Category: events

In July 2024, Chief Dadá Borari, leader of the Treesistance Forest Guardians program, organized an important training session for the Munduruku Cara Preta and Maytapu communities in Pinhel and Escrivão. These communities, located on the banks of the Tapajós River in Aveiro, a municipality covering 17,158 km² and home to around 15,000 inhabitants, came together to strengthen their defense against external threats to their lands.

The training, attended by over 50 participants, focused on territorial defense, map creation, and fieldwork using mobile phones and GPS cameras. This initiative, supported by members of the Maró Indigenous Territory, is a critical step in safeguarding the region from illegal activities such as mining and deforestation, and large infrastructure projects like the BR-163 highway.

Historical Context: Fordlândia and the Tapajós River

Not far from these communities lies Fordlândia, a failed rubber plantation project funded by Henry Ford from 1927 to 1945. Though the project ultimately failed, it serves as a reminder of external attempts to industrialize the Amazon and the lasting pressures on the region’s natural resources.

A United Front for the Future

With the support of Treesistance, the Munduruku Cara Preta and Maytapu communities are enhancing their ability to protect their land and culture. This training marks a significant step in their ongoing efforts to preserve their territory for future generations, blending modern tools with their ancestral wisdom.

We are proud to announce that we were one of the 5 winners at the OceanLove Innovation Awards 2024 on June 20th, 2204 for our ‘Guardians of the Sacred Waters’ project in the Amazon.

Guardians of the Sacred Waters is a new Indigenous led protection and prevention model, coordinated between the European Crime prevention team and the leaders of the Lower Tapajos. The initiative is an expansion of a previous award winning pilot project on protecting the forests, which now aims to apply the tested approach to safeguarding the river ecosystem of the precious water territories in the Amazon. Using a blend of traditional wisdom and modern technology, they are taking a stand against water-based environmental crimes.

We’re delighted that we were able to successfully show the connection between forest, rivers, oceans and why they not just interconnected but actually interdependent.

Award announcement here

At the end of May, 2024, the head of the Treesistance forest guardian program Chief Dadá of TI Maró was invited by the Xavante leadership to discuss the forest protection and have an exchange about leadership, guardianship and education.

Dadá was invited by the Xavante leadership to discuss the forest protection and have an exchange about leadership, guardianship and education. The visit was facilitated by Marco van der Ree, Treesistence Strategic Advisor, and Frans Leeuwenberg who is a trusted partner of the Xavante and has been working with them for 35 years on sustainable wildlife management, food security, education and culture.  

The trio was joined by 20 Xavante leaders from 14 different villages. They participated in two long days under the mango trees in fruitful and deep conversations, the importance of integrating culture in the formal and traditional education system and how the culture relates to the territory, the land, the animals, and nature as a whole. The third day was spend travelling around the TI to get to know the terrain and the Eastern border.

The Xavante expressed how inspired they were from Dadás visit, as they have never received a leader from another Indigenous territory to share experiences in dealing with these most important issues of cultural and territorial preservation. It was a profoundly valuable exchange. 

It was obvious that the friendship built in this visit, is the beginning of a much longer journey where these two groups of Indigenous peoples will continue their exchange and mutual learning. We look forward to supporting the Xavante in forming their own groups of forest guardians to protect this incredibly important and strategically positioned territory from extractive industries. Watch this space…

After a successful training the Kumaruara people now have their own group of forest guardians. Thus ensuring their lands situated on the banks of the Tapajós river are patrolled and protected from illegal activities. Chief Dadá Borari (the Head of the Treesistance Forest Guardians program) led the training and this was made possible, thanks to the financial support of New York-based investigations company Illume Investigations.

In collaboration with the Mapirizinho Community, Chief Dadá and selected members of the Maró Indigenous Territory trained upwards of 20 individuals. The group of new forest guardians consists of men and women of all ages. During their lessons they learned the ins and outs of territorial defense. Secondly map creation and field work, using mobile phones and GPS cameras. And lastly safe confrontation techniques are discussed extensively during the training days. As this is a very important aspect of the work of forest guardians.

Kumaruara people: key players in regional Indigenous resistance

The Kumaruara people live on the banks of the Tapajos river and are overall known protagonists in the Indigenous resistance in the region. As they are resourceful and passionate in protecting Indigenous territories. One of their leaders actually hit headline news and went viral on social media by protesting a huge railroad. Leader Naldinho Kumaruara, from the Solimões village, painted the faces of the people present with annatto paint. Watch the the video of indigenous leader Naldinho Kumaruara. The railroad is planned to cross threw multiple Indigenous territories. If this plan succeeds, it will make it even easier to illegally extract and transport materials out of the area.

Legal protection of Indigenous lands

Additionally to actively protesting threats to the precious nature of the Amazon. The Kumaruara people also protect their lands and culture in different ways. For example they launched their Free, Prior and Informed consent (FPIC) consultation protocol. A very important legal right won by Indigenous peoples, that contributes to protecting their culture, customs and autonomy. With a FPIC governments cannot simply implement a policy or program on or concerning Indigenous Peoples’ lands. They first have to have the consent from the Indigenous community. This also includes any state policy or program, seeking to grant permission to a company to conduct any activity on such lands. 

Evidently the Kumaruara forest guardians group is a fantastic and essential addition to the existing multidisciplinary efforts. In order to protect the invaluable nature on their lands from illegal invaders and harmful activities.

Welcome and specials thanks

We welcome and thank the new group of forest guardians. Wishing them lots of strength and wisdom in the challenges that they face, in protecting a large and vital area of primary rainforest on behalf of us all. Also a special thanks to the New York-based investigations company Illume Investigations, for sponsoring this formation.

We celebrated our first birthday at Mandelahuisje, Amsterdam on May 24th, 2024 with As Karuana.

As Karuana are a collective of Indigenous women, musical group of artists from the Baixo-Tapajós region of the Amazon. The collective emerged in 2018 with the mission of echoing the voice of indigenous women to the world in in defence of rivers, forests and the rights of Indigenous peoples, as well as cultural resistance and the fight for good living. They are protagonists in the fight for climate justice in the territory through art and cultural expression.

Thank you to those who joined this special event and everyone who has supported, donated and collaborated with us over the last year.

With special thanks to our media production partner – BLUR

Paper on the Rocks and Treesistance are excited to join forces and launch this
special edition tree-free notebook to raise much needed attention for the plight of the
Amazon rainforest and its Indigenous inhabitants.

The notebook is made of agricultural waste and shows that there is a high quality alternative to traditional paper. Funds raised will support the Indigenous custodians who protect the forest and all life within. The result is a beautifully designed book which we hope inspires and instigates positive change around the world. As written inside the cover…

The world is transitioning and needs your knowledge and ideas. Use this notebook as a
playground for your creativity and inspirations.

Make your words and actions count.

‘We’re delighted to partner with Paper on the Rocks on this special initiative. Our shared mission to
protect trees brought us together and this collaboration highlights the need for collective global
action. First and foremost, it raises awareness & funds for the Indigenous people of the Amazon, who
risk their lives to protect the forest on behalf of us all. Whilst also showing people and businesses
here in Europe that their actions make a difference. The paper industry is a big contributor to the
problem of deforestation but Paper on the Rocks gives us hope and optimism in providing this
high-quality ethical alternative. We believe these innovations are essential in our global transition to
sustainability.’

Tom Wheeler Executive Director of Treesistance.

‘This partnership is very dear to all of us at Paper on the Rocks. We’ve been working to create
tree-free paper to keep trees in the ground for the past eight years. Forests are what sustains us as
human beings on this planet. However, we mainly work on transitioning an industry, whilst there is so
much action that needs to be taken today to actually protect all forests we still have! We are so
happy to have joined forces with Treesistance. This is an organisation that in our opinion is essential
to sustain life in general.’

Anne van Eijsden, Founder of Paper on the Rocks

And together we would like to leave this important message to the world…

You don’t have to be in the forest to join the fight!

In January 2023, the Treesistance European team travelled to Brazil to participate in the Indigenous elections for the region.

This was a huge honour, as we were the only non-Indigenous organization invited to this special event, held in the Braganca, Marituba Munduruku territory.

During the 3 day event, we were able to speak with hundreds of chiefs and other leaders from the region, discussing forest crime prevention, communications, renewable energy and sustainable economic development.

As a result, we have been able to advance our forest guardian program and have a number of new initiatives and activities agreed with our Indigenous partners for the remainder of 2024 and beyond.

Watch this space…

We hear from co-founder and executive director Tom Wheeler about how and why he does what he does….

‘After my daughter was born, I shifted my energy from the corporate world to supporting Indigenous peoples and the protection of the environment. I did this as I believe that we’re in urgent need of a cultural / ecological revolution. One that can only happen if we start listening to those who still live in balance with the natural world.

I believe our destiny is bound together and our actions now, will define our collective future. I fight for the forest by amplifying Indigenous voices, bringing together likeminded impact makers, and directing resources to the guardians of nature, who fight on the frontlines to protect the Amazon and all life within.  This is the legacy I want to leave for my daughter and the world.’