There are about 240 indigenous peoples living in Brazil today, together they form a population of around 900,000. Many of them are still fighting for the right to own a land that is naturally theirs. They regularly protest in Brasília to defend their constitutional rights in order to be able to keep their land and their culture.
There are seven indigenous tribes living in Tocantins, a state in the north of Brazil. Among them the Krahô-Kanela, the Xerente, the Apinajé and the Krahô. I had the privilege to witness their everyday lives as well as their struggles.
What impressed me the most was the kindness and the humility these peoples show. I very much admired their close relationship with the environment and ‘mother nature’, which is something that we, in our modern society, somehow have lost. I felt also particularly humble when I witnessed a mourning ceremony and the Tora race which is a very important part of the rite.
Apart from all the cultural richness that is at stake, protecting and preserving these communities and helping them keep their land is also a key factor in the protection of the forests in that part of the world in order to avoid deforestation and all the effects that it implies for the world climate.
In the video below I hope to convey some of the impressions I experienced while sharing their everyday lives. If you want to support this cause or want to know more visit Bridderlech Deelen.
View more photos from my experience with these different Brazilian tribes.
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