Indigenous Firefighters Discuss Actions to Combat Forest Burn and Droughts in Roraima

October/November, 2024 –  “The stream is dry and that's worrying us. We had a community plot, with some manioc, which is drying up. We're also worried about the source of water for human and animal consumption - our cattle and horses are experiencing  the drought impacts,” says the Indigenous Creife Menandro, who is the leader (call tuxaua in Indigenous language) of the Taxi community, in the Surumu region, in the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Land, in the state of Roraima.

The report was made during one of the activities at the “Workshop for Indigenous Plant Nursery Worker and Volunteer Firefighters”, that took place in the city of Boa Vista (the capital of Roraima). The objective of the meeting was to train and support the implementation of the Territorial and Environmental Management Plans (PGTAs) of the Indigenous Lands. The discussion included the structure and working conditions of these agents in the communities. They made decisions about the plan for controlled burns for agricultural clearing, the content of an environmental education booklet. In addition, there was the exchange of experiences of actions in the territories.

The volunteer firefighters and plant nursery workers work with seeds and seedlings of native species used in traditional medicine and in the afforestation and reforestation of degraded areas. This direct involvement in environmental preservation and biodiversity conservation actions was highlighted by the general tuxaua of the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), Edinho Batista. “It's essential to hold this meeting, because with limited resources we can do great things. It's important to have an efficient strategic plan that is able to combat the effects of climate change,” he said.

The workshop was organized by the CIR's Department of Territorial, Environmental and Climate Change Management (DGTAMC), with the support of USAID, the Instituto Internacional de Educação do Brasil, Instituto Terra Brasilis, Operação Amazônia Nativa (OPAN) and other partners. At a challenging moment of wildfires and drought in Brazil, particularly in the Amazon region, Indigenous knowledge and ways of living can offer solutions for a better future.

The leadership of the Indigenous Women's Movement, Kelliane Wapichana, presented reflections about caring for the environment and its natural resources, the threats to the territories and external actions that have an impact on the Indigenous communities. “The firefighters and plant nursery workers have done a brilliant job in favor of the lives of animals and people. We need to value them. And I ask you, what would we be without the animals? What would we be without the forest?” she reflected.

Another discussion point was the nurseries of native seedlings established in Indigenous communities as part of the implementation of the PGTA - 11 nurseries have already been set up in six regions (Wai-Wai, Amajari, Surumu, São Marcos, Serra da Lua and Raposa Serra do Sol). Indigenous leaders and representatives of the CIR's Legal Department participated in this activity along with the firefighters and plant nursery workers. 

More information can be found at the CIR website.