鈥榃e are many鈥�: Indigenous candidates aim to transform Brazil politics
| Rio de Janeiro
Clad in a feathered collar, Romancil Gentil Kret茫 took to a small stage in Brazil鈥檚 capital earlier this year as thousands of Indigenous people watched on. Mr. Kret茫 has dedicated his life to advocating for Indigenous rights, and by launching a bid for political office he said he now hoped to bring that fight to the halls of power.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 a new moment, it鈥檚 a new challenge,鈥� said Mr. Kret茫, a member of the Kaingang people, announcing his plans to run for Paran谩 state legislature. 鈥淚 have a commitment to the Indigenous cause.鈥�
Mr. Kret茫鈥檚 father was Brazil鈥檚 first Indigenous city councilor, killed in 1980 for defending Indigenous lands. Violence against Indigenous people hasn鈥檛 let up since, but observers say it has intensified over the past four years under far-right populist President Jair Bolsonaro, who is up for reelection on Oct. 2.
Why We Wrote This
A story focused onAfter four years of eroding Indigenous rights in Brazil, activists hope that more Indigenous candidates on the ballots will help these communities better resist attacks, and usher in a transformation that gives them a louder voice in politics.
Mr. Kret茫 believes Brazil is now on the brink of a new dawn. His political bid is part of a record number of Indigenous people running in this weekend鈥檚 elections 鈥� 180 candidates competing for seats at the federal and state level 鈥撀爄n response to assaults on Indigenous rights in recent years and in an effort to transform Indigenous representation in politics. In 2020, some 182 Indigenous activists were killed here, the highest toll on record, according to figures from the Missionary Council for Indigenous Peoples.
鈥淲e have seen attacks on Indigenous communities intensify since 2018,鈥� when Mr. Bolsonaro took office, says Luisa Molina, an anthropologist and consultant at the Instituto Socioambiental who investigates illegal mining on Indigenous lands.
But, we鈥檙e also seeing 鈥渢he Indigenous movement gaining force,鈥� she says.聽鈥淭hese candidacies are an expression of this new strength.鈥�
The 鈥渉eaddress lobby鈥�
Mr. Bolsonaro is an enthusiastic supporter of developing the Amazon rainforest, pushing to open Indigenous reserves to mining, ranching, and agriculture during his time in office. He gutted agencies tasked with protecting Indigenous people, while vowing not to shield 鈥渁nother centimeter鈥� of Indigenous land from development.
鈥淏efore, the rural man would wake up horrified to find his property 鈥� included in a new Indigenous reserve,鈥� Mr. Bolsonaro said earlier this year. 鈥淲e put an end to that.鈥�
Lawmakers allied with Mr. Bolsonaro have introduced a series of state and federal bills aimed at easing environmental licensing laws and unwinding protections on forests, making it easier for people to illegally stake claim on Indigenous lands.
Advocates say it鈥檚 emboldened invaders to encroach on those lands. In 2019, for example, an estimated 20,000 illegal miners descended on the Yanomami Indigenous Territory in search of gold, polluting water with mercury and gunning down Indigenous people.
鈥淭he rhetoric from the top has repercussions,鈥� Ms. Molina says, referring to Mr. Bolsonaro鈥檚 comments. 鈥淚nvaders feel protected, and it gives rise to violence in Indigenous lands.鈥� More than 1,200 Indigenous people have been killed for their activism in Brazil since 1985.
Now, Indigenous organizations have put forward a well-organized group of federal and state candidates that they call the 鈥渉eaddress lobby.鈥� They believe that by electing Indigenous representatives, these communities can better resist attacks on their rights 鈥� and usher in a transformation that involves giving Indigenous people a louder voice in politics.
鈥淚ndigenous people also have a right to these spaces,鈥� says Marcio K贸koj, a Kaingang activist who runs an Indigenous news portal, referring to elected office. 鈥淪o we can fight for policies that help Indigenous communities, instead of harming them.鈥�
A seat at the table
There are some 818,000 Indigenous people in Brazil, roughly 0.4% of the population, according to the country鈥檚 last census. But leaders estimate a new count currently underway may put the population closer to 1 million, as more Brazilians with Indigenous roots embrace their ancestry.
