The demarcation of indigenous territories is a constitutional right in Brazil and should guarantee the self-determination, autonomy, and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, as well as their active participation in the management and preservation of these territories. However, in practice, land demarcation processes have been halted, sabotaged, and attacked by commercial and governmental interests.
Brazil’s indigenous peoples are protecting the six biomes that make up their territories by defending their rights. The Amazon, the most well-known of the six Brazilian biomes, is the largest tropical rainforest on the planet. The other Brazilian biomes are the Atlantic Forest, the Cerrado, the Pantanal, the Pampa and the Caatinga. Together, these six biomes are vital contributors to a balanced global climate.
Cacique Raoni Metuktire, one of the most important chiefs of the Kayapó people, an emblematic international figure in the struggle for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and indigenous culture. Credit: Kamikia Kisedje / APIB