Tapayuna Emergency: Hunger is urgent!

Amigos da Terra – Amazônia Brasileira, with the support of partner institutions of the Tapayuna Indigenous People — Operação Amazônia Nativa (OPAN) and the Observatório dos Povos Isolados e de Recente Contato (OPI) — has launched an online fundraiser to ensure the food sovereignty of the Tapayuna indigenous people in the coming months, following the destruction of their crops.

In recent months, Brazil has been severely affected by wildfires, and Indigenous communities are directly facing the consequences of this disaster: food insecurity and an increase in diseases caused by smoke exposure.

“All our forest burned. Our crops, our manioc, our medicinal herbs, our hunting, our native fruits. Everything.

Since September 1st, a massive fire, which came from afar, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, has been burning the forest around our Kawêrêtxikô village, in the Capoto Jarina Indigenous Territory. Without rain, without moisture, the fire doesn’t let up, destroying our trees, our animals, our medicinal herbs. It burned all our crops – our manioc, sweet potatoes, yams, watermelons, and pumpkins. We are Indigenous people, and we live off the forest. The nearest supermarket is an 8-hour journey away. We have no
more food.

For 23 days, we have been suffering from thick smoke that suffocates us. Inside our straw houses, we can barely breathe. The forest burns, and with it, our eyes and throats burn. Many of the 432 residents of our villages are sick. Even with coughing, sore throats, headaches, and shortness of breath, the adults and elders have to walk kilometers to try to find some food for their grandchildren. We can’t take it anymore. In this emergency situation, where we are without food, we have created this fundraising campaign so that our friends can help us buy basic food baskets to get us through the coming weeks. We are also asking for help from Funai and other authorities. But we understand that government processes take time, and we need urgent help now.

Thank you very much, from the bottom of our hearts, for any and all support”.

Tapayuna Indigenous Association

At the end of the campaign, we will provide an accountability report, which will be publicly shared, including receipts and the total amount raised. The decision on how to allocate the funds raised will be made collectively by the Tapayuna Indigenous Community. However, the identified priorities are: purchasing food (to make up for the loss of crops), replenishing medications for the village health post, buying seedlings and seeds to restore crops, and providing boat transportation to assist more distant villages.

This campaign is being organized with support from the Tapayuna Indigenous People’s partner organizations – Amigos da Terra – Amazônia Brasileira, Operação Amazônia Nativa (OPAN), and the Observatório dos Povos Isolados e de Recente Contato (OPI). The fundraising is being managed by Amigos da Terra, but all partners are involved in this effort, using their networks to amplify the reach.