This past month, as we all began hearing that the Amazon rainforest was burning, many of us went into panic, asking all sorts of questions: Why didn’t we know about this before it was too big of a problem to handle? How did this fire start? Who is going to stop it? While these are all very important questions, there is also a very pressing subject left out- one with immediate consequences. There are thousands of human lives at stake right now due to these fires. The indigenous tribes of the Amazon live off of the land, depending on the forest in everything they do.
Many people living in the Amazon have had their homes burned down by developers to build cattle ranches and palm oil plantations. It is clear that these are intentional fires. This is because the Bolsinaro administration is not enforcing environmental laws as they should be. In fact, the government is currently attempting to weaken the rules concerning the environment. It is as if the administration is telling investors that the area is free to exploit as they please. Technically, by law, the people of the Amazon are protected- it is just not enforced. In response, many tribes have organized patrols to protect their lands themselves. In a way, this is a method of protecting the forest’s climate.
Unfortunately, not enough is being done to stop the loggers, farmers, and settlers from targeting ad attacking the indigenous peoples’ lands. Tribes are constantly having to flee due to homes being burned down. As of right now, organizations are working with tribal federations to attempt to save what can be saved of the lands and prevent further damage to the homes of the indigenous people.
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