TI BACURIZINHO / MARANHÃO
The Bacurizinho Indigenous Land is located in the southern part of the state of Maranhão, surrounded by the cities of Grajaú and Barra do Corda. For thousands of years, the Tenetehara Guajajara people have lived there on the banks of the Mearim River. The Mearim River, which originates in the Negra, Menina, and Crueiras mountain ranges, symbolizes more than just a watercourse. For the Guajajara, it is a sacred entity, vital for their physical and spiritual survival. However, the river and its guardians face an increasing threat: pollution and destruction caused by the uncontrolled expansion of agribusiness. As the river meanders through numerous small towns, it is progressively contaminated by agricultural and monoculture waste, poisoning its waters and destroying their lifestyle, which is closely linked to the river.
The BIGUÁ PROJECT began its activities in the region in 2022. Led by indigenous lawyer Arão da Providência Guajajara, our efforts consist of legal defense of the Mearim River and the surrounding villages, especially the José Lopes and Arymy villages. Since then, we have been providing legal assistance to the individual demands of indigenous people and starting the recordings of a documentary: ÝWÀN: THE SOUL OF THE MEARIM RIVER, a feature film directed by filmmakers Patrick Granja and Danilo Guajajara, an indigenous leader and skilled communicator, a member of the Coordination of Organizations and Articulations of Indigenous Peoples of Maranhão, COAPIMA.
In the region, several agribusiness companies are deforesting the forest and illegally occupying lands to expand their grain cultivation at the borders of the Bacurizinho Indigenous Land. The multidisciplinary team of the Biguá Project has been on-site in the territory conducting territorial monitoring workshops and producing evidence of invasions of the Indigenous Land. Subsequently, we initiated an extensive open-source investigation using public data portals such as Terrabrasilis (National Institute for Space Research), SIGEF (Land Management System), SICAR (National Rural Environmental Registry System), and DATASUS, with public health data from all over Brazil.
Our assistance in the region also includes academic research, led by Professor Octávio Ferraz, and direct support for initiatives to reclaim the territory invaded by agribusiness. This support includes transporting indigenous people to the invaded areas using rural vehicles, installing fences, and building malocas and manioc fields. Reclaiming the land is one of the defense strategies of the indigenous guardians Zawyxi Pekoer (tortoise shell), who protect the territory through reclamations and constant border surveillance.
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