In the land of the Guajajara, Amazonian seedlings

In Guajajara, a bathtub-sized pool is situated among the rocks of the Amazon rainforest.

Small burdock seeds grow at the edges of the soil.

“It was a little dry, but the vegetation is back,” she says.

This small lake is located in Maranhão, in the Mata do Rio Pinda, which is part of the largest waterfall in the region.

Invisible to the trained eye, it feeds small streams that flow into the Pindaros River just a few kilometers from the edge of our forest.

These springs are of great importance to the Guajaras, who have lived here for centuries.

“They are special,” says Arlette Guajara, president of the Rio Pinda Society.

“These are the spirits of our ancestors.

The rivers and streams that feed these bodies of water are essential for the survival of the Guajaras.

They have the opportunity to fish, drink, and wash.

It hosts events like the Menina Moka Festival, which marks an important celebration.

Women in Guajana who have been part of their lives.

“The river is our inspiration,” says Yanayan.

“This is our culture, this is our culture, this is everything for us.”

Legacy of Destruction in Guajajara

There is no sign of rainforest in the dusty soybean fields that stretch for miles in the Pindaros River Reserve.

Larvae move in groups, and animals gather at the bottom.

Rice, vegetables, and bananas are primarily cultivated alongside wildlife.

The indigenous area of the Rio Pinta covers more than 15,000 hectares in the Bam-Hardim commune in Maranhão.

It has been under federal protection since 1982 and is part of an ecological corridor composed of seven reserves, some of which are inhabited by various tribes.

After decades of pollution, the dense forests are being destroyed by intensive agriculture.

Over the years, however, despite constant foreign invasions, Pindaros has remained a forested island with ongoing economic growth.

“This is the last resort,” said the wildlife official to journalists, on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak.

“There were civilians there. That’s why it’s important to get them out of there.”

This part of the Brazilian Amazon was discovered decades ago when the military junta that came to power in the 1960s encouraged colonization and supported it.

The government called it “a lack of land for the homeless” and gave land to thousands of Brazilian refugees.

---

Source of information: brasil.mongabay.com

\