Warriors of the Forest: Guajajara women defend the Amazon through alliances and a good life.

The Caru Indigenous Land is part of the Gurupi Mosaic, one of the largest and most important sets of protected areas in Eastern Amazonia. But, surrounded by riverside municipalities and family farming communities in vulnerable situations, the region faces constant threats of deforestation and illegal logging. To confront this reality, the Guajajara women of Caru created the Warriors of the Forest collective, which operates on the front lines of protecting the territory. The women's work complements that of the Guardians of the Forest, a group formed by Guajajara men, who in the same region carry out territorial protection and surveillance actions. However, their strategy goes beyond surveillance: they have identified in neighboring communities the path to shared and lasting protection, through awareness campaigns.

With the project "Charting new paths for good living," the collective was able to strengthen its activities by investing in 20 micro-projects of sustainable production in neighboring non-indigenous villages, called caraiú in the Tenetehára language, spoken by the Guajajara. The initiative allocated R$ 2,000 to each family, totaling R$ 40,000, encouraging vegetable gardens, productive backyards, and the raising of small animals. The action was a gesture of empathy and strategy. Marcilene Guajajara, coordinator of the project, explains the motivation: “We realized the need in these villages near our territory, since public policies do not reach them. So we thought of ways to contribute to strengthening the protection of the territory as a whole.”

The initiative not only brought income and autonomy to vulnerable families, but also strengthened ties between indigenous and non-indigenous people. Antônio Wilson Guajajara, chief of the Maçaranduba village, expresses his pride in the work:

“When I learned that the project reached the hands of families who wanted and needed it so much, I was very proud,” he said, reinforcing that the goal is for the neighboring population to see the indigenous people as friends and “that this partnership never ends.”

Despite the innovative approach, the work of territorial protection continues to be dangerous. Maísa Guajajara, one of the coordinators, talks about the risks of surveillance and reinforces that the real threat comes from outside: “It’s not an easy job. We leave home for patrol with the Guardians without knowing if we’ll come back. What I realize with this work is that those who invade are not the surrounding population, but those who are in large cities. Because it’s a large and expensive logistics operation, considering the rental of the chainsaw, the fuel, and the daily wage of those who will work to remove the wood.” The project, therefore, not only protects the forest but also disarms the logic of conflict by building bridges of trust and alliance for well-being.

The initiative, which has received international recognition as an example of good practices, also resulted in the production of a documentary made by young indigenous communicators [link to video?]. The Forest Warriors demonstrate that the defense of the Amazon is not done only through surveillance, but through building partnerships, promoting shared well-being, and investing in those who need it most. It is a community philanthropy strategy that transforms vulnerability into a strength of collective protection.