Patrícia Juwi is an intern and recipient of a bursary from our program to support Indigenous law students.
Patrícia, aged 20, is an Indigenous member of the Amondawa people and lives in the village called Trincheira, within the Uru Eu Wau Wau Indigenous land. This Indigenous territory is located in the municipality of Mirante da Serra in the state of Rondônia.
Having completed a vocational training course as an agricultural technician, Patrícia has now begun studying law at the nearby São Lucas University. Though Indigenous women traditionally marry and become mothers at a young age, Patrícia aim is to study and explore the world.
Patrícia is the granddaughter of the great chief Tari Amondawa, and from him she has learnt many of the stories and traditions of her people, as well as the Tupi Kawahib language.
Fluent in her Indigenous language and Portuguese, Patrícia also works as an assistant to linguists who study the Indigenous peoples of the Tupi Kawahib language family. Currently, she is aiding the research being conducted with the last two survivors of the massacre of the Piripkura people, who also speak the same language as Patrícia and who lived in isolation until very recently.
“I chose the field of law because it is a beneficial course for Indigenous people, for any Indigenous person, as I can be fighting for the cause of my people, defending our agendas. I even think that every village should have someone trained in the field of law to lead the struggle and have an understanding of what happens within public authorities.”
-Patrícia Juwi