Paulo Paulino Guajajara dedicated his life to protecting his people’s ancestral territory in the Brazilian Amazon. As a member of the Forest Guardians, a volunteer group of Indigenous defenders who patrol and monitor their lands, he worked to stop illegal logging and defend the forests that sustain his community.
On November 1, 2019, Paulo was murdered by illegal loggers while defending the Araribóia Indigenous Territory in Brazil’s Maranhão state. Another Forest Guardian, Laércio Guajajara, was gravely wounded in the ambush.
Known as Lobo, Paulo was part of a courageous movement of Indigenous people who have taken the protection of their territories into their own hands. The Guajajara Forest Guardians formed to confront illegal logging, land grabbing, and other threats, often with little protection or support from the authorities responsible for safeguarding Indigenous lands. Their work also helps protect the Araribóia territory, home to both Guajajara communities and Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation.
Paulo’s murder was a devastating loss, but his story is far from unique. Across the Amazon, Indigenous Earth Defenders face threats, intimidation, criminalization, and violence as they resist the relentless encroachment of extractive industries and organized crime. Yet they continue to defend their territories, cultures, and ways of life. Their leadership is essential not only to the survival of their communities, but also to protecting the Amazon rainforest and the climate we all depend on.
This Indigenous Peoples Day, we honor Paulo Paulino Guajajara and all Indigenous Earth Defenders who have given their lives protecting their lands and communities. We also stand with those who continue this vital work despite the risks. Honoring their courage means more than remembering those we have lost. It means supporting the living defenders who carry their struggles forward.
Through our Amazon Defenders Fund, Amazon Watch provides direct, flexible funding to Indigenous partners for urgent needs, territorial protection, and community-led action. This Indigenous Peoples Day, we invite you to watch and share Paulo’s story, honor the defenders who have sacrificed so much, and support the Amazon Defenders Fund to help Indigenous communities continue protecting their territories and our shared future.
Many thanks to Backroads Pictures for creating this video!
