According to data from the 2022 Census conducted by IBGE, the Brazilian government’s statistics agency, Brazil is home to approximately 1.7 million self-declared indigenous individuals belonging to 305 ethnic groups. This population represents 0.83 percent of the country’s total population.
More than half – 51.25% or 867,900 indigenous people – reside in the Legal Amazon region.
Indigenous communities are distributed across 86.7% of Brazil’s municipalities. The states of Amazonas (490,900) and Bahia (229,100) host the largest indigenous populations, collectively representing 42.51% of the total indigenous population. In Brazil, there are 274 languages spoken by various indigenous peoples. Before Portuguese colonization, it is estimated that this number reached 1,200 languages, serving as vehicles for the oral transmission of ancestral knowledge.
On the occasion of Indigenous Peoples Day this Friday (04/19), Funai, the national indigenous authority, promotes ‘Indigenous April 2024’ throughout the month. This initiative encompasses a range of activities, including exhibitions, fairs, citizenship initiatives, and inclusion efforts. These endeavors aim to honor cultures and ancestors while celebrating the resilience and ongoing struggles of this segment of the Brazilian population.
Joenia Wapichana, president of Funai, highlighted in an interview with Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) that since the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2023, Funai, established 56 years ago, has revitalized its institutional commitment to safeguarding indigenous peoples. According to her, this resurgence occurs after what she describes as the erosion of policies focused on indigenous issues, environmental protection, and assistance to this demographic group.
According to Wapichana, the challenges faced by indigenous peoples in Brazil reflect those faced by Funai. The organization’s main objectives include solidifying land demarcations and ensuring the preservation and sustainable management of indigenous territories. Additionally, they prioritize the defense of indigenous rights, empowering communities to engage in projects that promote sustainability and well-being, safeguarding traditional ways of life, culture, and language, promoting physical security, and protecting isolated and recently contacted peoples.
“The main demand of indigenous peoples is to ensure the protection of their identities and prevent violence based solely on their indigenous status,” she stated. “Preserving these rights, enshrined in our Constitution, remains our top priority to prevent any regression or erosion.”
Source: Agência Brasil