This collective effort will enable the participation - for the FIRST TIME - of a Kamayura chief to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). This is a high-level advisory body that deals with Indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights. The Kamayura chief has the urgency to speak up in an international forum about issues that endanger the existence of his people and his territory.
The Kamayura people have been isolated since contact by national policy. This was good because it kept almost intact the cultures of the people living in Xingu Indigenous Park, but it was bad because it left them without any knowledge and tools to defend themselves after the sudden opening of the Park to outsiders. If the Kamayura chief Kotok comes to the United Nations, he will learn about the tools and mechanisms he has at hand to start defending his territory and the rights of his people.
The chief will gain knowledge he will use to defend his people and territory against land and rights violations. He will forge alliances with other chiefs; they will exchange stories and learn from each other. He will go back home empowered and with new alliances formed. Unfortunately, the only way for many Indigenous Peoples to learn about these tools is to take a long trip outside of the village, to New York city, and attend events like the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
The Kamayura will acquire tools that will be instrumental in defending their territory, self-determination, human rights. They will get a voice on the international agenda. They will learn to speak out, and stand for their rights. The knowledge the chief will bring back will benefit ALL Indigenous peoples living in Xingu, as the chiefs regularly meet and strategically plan how to care for their territory.
