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https://apnews.com/article/brazil-indigenous-amazon-reforestation-ashaninka-climate-8f1311d0f1febc1125511b3c1662aaea>
"APIWTXA VILLAGE, Brazil (AP) — It was just before dawn when the Ashaninka
people, wearing long, tunic-like dresses, began singing traditional songs while
playing drums and other instruments. The music drifted through Apiwtxa village,
which had welcomed guests from Indigenous communities in Brazil and neighboring
Peru, some having traveled three days. As the sun rose, they moved beneath the
shadow of a huge mango tree.
The dancing, which would last until the following morning, marked the end of
the annual celebration recognizing the Ashaninka territory along the winding
Amonia River in the western Amazon. The multi-day, nearly around-the-clock
festivities included the ritual of drinking ayahuasca, the sacred psychedelic
brew, archery tournaments, climbing towering acai palm trees and face-painting
with red dye.
What was once a gathering to commemorate the Ashaninka has evolved into a
showcase of what they have done: the village’s self-sufficiency, which comes
from growing crops and protecting its forest, is now a model for an ambitious
project to help 12 Indigenous territories in western Amazon, amounting to
640,000 hectares (1.6 million acres), about the size of the U.S. state of
Delaware.
In November, the Organization of Indigenous People of the Jurua River, known by
the Portuguese acronym OPIRJ, secured $6.8 million in support from the Amazon
Fund, the world’s largest initiative to combat rainforest deforestation. With
Apiwtxa as the model, the grant is geared toward improving Indigenous land
management with an emphasis on food production, cultural strengthening and
forest surveillance.
“We are expanding everything that we did at Apiwxta to an entire region,” said
Ashaninka and OPIRJ leader Francisco Piyãko, speaking in front of his home in
Apiwtxa. “This is not only about implementing a project. What is at stake is
cultural change. This is essential to protect life, the territory and its
peoples.”"
Via
Fix the News:
https://fixthenews.com/create-the-right-conditions/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
