Indigenous Meeting on Ecological Restoration discusses strategies for environmental recovery and launches manifesto.
Between July 8th and 12th, 2024, the city of Juazeiro, in Bahia, hosted the first Indigenous Meeting on Ecological Restoration (I EIRE), bringing together people from forty-one ethnic groups to discuss the theme of environmental restoration in indigenous territories. The event, held as part of the 5th Conference of the Brazilian Society for Ecological Restoration (SOBRE), promoted debates and exchanges of knowledge among indigenous representatives, technicians from organizations and initiatives of civil society and government, involved in the theme of conservation and recovery of ecosystems.
As background to the discussions, the indigenous representatives considered land demarcation to be the "mother struggle" of all indigenous peoples in Brazil, because without traditional territories there is no way to care for nature and natural resources. In this sense, Iran Xukuru, from the Xukuru Indigenous Land (PE), emphasized in his speech that nature is an integral part of their life systems, essential for physical and cultural survival. "Everything that harms our sacred lands degrades us," he stated.
One important point discussed was the conservation of indigenous areas, which contain the most preserved ecosystems in the country. Researchers present at SOBRE highlighted the importance of the biodiversity of these territories, which are valuable sources of seeds for the restoration of degraded areas.
“The degradation is not the work of the indigenous people,” reinforced Pio Tsimhoropupu Butsé, of the Xavante people from the São Marcos Indigenous Territory (MT). Many indigenous territories, when recognized by the government and reclaimed by the communities, are devastated by economic activities such as monocultures, making environmental recovery a challenge that requires joint and strategic efforts. This is the case of... TI Marãiwatsédé (MT), represented at the event by Chief Carolina Rewaptu Xavante spoke about the challenges faced in restoring areas of the territory that have been depleted for years by livestock farming and soy production.
The discussions also addressed funding mechanisms for restoration efforts, which, according to several Indigenous representatives, are difficult to access and often only cover a portion of the activities, such as planting. According to Bárbara Tupiniquim, from the Tupiniquim Indigenous Territory (ES), maintaining the plantings in subsequent years, essential for the success of the restoration, is frequently considered a counterpart and is not adequately compensated. This continuous care of the land is vital not only for restoration but also for the well-being of Indigenous communities, the conservation of biodiversity, and the maintenance of environmental services.
The OI EIRE project was organized by the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai) and had the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI), the United States Forest Service (USFS), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Pact for the Restoration of the Atlantic Forest, the Çarakura Institute, the Xingu Seed Network (ARSX) and the Brazilian Society for Ecological Restoration (SOBRE).
ISPN and Indigenous partners in EIRE
On the morning of July 10th, EIRE hosted two panel discussions moderated by ISPN. The first panel included representatives from various government sectors, who discussed the current political landscape of ecological restoration in Brazil.
The second panel presented experiences and initiatives from collectives involved in ecological restoration. One of the experiences reported was about ecological restoration actions in the Gurupi Mosaic, formed by... six Indigenous Territories in the states of Maranhão and Pará and a Biological Reserve. João Reis da Silva Guajajara, a firefighter from the Caru Indigenous Territory (MA), who received support from ISPN, Jorge Guajajara da Silva, a firefighter from the Araribóia Indigenous Territory (MA), supported by Funai, and Arlete Guajajara, from the Rio Pindaré Indigenous Territory (MA) and a member of the ISPN team, supported by the Alliance for the Restoration of the Amazon, shared accounts of their work with ecological restoration, after a brief contextualization of ISPN's work in the Gurupi Mosaic.
Complementing the presentations, a short video was shown of the practical lesson from the 4th Module of the course "From the Backyard to the Landscape – Agroforestry, Restoration and Integrated Landscape Management in the Gurupi Mosaic", held in the agroforestry area implemented by the Federal Brigade of the Caru Indigenous Territory.
Robert Miller, technical advisor at ISPN, highlighted the importance of integrating traditional indigenous knowledge with modern restoration practices. He observed that indigenous peoples, through their worldviews, songs, rituals, and reflections, allow us to see the sacred in the landscape and nature, something that Western culture, with its predominantly utilitarian view of natural resources, often does not allow. Jessica Pedreira, Terena Castro, and Raissa Ribeiro, also technical advisors at ISPN, were present and contributed to the discussion.
Final Letter: "A Call to Restore Ecosystems and Minds with Ancestral Indigenous Wisdom"
The meeting resulted in the drafting of a letter that underlines the importance of involving indigenous peoples in ecological restoration. Key points discussed include:
- Traditional Knowledge: Indigenous peoples possess a vast body of knowledge accumulated over generations about local ecosystems.
- Sustainable Strategies: They develop ecological restoration based on sustainable strategies for the use of natural resources.
- Ecosystem Conservation: Even when transforming the environment, indigenous peoples maintain the ecosystem principles of functioning and do not jeopardize the conditions for the reproduction of these systems.
- Effective Techniques: Their traditional knowledge includes land management techniques, plant species selection, and conservation practices that can be highly effective in restoring degraded ecosystems.