Funding Cycle: Africa | Americas | Asia
Brazil (Tribes Alive)
This project aims to equip Kayapó Mekrãgnoti firefighters and establish boundary monitors to prevent wildfires, providing essential equipment and supplies for firefighting and territory monitoring. By strengthening their capacity to protect the land, this initiative helps prevent further wildfire losses in Kayapó territory. It builds on the success of last year’s efforts with the Kuikuro firefighters in the Upper Xingu, demonstrating the effectiveness of Indigenous-led fire prevention and response.
Brazil (Amazoni Alerti)
This year, we are partnering with Amazonia Alerta on two impactful projects.The first project will strengthen territorial monitoring and legal defense for Indigenous lands in Araribóia and Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau by supporting AmazoniaAlerta’s collaboration with environmental agent teams. It focuses on immediate action against illegal invasions and deforestation while implementing long-term strategies that integrate monitoring with legal advocacy, ensuring sustained protection of these territories.
The second project focuses on strengthening legal networks and training Indigenous rights lawyers in the Amazon by connecting legal professionals and providing ongoing education to enhance Indigenous rights litigation. Launched in September 2024, the Indigenous Rights Clinic is a unique initiative that offers continuous professional legal training focused on both the practice and theory of Indigenous Rights Law. Currently, there is no mandatory Indigenous rights course for lawyers in Brazil. By fostering collaboration among lawyers working in this field and facilitating the exchange of knowledge, the project aims to strengthen legal challenges and increase pressure on universities to make Indigenous rights education a required part of legal training.
Brazil (Mẽbêngôkre (Kayapó) (Instituto Raoni)
This project aims to provide emergency support for the Mẽbêngôkre (Kayapó) people by ensuring the success of sustainable cumaru production on their lands. The Raoni Institute, representing the Mẽbêngôkre communities in Mato Grosso and Pará, seeks to promote sustainable income generation as an alternative to destructive activities like illegal logging and mining. By strengthening traditional cumaru collection, which is highly valued by the pharmaceutical, aesthetic, and gastronomic industries, the project aims to reinforce the community’s autonomy, preserve their culture, and provide a foundation for future expansion of sustainable practices.
We are also working with Instituto Raoni to help combat forest fires in the Amazon. Each year, the Brazilian Amazon rainforest experiences its highest number of fires between August and October, with September being historically the most critical month. We have partnered with the Raoni Institute to establish an Indigenous Brigade focused on preventing and fighting forest fires.
Peru (RF US)
This project aims to support Indigenous communities in Peru in securing land titles, a vital step in advancing Indigenous land rights and protecting rainforests. To effectively combat deforestation and other detrimental activities on their lands, Indigenous communities require legal recognition through community-held land titles, enabling them to assert their rights over their territories. By working closely with these communities, Rainforest Foundation US helps ensure their land rights are recognized and protected, empowering them to safeguard their environment for future generations.
Costa Rica, Bribri
This project is focused on strengthening territorial governance and rights advocacy while supporting environmental protection. It empowers Bribri women through cultural and ecological revival, promote FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent) protocols, and back Indigenous women’s exchanges, research, and legal action. The project also supports the Brörán in their fight to stop a dam that threatens their lands and way of life.
Ecuador: Projecto Luchar
This is a new project that is focused on raising awareness about the environmental pollution caused by both legal and illegal mining in rural Indigenous communities of the province of Napo, Ecuador, and offering sustainable alternatives to mitigate these impacts. Gold mining in Amazonian rivers has led to severe pollution, including mercury contamination, which has harmed both the environment and the local communities. This project will help reduce mercury levels, restore the ecosystem, and promote more sustainable practices that protect both the land and the people who depend on it.
