolsonaro. The state prosecutor’s office said miners tried to block a federal police operation by closing off entries to the municipality of Jacareacanga on Wednesday and trying to raid a police base. Hours later, miners raided a village of the Munduruku people and set several houses on fire, including one that belonged to a prominent mining critic and indigenous activist, Maria Leusa Munduruku. Read moreThe attack followed clashes farther north in Roraima state, where miners in motorboats have repeatedly attacked and threatened a riverside Yanomami settlement known as Palimiu miners also clashed with federal officials investigating the incidents said two of the group’s children drowned while fleeing during a particularly violent confrontation on 10 May that also resulted in three miners being killed Federal prosecutors in Roraima have not been able to confirm any of the deaths but said a police investigation was under way Clashes around the Palimiu community have intensified since 24 April when Yanomami men took fuel and some equipment from wildcat miners they accused of encroaching on their land Hekurari said miners had been driving their motorboats past the village almost daily shouting threats and sometimes firing their guns They are very tired,” Hekurari said in a Zoom call from Palimiu He said Yanomami men keep watch each night He alleged that miners had killed several people and raped women and girls – allegations not confirmed by federal prosecutors in the state The conservative president has been outspoken about his desire to legalize mining in indigenous territories – which is not allowed under Brazil’s constitution – and to promote development in the Amazon “It isn’t fair to want to criminalize the prospector in Brazil,” Bolsonaro told supporters outside the presidential palace on 14 May according to the newspaper Estado de S Paulo environmental and indigenous rights activists “There is a feeling of impunity in the country that those who invade won’t be penalized,“ said Juliana Batista a lawyer who works at the Socio-Environmental Institute The institute says about 20,000 illegal miners are suspected of working within the Yanomami Indigenous Territory which is Brazil’s largest indigenous reserve and roughly the size of Portugal About 27,000 indigenous people live on that land The supreme court justice Luis Roberto Barroso this week ordered the federal government to “immediately adopt all necessary measures to protect the life health and safety of indigenous populations” in Yanomami and Munduruku territory He also accused the government for “recalcitrance and lack of transparency” in ensuring the health and safety of indigenous groups Diálogo Américas 3,100 Troops participated in disaster relief operations nationwide 2,700 service members have already provided assistance to civilians suffering from natural disasters the country’s Armed Forces are working with Civil Defense units to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians impacted by heavy flooding About 3,100 Troops participated in such operations nationwide in 2014 2,700 service members have participated in the effort Soldiers from the 4th Jungle Infantry Battalion the 7th Army Construction Engineering Battalion and other Army units in the states of Roraima and Amazonas assisted more than 123,000 people affected by the largest flood in the history of the Acre River from February through April They helped move civilians from high-risk areas transported emergency basic necessities such as food and water and performed maintenance at the Plácido de Castro International Airport in Rio Branco which exceeded its normal levels by 18.4 meters Soldiers resourcefully put in place a metal bridge originally used in combat for the civilians of Amazonas — a Bailey bridge rebuilding the ground connection between São Gabriel da Cachoeira and the border with Colombia and Venezuela and it was used to move armored vehicles on the battlefield it is very useful for emergency operations,” said Major General Marcos Pupin Commanding Officer of the 2nd Army Corps of Engineers at the Amazônia Military Command (CMA) “The city was very isolated in the northwest of the state “We mobilized all available resources to solve the problem,” said Sergeant Major Flávio Frederico of the Social Communications unit of the 21st Construction Engineering Company “We were the only ones who could do it quickly.” Soldiers engaged in operations to support transport and supplies and restricted residential traffic to maintain order Troops learned that there was damage to the BR-307 road at other points where footbridges (improvised straight bridges) were erected that allowed one person at a time to cross the Army acquired small boats that could cross the broken roadway Of particular importance was transferring civilians suffering from broken bones; the patients needed to be transferred on a gurney from one side of the chasm by boat to the other side where they were placed in a vehicle to be taken to the airport Soldiers work together to put bridge in place The mission to reconnect the city to other parts of Brazil lasted 12 days and 50 platforms to build the Bailey bridge in São Gabriel da Cachoeira “The convoy from the 6th Construction Engineering Battalion left Boa Vista on April 1 and arrived in Manaus on the third,” SGM Frederico recalled the Army rented a raft to bring equipment provided by the Boa Vista battalion from the port to the city The trip from Manaus to their final destination in São Gabriel da Cachoeira took another four days because the ground could give way at any moment,” SGM Frederico said Further complicating their effort was the task of building the bridge itself undertaken by about 30 service members of the 21st Construction Engineering Company the link was ready by late afternoon on April 12 though traffic was limited to 15 tons at any given moment to avoid the risk of collapse CMA and the National Transportation Infrastructure Department (DNIT) plan further repairs to the connecting arteries after the rainy season is over “We are bringing in services to make these roadway connections permanent,” Maj “The community needs the Army’s support.” Using the Bailey bridge to provide transportation routes to the people of the region was crucial after several consecutive days of rain in São Gabriel da Cachoeira a stretch of the BR-307 near kilometer marker 3.5 collapsed The break in the roadway separated the center of São Gabriel from the Camanaus River port and the Uaupés Airport — both 21 kilometers away and the only connections to the rest of Brazil “We are the last municipality in Amazonas; you can only get here by boat or plane,” said the Prefecture’s Cabinet Chief Valmir de Souza Delgado “There was visible deterioration from the rainwater that had overflowed the riverbanks in the region.” The impact of the floods could have been worse if not for the efforts of the Armed Forces and residents of São Gabriel da Cachoeira expressed gratitude for the Military’s assistance during the crisis March to June is considered the rainy season in the northern part of the country the prefecture and the commanders of the 2nd Jungle Infantry Brigade had met to discuss measures that could be taken to solve the imminent risks For more on security and defense issues around the globe an indigenous member of the Piratapuia ethnic group was ordained a priest by the laying of hands and the consecratory prayer of Most Rev Bishop of the diocese of São Gabriel da Cachoeira on 8 December in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira Superior of the Salesian Province of Manaus (BMA) various Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians also attended the ceremony Subscribe to our English language newsletter and keep up-to-date with the most important news from Brazil All materials contained in this page may not be reproduced in any media without the prior written permission of Folhapress.