VIDEO. The Munduruku, these indigenous Amazonian people who fight against illegal gold harvesting

“We are angry, we are sad too, because the miners do not respect the indigenous territory. Our territory must be respected and preserved. They don’t want to respect it. They know it’s indigenous land, and despite that, they continue to work here.“The Munduruku see their environment deteriorate and the waterways darken. These natives live in the Amazon rainforest. But they have to coexist, against their will, with the miners. These workers harvest gold through wild mines. Even if these lands are protected, the miners continue their practice, and pollute the surroundings.

These mines use the nearest rivers to operate, and they discharge mercury, a substance toxic to humans. “The Tapajós River is a very important river for us. This is not only because water is the basis of our life, but because it was made for life on Earth, for all of us. Because it was created by Karosakaybu. It is a sacred river.”, explains Juarez Saw Munduruku, village chief Sawré Muybu.

The latter remains pessimistic about the survival of the Munduruku in the face of this illegal practice. “We know that we are already contaminated, the fish we currently eat are all contaminated with mercury. I know that I myself am contaminated by mercury. The analyzes have been carried out, everyone here has mercury in their blood. If the government does not take care of the river and if it does not take action against illegal gold panning in Tapajós, we will eventually disappear.”