Indigenous Brazilians Heal Land Contaminated by 12 Years of Illegal Dumping
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📰 The quick summary: Brazil’s Akroá Gamella Indigenous people successfully reclaimed part of their ancestral territory, shut down illegal landfills that had contaminated their water sources for 12 years, and began restoring the land through reforestation and ecological practices.
📈 One key stat: For more than 4,300 days, municipal authorities illegally dumped waste from over 50,000 residents onto indigenous land, contaminating three springs and forcing families to close their homes against flies and foul smells.
💬 One key quote: “This is the result of white men’s development: contamination of our water table, of water bodies, of all living species,” said Cywr Xxa Akroá Gamella, who lives in a village near Tabarelzinho.
1️⃣ The big picture: After decades of invasions and environmental damage, Brazil’s Akroá Gamella Indigenous people have taken back control of parts of their ancestral Taquaritiua territory in Maranhão state. For over 12 years, local municipalities had used the land as an illegal dump for hospital and urban waste, contaminating springs and polluting the environment. The area holds significant ecological importance as part of a wetland recognized internationally as a Ramsar Site. In August 2024, the Indigenous community organized a successful ‘retomada’ (recapturing) to shut down the garbage dumps, evict illegal occupiers, and begin restoring their land through traditional ecological practices.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The reclaimed territories are showing impressive signs of ecological recovery. Previously barren landscapes now display flourishing native vegetation, with trees like bacuri, babassu, and buriti taking root where monocultures once dominated. Silted streams are regaining their flow, bringing fish populations back to waters that were once contaminated with medical waste and urban garbage. Wildlife has begun returning to the regenerated forests, including armadillos, pacas, agoutis, and various bird species. This restoration work demonstrates how Indigenous stewardship can heal badly damaged ecosystems and protect environmentally significant wetlands, providing a model for ecological recovery in areas abused by illegal dumping and deforestation.
3️⃣ What’s next: The Akroá Gamella will continue restoring the land by removing remaining waste and planting native species to revive waters and forests. Federal authorities must complete the official demarcation process for the Taquaritiua territory, which began in 2014 but stalled for years until recently. The community also needs enhanced security measures to protect against ongoing threats and violent attacks from displaced illegal occupiers.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Brazil’s Indigenous Akroá Gamella reclaim and restore their land, one patch at a time
