Empower Indigenous Brazilians to Save their Amazon

Last month, communities of the Xingu River basin received some good news: the installation license for the Belo Sun mining project was denied!

The project is planned to be Brazil’s largest open-pit mining operation. Its implementation would further aggravate the sensitive situation of indigenous and riverine communities whose human rights have already been gravely impacted by the nearby Belo Monte Dam.

For people whose way of life has already been drastically changed by development, this small victory in the long fight to stop the mine was a needed sigh of relief. 

Belo Sun was stopped for the same reasons we’ve been fighting against Belo Monte all these years: the operator has inadequately addressed the concerns of local indigenous and riverine communities.

Since the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights authorized precautionary measures in the Belo Monte case in 2011, the government has been under international pressure to protect the life, health, and integrity of the people of the Xingú.

With this news, we’re happy to say our work to expose the injustices of Belo Monte is having an impact on development in the Brazilian Amazon.

Media coverage, international pressure and a sweeping corruption scandal have thrust Belo Monte into the spotlight. The third largest dam in the world now stands as a shining example of how not to implement energy projects in the region.

In the shadow of Belo Monte’s mistakes, the Brazilian government recently denied the license for a Tapajós River mega-dam; the denial of the Belo Sun license makes it two battles won for the interests of the people of the Xingú.

It seems the Brazilian government is finally beginning to pay attention to the rights of its traditional and indigenous populations in the face of large-scale development.

But the larger fight remains, and we won’t rest until we achieve justice for the people and communities affected by Belo Monte. 

Beneath a thatched-roof hut along the Tapajós River, Munduruku people from communities across this region of pristine Amazon rainforest gathered for a general assembly.

There were tribal elders and children, mothers and fathers, representatives from NGOs and government bodies. 

They came together to discuss problems, and to find solutions. They came to chart a course forward that would enable them to continue to live and grow in harmony with the natural world.

October’s assembly was their first meeting since the announcement of the cancellation of the Tapajós Dam; its license was denied due to the severe environmental impacts it would cause.

The rejection was a triumphant victory for the movement to protect Brazil’s Amazon, after years of disappointment and defeat caused by the nearby Belo Monte Dam.

I was there because of Belo Monte: to share stories, strategies, and lessons learned from our advocacy for the people of the Xingú River who have been impacted by the dam.

With me I brought a team from Climate Reality who produced a short documentary to share these stories with the world.

While the fight for the people of the Xingú has been long, we remain committed to achieving justice for them.

By taking their case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, we intend to influence decision-making in Brazil and discourage the implementation of more large dams in the Amazon, including those planned for the Tapajós River basin.

The devastation caused by Belo Monte has become a cautionary tale for neighboring tribes like the Munduruku.

Because of the harm done to the people and life of the Xingú, the Munduruku understand exactly what they have to lose if the dam on the Tapajós were to happen.

They would lose their homes, their sacred sites, and their connection to their ancestors.

They would lose their river.

Like the Xingú is to the Kayapo and Juruna people, the Tapajós is to the Munduruku.

It is their highway and their supermarket; a sacred waterway, a divine gift.

They thank their gods for the bounty provided by their healthy jungle home, for the tinguejada (fish), and for all that the river gives them.

It was an honor to be present to witness the strength and unity of the Munduruku people. It was humbling to join my voice with theirs.

I hope that the voices of the Munduruku are heard. I hope their territory is respected, and the dam and other development projects stopped for good. 

And I hope the Brazilian government learns the lesson that countless indigenous people already have—large dams must stay out of the Amazon!

Links:

• Documentary short: Defending the Amazon