AmazoniAlerta is proud to be collaborating with Mē Hoprê Catêjê, a guardians group formed by a collective of Krahô women to protect their ancestral territory in Kraolândia Indigenous Land, in the State of Tocantins, Brazil.
The Mē Hoprê Catêjê collective breaks away from traditional gender roles often assigned to Indigenous women and takes to the frontline against invaders of their lands such as loggers and agribusiness. Their work includes patrolling their territory, reporting illegal invasions to Funai and confronting multiple threats from deforestation to water contamination caused by pesticides agribusiness expansion and direct threats from farmers and invaders.
Beyond the physical risks, the women also face prejudice and criticism and are often stigmatized for leaving their children to join the patrol, yet they remain committed to their work and cause.
For the Krahô, territory is more than land, it is life, memory and future. By standing as protectors, the women of the Mē Hoprê Catêjê collective reaffirm the strength of their culture and show that caring for the land is an act of resistance. The women see themselves as caretakers of the land, water, forests, and animals, as their ancestors once did. The group plans to train 20 more women to expand the protection of Kraolândia.
“The life of a warrior is not easy. But we wake up every day with positive thoughts to face the bad things,” – Luzia Krahô (Kruw), a leader of the Mē Hoprê Catêjê.