1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha, and welcome to stuff 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: I've never told you production of I Heart Radio. All right, 3 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 1: and you have a question for you. Okay, when I 4 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: say Amazon rainforest, what's the first thing you think? Uh, snakes? Snakes? 5 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: Really yeah, like big snakes. That is not what I saw. 6 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: But okay, what why snakes? I don't know. I guess 7 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: I've seen a lot of horror movies. There's a lot 8 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: of snakes in the Amazon. I feel like there's there's 9 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: a computer game that I really liked where you were 10 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: in the Amazon you learned about like it was an 11 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: educational game where you learned about like the canopy and 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: the creatures in there. So I am seeing that, but 13 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: I can't remember the name of the game, so it's 14 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: like really useless. But like I see this beautiful, beautiful 15 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: rainforest scene and then a snake. Well, yes, I do 16 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: see creatures when I think of it as well. And 17 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: I also think of the fact that there's so many 18 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: vast amounts of things within the Amazon that we don't 19 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: quite know about. We know a lot of specialists go 20 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: in there. We know like people come in to study things. 21 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: We also know that it's a big deal about the 22 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: fact that people are trying to ruin it by taking apart, 23 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: taking all the resources and pretty much depleting the land, 24 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: as well as taking land away from those who have 25 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: been there for all of their lives, generations and generations. 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: That's what I think of. Of course, I also think 27 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: of Fernal a little bit, even though Fungal is an 28 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: imaginary place, right, I believe so. I recently rewatched for doing. 29 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: As I said on this very podcast, it does not 30 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: hold up. Although Tim Curry singing is great, if it 31 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: takes place in the Amazon, then it is. And this 32 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: is what surprised now in a very americanized version because 33 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: like the main character, Zack is like clearly a surfer 34 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: nineties surfer guy, right right, uh, of course, of course, 35 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: which I guess he could be working into Amazon. It 36 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: just doesn't seem too likely to me, but I guess 37 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: he could. I guess to me the corporations are probably 38 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: American exactly. You're right, Maybe I read it all, maybe 39 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: I read well. We are talking a little bit about 40 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: the Amazon rainforest and the Amazon's because we're actually going 41 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: to talk about an activist who has been a big 42 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: part of trying to fight for the lands as well 43 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: as for the people's uh And we're gonna started off 44 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: with a bang July because it is July one, just 45 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: in case people wanted to know. And we are talking 46 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: about the fierce fighter and environmental activists who was born 47 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: in the arab Boya indigenous land in Marino, a village 48 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: in the Amazon Forest. So Saunia is a well known 49 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,679 Speaker 1: activist within the environmental world. So if you're aware of 50 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: any of that, you could probably already know her name. 51 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: And she's been a fierce advocate in fighting for the 52 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: preservation of the Amazon rainforest in the lands around it, 53 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: well as fighting for the right and respect of the 54 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: indigenous communities in Brazil, including fighting to ensure that the 55 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: uncontacted peoples in the Amazons are left alone and are 56 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: able to continue their way of life. And she has 57 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: been awarded and recognized for her work quote internationally in 58 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: defense of the Amazon Forest ecosystems, by diversity and indigenous populations. 59 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: The Guage genre people are one of the larger groups 60 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: of the indigenous people, with about twenty five thousand present 61 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: and eleven indigenous lands, and probably because of this, Sonia 62 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: is one of the more targeted persons for her advocacy, 63 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: she has become a huge fighter against the government as 64 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: they continue to push development of these areas. Brazilian Ministry 65 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: of Institutional Security Office has tried to criminalize her work 66 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: by stating that she and her organization have committed crimes 67 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: by reporting environmental crimes that the government was responsible for. Right, 68 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: I think that's so telling. They're getting mad because they're 69 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: being told on essentially, so that like you're criminalizing our work. 70 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: Of course, this is the same conversation we had with 71 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: Representative dev Holland and while they were afraid to go 72 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: ahead and confirm her because she fights for the land 73 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: and for the communities instead of the industries and the 74 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: big corporations. And of course, when we know about politics, 75 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: they need that money and they're gonna get it the 76 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: way they want to. So definitely kind of in that 77 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: same lines. And by the way, Sonia was involved in 78 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: politics as well. Get into that more UH in a bit, 79 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: But speaking of her organization, UH. Sonia is the leader 80 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: and coordinator of the a p I B or the 81 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, which represents over 82 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: three hundred indigenous ethnic groups in Brazil. According to its 83 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: site A p I B is a reference of Brazil's 84 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: Indigenous movement that was born with the purpose of strengthening 85 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: the indigenous people's unity and the articulation among the different 86 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: regions and indigenous organizations in the country, unify the indigenous people, 87 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 1: struggle the list of claims and demands in the Indigenous 88 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: movement politics, and mobilize the indigenous peoples and organizations of 89 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: the country against the as an attacks to the Indigenous 90 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 1: rights and their mission statement is Indigenous Rights promotion and defense, 91 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: parting from the Indigenous organizations and people's articulation and unity 92 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: from the most distinct regions of the country. Guasa Gara 93 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: is someone who has been considered herself an activist since 94 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: her beginning. She said, I was born an activist. I 95 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: spent my whole life fighting against anonymity, against indigenous people's invisibility. 96 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 1: I always wanted to find a path, a way to 97 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: bring the history and a way of life of the 98 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: Indigenous people to light for society as a whole. Um 99 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: and getting her Masters in Culture and Society from the 100 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: Institute of Humanities from the Federal University of Bahia and 101 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: degrees in nursing and a graduate from special education from 102 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: the Marienno State University. It's not hard to see that 103 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 1: she has a desire for helping and fighting for the 104 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: rights of others, and she's not afraid to speak out. 105 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: As lands spews over. The force of the Amazon continues, 106 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 1: Guajajahara has been a fierce advocate in protecting the lands 107 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: against far a destruction through mining and development of power planets. 