Here’s why defending the land rights of Indigenous Peoples protects our planet.
Although Mendes later directed the removal of the proposal to permit mining from the commission’s discussions, Indigenous representatives including Maurício Terena from APIB expressed concern that this was not a definitive victory but a possible tactic to wear down opposition, fearing the issue could return.
Still, the fight continues.
Groups like COIAB and APIB are pushing back, building strong national and international alliances.
Dinaman Tuxa, APIB Coordinator, stated, “COP30 will be a unique moment, because we will be able to project our messages onto the international stage.
“We want the government to commit to a demarcation policy and to confront these issues more decisively in defense of Indigenous peoples’ rights.”
He added…
And there are victories too after 37 years of legal struggle, the Guarani Mbya people in São Paulo finally won recognition of part of their ancestral land a reminder that persistence and tireless advocacy can deliver justice.
Why This Matters to Everyone!
The Amazon absorbs up to 2 billion tons of CO₂ annually about 5% of global emissions.
But when Indigenous land is taken, deforestation accelerates and carbon storage collapses.
Losing the Amazon would release massive amounts of greenhouse gases, trigger feedback loops, disrupt rainfall patterns across continents, and jeopardize global food systems.
The consequences extend far beyond South America.
Biodiversity is also at risk.
The Amazon is home to 1 in 10 known species on Earth, many of which exist nowhere else.
Destroying these ecosystems risks losing cures for diseases and vital ecological balance.
The Amazon is a global treasure.
But without the Indigenous Peoples and local communities who have protected it for millennia, it will not survive.
The fight for Indigenous land rights is not just about justice it’s about the fate of Indigenous Peoples and the rest of the planet period.
45'MEDIA 