In response to Cacique Raoni’s call for a “Great Global Gathering of Mother Earth Guardians,” over 900 Indigenous warriors of the Xingu, and across the Amazon and Brazil, were joined by allies from around the world. Together we gathered in the Piaruçu village from July 24-28, 2023.
It was an incredible honor to have been invited and to have witnessed the announcement of the formal land titling process, known as demarcation, of Kapot Nhinore, the last of the Kayapo ancestral lands to be returned to Indigenous hands. This has been Raoni’s call for his entire life.
We cried and celebrated as this was announced by Joenia Wapichana (@joeniawapichana), the President of Brazil’s Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), and Sonia Guajajara (@guajajarasonia) Indigenous Minister of Brazil.
We also witnessed Raoni’s call to action regarding the imminent Marco Temporal, known as the “Time Limit Trick,” vote and the gathering resulted in a letter to Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and his government to take a stance on the legal thesis which threatens to roll back Indigenous land rights prior to the 1988 Constitution. The letter calls for respect for Indigenous rights and the demarcation of all Indigenous lands. It also asks the government to expel illegal miners, stop agribusiness expansion and land grabbing, and cancel carbon market contracts, among other demands.
The letter ends as follows:
“For many years, our ancestors have been warning that the health of the Earth is not only our responsibility; it is everyone’s responsibility. If the sky falls, the earth burns, and waters rise, we will all die, and no money can buy another planet.
The spirits of the earth are growing furious. How many manifestos, letters, and protests are needed before you take a human attitude and protect the planet and future generations? We are speaking not only about the lives of our peoples but also about your lives and those of your heirs. Don’t you care?
Cacique Raoni answered your call. When will you answer ours?”
