Bragança / Marituba Forest Guardians

Area

14,000 Hectares

Ethnic Groups

Munduruku

STATUS

Officially recognized Indigenous Territory

PROGRAM

Forest Guardians operating since 2023

INDIGENOUS GUARDIANS OF THE MUNDURUKU BRAGANÇA / MARITUBA TERRITORY.

The villages are located in the Tapajós National Forest, in the municipality of Belterra, in Pará. On the shore of the Tapajós River, State of Pará, in the National Forest (FLONA)

Totaling a maximum distance of 100km from the city of Santarém, passing through Belterra, you reach Indigenous land. The surface area of the Munduruku Bragança / Marituba territory is 14000 (fourteen thousand hectares), the Indigenous community is located in the Tapajós National Forest.

Within the territory there are over 60 Indigenous families residing directly in the two villages with an estimated 260 people, who are dedicated to protecting the forest.

"This is sacred land, hosing rich biodiversity, ancient samauma trees and is home to the enchanted ones".

Play Video

Chief Rosivan talking about some of the challenges the guardians face and their need for support

Challenges
& Realities

To an inexperienced observer, the whole Amazonian forest may look the same, but there is a fundamental difference between a virgin forest such as this and a forest which has been exploited. In the first phase of logging, the trees that hold the most valuable tropical timber – quoted in international markets – are felled.

The second phase consists in exploiting the remaining wood. And the third and last phase is the total elimination of vegetation, generally for purposes related to industrial agriculture or extensive livestock farming. Even though its possible that the jungle can recover in due course the space that has been destroyed, the original biodiversity is extinguished forever and the carbon stored released.

Community action

Ever since the loggers’ incursions into their territory became more aggressive a few years ago, and in partnership with Treesistance, a group of men and women elected by the villages have organized themselves as a group of Forest Guardians to watch over the territory. They go around its perimeter regularly, to monitor, confront and stop illegal activities.