The Kayapo, Guardians of the Forest

Kayapo Project Director Barbara Zimmerman and PhD Candidate Natalie Knowles (@natalieknowles @barblewzim) sit at the base of a Brazil Nut Tree while brainstorming possible eco tourism initiatives for the Xingu Valley. The success of our partnership with @untamedangling with the development of the @xingulodge has opened doors to expand eco tourism beyond sport fishing. This has helped both the villages and defence programs that protect the forefront of their territory. #KayapoCourage Photo: John Meisner

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 mana...gement 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. #KayapoCourage See more

During 2020, amidst the chaos of the pandemic, rising levels of deforestation, a spike in hateful rhetoric and defunding of Brazil’s environmental institutions, the Kayapo people have managed to stand their ground and defend their land, thanks to courage, determination, organization and their alliances with NGO’s. Seen from space (@nasa), the success of these alliances is striking: nine million hectares of NGO-represented Kayapo territory remained protected and no new invasi...ons occurred in 2020; whereas approximately 1.2 million hectares of Kayapo territory in an eastern band that does not partner with NGOs and receives no outside conservation investment continued down the ruinous path of heavy degradation by logging and goldmining. We thank you for those who continue to support our mission and project. Know someone who would be interested ins supporting the project? Tag them below! #KayapoCourage

PROTECT THE AMAZON: Keep Goldmining out of indigenous territory. Kayapo Chief Bepronti has a message for Bolsonaro and his war on the Amazon ... The Kayapo are over 10,000 strong and legally occupy protected rainforest LARGER than the country of Austria. However it is under threat - Bolsonaro continues to try and legalize mining in indigenous territory which we cannot allow. The good news is you can help; share the Kayapo Project with a friend, learn more, and donate today. The future of the Amazon hangs in the balance and the Kayapo have been leading the charge in its protection for decades.