TI MUNDURUKU / PARÁ
The Munduruku Indigenous Land is located in the extreme south of the state of Pará, on the triple border between Pará, Mato Grosso and Amazonas. Bathed by the Tapajós River and its tributaries, the Munduruku TI is one of the areas with the highest record of invasions by illegal miners in Brazil. Underneath those lands is the gold-bearing province of the Tapajós River, the largest gold mine in the world. Since 2016, indigenous people have seen their villages being invaded by illegal mining. The dismantling of environmental inspection bodies encouraged miners to enter the Indigenous Land with heavy machinery.
Alluvial mining and its artisanal methods were little by little replaced by tractors, excavators and mechanical shovels. In less than a decade, the Munduruku People watched in perplexity the destruction of the forest, the contamination of rivers and biodiversity. Mercury used by miners to separate gold from sediments, is a heavy metal that is highly toxic to living beings. In the long term, consumption of contaminated water and fish causes deadly paralysis in humans.
The BIGUÁ PROJECT 's operations in the Middle and Upper Tapajós River began in November 2022. When we met with leaders of the Munduruku People in Jacareacanga and Itaituba to outline action strategies in the region. With the partnership of Coletivo Audiovisual Wakoborün, we developed a documentary project directed by indigenous filmmaker Cleu Kaba Munduruku and produced by our communications coordinator, Patrick Granja. The film is named after the Alto Tapajós Women's Association: Wakoborün: The Warrior Women.
When he was in the Upper Rio Tapajós region, Patrick produced the first images of the documentary collaboratively in cinematography and territorial monitoring workshops with members of the Wakoborün Collective. These activities are in partnership with the Federal Public Ministry and all evidence collected is delivered in the form of reports to prosecutors in Santarém.
Cleu lives in his mother's village, Fazenda Tapajós. In 2021, the village was invaded by miners who tortured indigenous people and looted the longhouses, taking important tools such as flour ovens, generators and a coffee grinder. Subsequently, crowdfunding undertaken by Projeto Biguá gathered resources to replace the stolen items. With the donation, indigenous people returned to producing coffee, cassava flour and guaraná, essential items for the survival of the Village.
Since the beginning of our work in the region, Professor Octavio Ferraz has provided legal support to the leaders of the Munduruku People in civil liability actions, among other special demands. During this period, we also produced an extensive report on illegal mining in the region, written by journalist Luis Patriani and published by the Sumauma.com portal in February 2023.
