The kayapo project
protecting the future of the amazon
The Kayapo indigenous people of the southeastern Amazon have struggled to acquire and protect their land rights over 40 years since the frontier of settlement and resource extraction began to explode around their territories. Twenty-first century alliances of the Kayapo with conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have enabled protection of almost ten million hectares of their contiguous ratified territories.
Key to success has been the development of resource management and income generation activities within Kayapo indigenous territories,
and territorial surveillance and protection that is essential given the lack of government enforcement. Loggers, goldminers and ranchers have ramped up their illegal invasions of indigenous territories in Brazil, emboldened by the signalling of impunity by the Bolsonaro government.
Guard posts manned by Kayapo and located at strategic border locations vulnerable to invasion have proved highly effective in protecting Kayapo lands. There are seven guard posts operating in 2019 and we need to establish five more while improving the coordination of the expanded surveillance system. This will strengthen the capacity of the Kayapo to patrol and protect the 2,000 km of their border. The Kayapo project has meant the survival of Kayapo lands, the rich biodiversity and carbon stores they contain, and the way of life of the Kayapo people. It must continue to succeed.
“The Amazon rain forest is the greatest expression of life on Earth. It is home to about a third of our planet’s terrestrial life forms, cycles about one-quarter of the Earth’s freshwater, and plays a key role in absorbing carbon and moderating climate.”
