Pusuru Indigenous Association

This project looks to combat discrimination and racism suffered by the Mundukuru people. The activities seek the recognition of the indigenous people’s rights, in respect for the people history and culture, and the dissemination of their worldview on the relation between indigenous peoples and nature.

– Community drafting of a handout on the rights of the Mundukuru people, their culture and relationship with nature.

– Production of an informative video on the topic to be released at village schools and those of neighboring towns, on the internet and among partner organizations.

The Mundukuru population has ten thousand people in villages on the middle and upper Tapajós River (PA). For educational, health and other public and commercial services, the Mundukuru travel to the neighboring towns of Jacareacanga (PA), the border with the Sai Cinza Indigenous Reservation and Itaituba (PA), 400km (248 miles) away.

Due to its proximity, Jacareacanga is a location with many Mundukuru and their families, apart from being the city where they deal with documentation issues, access social benefits and buy products. Cases of discrimination are constant, despite the financial contributions the Mundukuru bring to the city. They include disrespect at the notary in regard to documentation and indigenous names; cases of violence against indigenous women, including rape and murder; trespassing by researchers; police apathy toward cases of violence and homicides; invasion by the Federal Police of the Teles Pires village, which included violence against women, children and elderly, home invasions, arbitrary detentions (including of minors), use of tear gas, rubber bullets and lethal weapons that resulted in the death of one indigenous person.

The Pusuru Association was born in 1991 and has as its mission the struggle for the rights of Mundukuru people in a way that reflects and meets the needs of traditional organization, the value of culture, protection of the land, the environment and sustainable forms of survival.

Pusuru is a partner of other indigenous organizations, such as the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), APIB, ARPINSUL, and of entities that support the indigenous cause such as CIMI, FAOR, International Rivers and the Living Tapajós Movement.