To date, only two Indigenous people have ever held seats in Brazil鈥檚 Congress: M谩rio Juruna was elected in 1982, and Jo锚nia Wapichana won a seat in 2018. Indigenous representation is scarce in state politics, too.聽
鈥淲e are many, but we have so few representing us,鈥� says Bia Kokama, an Indigenous leader who is running for a deputy seat in Amazonas state.
In local elections two years ago, there were signs of a changing tide: as councilors, mayors, and vice mayors at local levels across Brazil.
This election, Indigenous candidates have their sights set on higher office 鈥� and some of their campaigns are causing a stir. S么nia Guajajara, who is running for Congress, landed a spot on Time magazine鈥檚 of most influential people for her Indigenous rights activism.
In Minas Gerais, another congressional candidate, C茅lia Xakriab谩, has won the backing of Brazilian stars: Famed film director Wagner Moura urged his Instagram followers to support her, while legendary singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso invited her on stage at a show in August.
And a congressional bid by Vanda Witoto, a nurse who became a symbol of resistance as she fought to bring care to Indigenous communities during the pandemic, has drawn financial backing from the main shareholders of one of Brazil鈥檚 largest banks.
Most of these candidates have proudly displayed their Indigenous ancestry on the campaign trail, often appearing in red-and-black face paint and traditional headdress. Some have used the internet to reach a wider audience, launching polished, media-savvy messages on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
鈥淭oday, we use our phones as an instrument of resistance,鈥� says Mr. K贸koj, who believes social media has helped make the struggle of Indigenous people more visible.
Still, without big budgets, donor support, or political machines behind them, getting elected is an uphill battle for many of these candidates
Ms. Kokama says reaching potential supporters in far-flung Indigenous territories has proved tough on a shoestring budget. Her hometown of S茫o Paulo de Oliven莽a, for example, is a three-day journey by boat from the state capital of Manaus.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the resources that other candidates have,鈥� she says. Instead, Ms. Kokama does much of her campaigning online, although internet access can be limited in remote territories.
Still, she is optimistic that she 鈥� and other Indigenous candidates 鈥� can draw votes. 鈥淚鈥檓 part of a dream,鈥� she says of fighting for more representation in politics. 鈥淎nd I see a better future for our grandchildren.鈥�
Challenges ahead
Many Indigenous candidates are battling for support in states that overwhelmingly voted to elect Mr. Bolsonaro in 2018 鈥� and, in some cases, continue to share his views on Indigenous land and the environment. In the Amazon state of Roraima, where Ms. Wapichana is running for reelection, 62% of people say they plan to vote for Mr. Bolsonaro, recent polls .
Some candidates have experienced hostility. Mr. Kret茫 says his team was approached by an armed man while distributing flyers in Curitiba, his state鈥檚 capital. Last week, he received a barrage of racist comments during a Facebook livestream, prompting Brazil鈥檚 electoral court to take down the messages.
鈥淭here are those who believe the Indigenous belong in the forest, not in political spaces,鈥� says Mr. K贸koj. 鈥淭he world of politics is still a battleground for us.鈥�
Even if Indigenous candidates are elected, they still face barriers. For one, a group of legislators aligned with agricultural interests looks poised to gain more support in the Oct. 2 vote. This could make it difficult for Indigenous candidates to resist measures attacking their communities鈥� rights, says Ms. Molina.
鈥淓ven as we have this inspiring rise of Indigenous candidacies, we also have a constant proliferation of representatives linked to agriculture and mining,鈥� she says.
For Chermie Ferreira, a graffiti artist and member of the Kokama people, having Indigenous candidates on the ballot is a game changer. If elected, they would fight for issues she cares about, she says, like access to health care in remote territories and decent housing for Indigenous communities in urban centers.
鈥淭hey represent me; they represent my interests,鈥� says Ms. Ferreira, who lives on the outskirts of Manaus, the state capital of Amazonas. 鈥淲e have to keep fighting 鈥� but it鈥檚 not enough to march on the street anymore,鈥� she says.
鈥淲e need our own people on the inside.鈥�
