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In the midst of the Brazilian Amazon appears the indigenous village of Raoni, the most influential chief in the country.
For decades, his people have been at the heart of a successful struggle against deforestation in a region marked by illegal mining (the “garimpo”) and other crimes that occur in the jungle.
How did he achieve this and what is the relationship of these inhabitants with biodiversity preservation.
This is Raoni’s village
In the heart of the Amazon lies the home of Chief Raoni Metuktire, the most influential indigenous leader in Brazil.
According to the AFP agency, one reaches Metuktire via the Xingu River, a village of 400 inhabitants with straw houses and wooden constructions around a large circle. A barracks for the warrior men stands out in the center.
Raoni’s village. (Photo: Pablo PORCIUNCULA- AFP).
Raoni lives in one of those houses, identical to the others. He is a historical leader, rubbing shoulders with presidents and even being mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
While “garimpo” and deforestation advance in other indigenous lands, this area, Capoto/Jarina, remains free of clearance. It has only 0.15% of its territory deforested between 2008 and 2024, according to official data.
“I do not allow ‘garimpeiros’ or ‘madereiros’ on our land,” Raoni assured the agency, whose age is estimated at around 90 years old.
Meanwhile, the chief was preparing to receive President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his land, to whom he will demand the demarcation of new indigenous areas.
How they combat deforestation
The approximately 1600 inhabitants of Capoto/Jarina, as they relate, use two strategies against deforestation. On one hand, periodic territorial patrols and, on the other hand, raising awareness among the youth so they do not succumb to the money from environmental crime.
Brazil demarcated Capoto/Jarina in 1984, after Raoni took officials of the military dictatorship hostage (1964-1985) to pressure the authorities.
The indigenous peoples of the Amazon. (Photo: Pablo PORCIUNCULA- AFP).
Since then, deforestation is a crime, according to Brazilian legislation that considers demarcated indigenous areas protected.
With an area four times the size of the city of São Paulo, the State keeps the land safe with the support of the villages.
These peoples are key to the preservation of the Amazon: non-indigenous lands have already lost almost 30% of their native vegetation, compared to less than 2% in the state-delineated areas, according to the NGO Instituto Socioambiental.
Why indigenous peoples are fundamental for biodiversity conservation
It is necessary for science to accurately recognize the fundamental and primary role that indigenous peoples play in the conservation of biodiversity, as their role is critical and extremely necessary for the survival of thousands of species.
