Indigenous Peoples in Brazil have suffered greatly under the leadership of President Jair Bolsonaro. In the Amazon, fires, deforestation, and illegal mining are some of the issues that affect the Indigenous Peoples of that region.
Joênia Wapichana (Wapixana) is a woman of firsts. She was the first in her family to go to university, to study law, and in 1997, she became Brazil’s first Indigenous lawyer. In 2018, she became Brazil’s first Indigenous congresswoman. Cultural Survival's Avexnim Cojti spoke to Joenia at COP 26, in Glasgow, Scotland.
Produced by Avexnim Cojti (Maya Ki'che) and Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Joênia Wapichana
Image: Avexnim Cojti and Joênia Wapichana at COP26
Music "Lights in the forest", by Yarina, used with permission
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.