108 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: She stated, quote, the Amazon is one of the most 109 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: important force in the world and the indigenous people who 110 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: live in it have raised important issues in the public sphere, 111 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: such as the protection of the immense biodiversity, the protection 112 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: of the isolated people who live there, and the importance 113 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: of maintaining the forest standing for the climactic balance of 114 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: the planet. And she continues on saying, the indigenous peoples 115 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: of Brazil are not only in the Amazons, They're all 116 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: over the Brazilian territory and other important biomes that are 117 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: also being deforested, burned, and degraded by agrab business and 118 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: mining companies. The key issue of Brazilian indigenous peoples to 119 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: the world is that large corporations would stop investing in 120 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: companies that bet on a development model that presupposes our 121 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: death and the destruction of our territories. Her work has 122 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: made her a public figure within the movement, including working 123 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,279 Speaker 1: with R and B singer Oisia Keys to send a 124 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: message about the need for protecting the Amazon rainforest. But 125 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: she's also a political figurehead in Brazil. Like we mentioned earlier, 126 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: she was on the ticket in as a vice president 127 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: with the Labor Leader candidate, which made her the first 128 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 1: Indigenous person to run for a federal executive office in Brazil, 129 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: and as the pandemic has hit the country hard, it's 130 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: no surprise that she has been a giant voice in 131 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: advocating for the health and lives of the indigenous community 132 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: in Brazil. It was noted that the mortality rate for 133 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: those indigenous communities was one hundred and fifty percent higher 134 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: than that of the other communities, which showed how much 135 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: more this community was at risk in comparison to the 136 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: rest of Brazil. There were many factors to this, including 137 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: the social and economic conditions, as well as the fact 138 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: that they had difficulty getting access to healthcare, which is 139 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: a common issue all across the world for indigenous communities. 140 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: The a p I b under Guaja published a documentary 141 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: series called Morocca Indigenous Emergency, which accused the Brazilian government 142 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: of neglect and not protecting the indigenous community, going as 143 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: severe as calling it a government genocide, which was altered 144 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: in the Brazilian government then subpoena ng Guasa to question 145 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: and interrogate her for this content, but she did not 146 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: back down. She said in a tweet, the persecution by 147 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: this government is unacceptable and absurd. They will not shut 148 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: us up. Right when Guashara was under question investigation, the 149 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: a p i B stated in support quote and yet 150 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: another act of political persecution and an authoritarianism. President Bolson 151 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: NAO's government is trying to criminalize the indigenous movement and 152 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 1: its leaders. And there are many others who continue to 153 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: support her as she fights for equity for her community 154 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: and for her people. And just recently, actually the Brazilian 155 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: courts suspended this investigation, and one person said that the 156 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: court document stated the investigation was a quote clear attempt 157 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: to suppress the work being done by a p i B. 158 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: So there was definitely a lot going on, and it's 159 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: not the first time they try to use criminal charges 160 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: against her for speaking out against the president or the 161 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: government in general. And it's no surprise that she is 162 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: a woman who has been honored and continue news to 163 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: be honored. Some of the awards and accolades she has 164 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: collected over the years include Medal of Honor of the 165 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: Government of the State of Marino in the eighteenth of January, 166 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: Medal by the Center of the Promotion of Citizenship and 167 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: Human Rights Defenders Fred Packet Award, and her organization recently 168 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: was awarded for the liter earlier Moffett Human Rights Award 169 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: for standing up the corporations and oppressive government. There's so 170 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,559 Speaker 1: many more, and she and her organization continue to be 171 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: recognized and continue to fight no matter the barriers, and 172 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: obviously are not afraid to stand up to any type 173 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: of oppression and are not willing to back down to 174 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:40,679 Speaker 1: try to bring equality again, an equity to the indigenous community. 175 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: And yeah, we need to come back. And I think 176 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: any and I have talked about this before, how this 177 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 1: is impacted the indigenous community all around the world. It's 178 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 1: not just in Brazil, It's definitely in the US, it's 179 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: definitely in Mexico, it's definitely in Guatemala, in Canada where 180 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,319 Speaker 1: they just cannot access the health care they needed. And honestly, 181 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: COVID just kind of brought it to light a little 182 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: more because of the amount of death and percentage of 183 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: death that went up. But it's been a thing and 184 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: it continues to be a thing after the fact. And 185 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: we saw that with vaccine access. We saw that with 186 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: any type of health care access, for any type of 187 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 1: elderly care. It continues to be an issue, um, and 188 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 1: we need to come back and address it because of 189 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: what we've seen, because that most oftentimes for the Indigenous community, 190 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: it's women who are coming out fighting hardcore to get access. Right. Yeah, 191 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: we definitely need to return to that topic and I'm 192 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: sure that we will in the meantime. Listeners, if you 193 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: would like to contact us, you can or emails Stuff 194 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: to be mom Stuff that I Hurt Media dot com. 195 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: You can finds on Twitter at mom Stuff Podcasts or 196 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: on Instagram and Stuff I Never Told to You thinks 197 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: It's always started. Super producer Christina, thank you and thanks 198 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: to you for listening Stuff I Never Told You. The 199 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 1: production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts for my Heart 200 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: Radio is the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 201 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.