A fire burning across northern Brazil for the past two months has scorched nearly half of the Arariboia indigenous territory in the state of Maranhão. Many suspect that loggers in the area started the fire, which has surrounded an isolated group of Awá-Guajá Indians.
The Arariboia indigenous territory is home to an estimated 12,000 people belonging to the Guajajara ethnic group, and to another 80 Awá-Guajá Indians, not previously contacted by the outside world. Teams on the ground have reported abandoned Awá-Guajá structures in the area, and believe the group is attempting to outrun the blaze.
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“Besides putting out the fire, the greatest concern is about ensuring the survival of these people,” said Danicley de Aguiar, a Forest Campaigner with Greenpeace Brazil. “Much of their agriculture has been destroyed and access to hunting will probably be affected, which will make it very difficult for the Indians to find food.”
On Tuesday, the organization released aerial photos showing the vast devastation caused by wildfires in the region and calling for a more substantial government response. Local indigenous leader Sônia Guajajara, who accompanied them on the trip, said that the community had identified problem spots and reported them to officials in September, weeks before authorities arrived.
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The National Indian Foundation has reportedly earmarked 461,000 reais ($120,000) to fight the fire, and in recent weeks, the National Center for Forest Fire Prevention and Combat has sent a reported 330 fire fighters to fight the blaze as part of its Operation Awá, according to Brazilian media.
But prior to their deployment, the job was left to self-fashioned firefighters known as the Guajajara Guardians. The group has attracted attention in the past for its opposition to illegal logging activity on their territory.
“The local indigenous people have been trying to put the fires out to no avail, and the Brazilian government has now stepped in, but far too late,” said Sarah Shenker, Brazil campaigner at Survival International, a global organization working to protect indigenous populations. “As soon as they were aware of the fire, it was their duty to go and put it out, and especially in a forest that the Indians completely depend upon for their survival.”
While the cause of the fire remains unknown, loggers are the principal suspect. One theory says the loggers are retaliating for monitoring of their activities by indigenous groups.
“The Guardians have been taking matters into their own hands, carrying out expeditions in the area trying to drive the loggers out,” Shenker said. “There are rumors that this could come in response to these efforts.”
The fires mark the latest affront to the Arariboia territory and nearby indigenous lands, which have long been at the center of conflict between indigenous populations, illegal loggers, and the authorities that have attempted to intervene. The territory has been severely deforested through the years, creating a drier, more vulnerable environment in which fire can easily spread.
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A recent government report estimated that there are more than 1,000 active fires in the Amazonas state, while nearly 190,000 fires have been reported countrywide side the beginning of the year. The number marks a 23 percent increase from last year, and a 209 percent increase from 2013.
Drought has plagued other parts of the country, including the São Paulo, where authorities have said the water shortage is “critical.” Other central states, such as Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Tocantins, and Minas Gerais have also shown a spike in drought-fueled fires.
Earlier this year, President Dilma Rousseff promised to achieve zero illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030 while restoring 120,000 square kilometers that had been cleared. She also announced, in September, that Brazil would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent in 2025 and 43 percent by 2030.
But environmentalists say the goals are weak and noted that policies have yet to slow forest loss. According to a report by the group IMAZON, deforestation in the region between August 2014 and June 2015, had increased by 65 percent compared to the previous period.
For now, as authorities and indigenous leaders continue to fight fires that Greenpeace says stretch across more than 60 miles, they are hoping that the rainy season, which normally begins in October, will bring much needed relief soon.
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