BRASILIA – From August 2 to 8, 2025, more than 5,000 Indigenous women from across Brazil, the Amazon Basin, and beyond have converged in Brasília for a historic week of resistance, celebration, and collective action. Organized by the Articulação Nacional das Mulheres Indígenas Guerreiras da Ancestralidade (ANMIGA), the event includes the First National Conference of Indigenous Women and the 4th Indigenous Women’s March, united under the powerful theme: “Our Body, Our Territory: We Are the Guardians of the Planet for the Healing of the Earth.”
This extraordinary gathering is a space for dialogue, solidarity, and political mobilization. Women from all of Brazil’s biomes and international delegations have come together to amplify their voices on issues of land rights, gender-based violence, environmental justice, education, and ancestral knowledge. The conference features thematic working groups, cultural exchanges, and strategy sessions to shape national and international Indigenous policy.
“This is a political and ancestral act,” said Puyr Tembé, Secretary of Indigenous Peoples of Pará and a founding member of ANMIGA. “The Amazon cannot be defended without Indigenous women. We are on the front lines, guarding the forest, caring for the waters, protecting lives.”
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The event also hosts an international exchange between Indigenous women of the Amazon Basin, fostering cross-border collaboration in defense of their territories and communities. Delegations are presenting not only their struggles, but also their strength, through traditional songs, dance, and storytelling. “We’re here to teach and to learn,” said Maria Xipaya, an elder from Altamira. “Every step we take here is so our grandchildren can grow up with clean rivers, good land, and the knowledge of our ancestors.”
The opening day featured remarks by five federal ministers: Sônia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples), Marina Silva (Environment and Climate Change), Márcia Lopes (Women), Margareth Menezes (Culture), and Macaé Evaristo (Human Rights and Citizenship). Their presence affirmed the government’s recognition of Indigenous women as essential actors in shaping Brazil’s future.
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“We are expecting 5,000 to 6,000 Indigenous women from all over Brazil and abroad,” Minister Sônia Guajajara said. “There will be cultural nights, knowledge exchanges, and political debates—from health and education to territorial management and the climate crisis.”
Guajajara announced the creation of an interministerial working group to develop strategies for protecting Indigenous women. “They still haven’t accepted our presence,” she said. “We face setbacks and attacks every day. It is the State’s duty to develop public policies to protect Indigenous women. Today, we are here to resist.”
Image via ANMIGA [courtesy
Agencia Para, relayed the story that among the participants are Pangroti Kayapó, 60, and her granddaughter Nhaikapep, 22, who traveled more than 32 hours by bus from São Félix do Xingu to participate. “To protect nature, we ask for protection for ourselves, our environment, and our culture,” Kayapó said. Her granddaughter added a warning that rivers running through their territory—Fresco, Iriri, and Xingu—are contaminated with metals due to illegal mining. “Even in demarcated lands, we feel threatened.”
Environmental Minister Marina Silva acknowledged the urgency. “Those who have destroyed the least are the most harmed,” she said, calling for policies that protect the Indigenous lifestyle of sustainability and sacred stewardship. “Climate change is pushing the world to the edge of the abyss,” she warned, criticizing global leaders who hinder climate efforts. “Instead of waging war on the climate, they are waging tariff wars,” she added, referencing U.S. President Donald Trump.
Silva also condemned the record of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who opposed Indigenous land demarcation. Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest this week. Over the past two years, the Lula administration has expelled invaders from eight Indigenous territories—yet many challenges remain.
A focal point of concern is Bill 2.159/21, recently approved by the Brazilian Congress and now awaiting President Lula’s signature. Environmentalists and Indigenous leaders call it the “Devastation Bill” for its weakening of environmental licensing protections. Guajajara joined others in urging a presidential veto, stating the bill undermines the defense of the forest and disproportionately harms Indigenous communities.
Carta Capital noted, “dubbed the “Licensing Bill” by some and the “Devastation Bill” by critics and environmentalists. The bill makes obtaining environmental licensing in Brazil more flexible and simpler.”
The National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI) echoed these calls. Its president, Joênia Wapichana, emphasized that violence against Indigenous women must be addressed in Brazil’s federal budget. “We are taking action to confront violence,” she said. “We need to put an end to it.”
As the Indigenous Women’s March returns to the streets on August 7, it does so as a force of renewal and resistance—singing, chanting, and demanding a future where Indigenous bodies and lands are protected, respected, and celebrated.
“We are the guardians of the planet,” said ANMIGA’s leaders. “And our time is now.”
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