The Ka'apor indigenous people of the Brazilian Amazon administer one of the few autonomous indigenous territories in the world. After kicking out the Brazilian federal agency for indigenous affairs (Funai) in 2013 they revived their traditional governing council of chiefs and their own indigenous education system.

In the face of increasing pressure from land invaders, the Ka'apor devised a defense strategy of setting up permanent settlements along their borders to discourage further incursions. This strategy has so far succeeded in slowing the advance of loggers into their territory of around 3,000 hectares, home to more than half of the last remaining areas of intact primary rainforest in Maranhão.

But the region is under intense pressure from illegal logging, mining, and land grabbing. Land defenders like the Ka'apor are also under increasing physical danger as they struggle with few resources and the complete absence of state protection and assistance (indeed, many of the local municipal, state and federal representatives are themselves connected to the illegal activity and allied to president Bolsonaro or with ties to his current party).

The last decade has seen five Ka'apor murdered in acts of reprisals from criminal groups linked to local politicians. Many more have been threatened with death. Simply leaving their territory means risking their lives, but it's a risk they're willing to take in order to save their home, the forest, which we all rely on for our continued survival.

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