Public events highlight life and death of indigenist and journalist
The murders of Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips, in Vale do Javari, in the Amazon, occurred two years ago this Wednesday, June 5. In tribute to the victims, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples is organizing public events in Brasília. The widows, Beatriz Matos and Alessandra Sampaio, are expected to attend, along with federal authorities and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and indigenists.
In addition to a free screening of the documentary Valley of the Isolated: the murder of Bruno and Dom, a debate on the struggle of human rights defenders, communicators, and environmentalists in Vale do Javari will be held at a movie theater in the federal capital, Brasília.
Directed by Sônia Bridi, a reporter for the Globo broadcasting system, the film won one of Brazil's most prestigious journalistic awards for human rights in October 2023: the Vladimir Herzog prize for best journalistic video production. It was honored for revealing how the state's negligence has led to the resurgence of a historic cycle of violence in the region with the largest number of isolated indigenous people in the world.
The second event will be held on the Esplanade of Ministries. Images of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips will be projected onto the building, which houses part of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship.
The third and final official event in memory of Pereira and Phillips will occur at the Memorial of Indigenous Peoples. The event will showcase the federal government's efforts in the region, highlighting initiatives from the Plan for the Protection of Indigenous Land (TI) in Vale do Javari. These measures aim to enhance territorial protection and ensure the social rights of the area's inhabitants.
Background
According to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, their murder "has become a milestone in the journey of two professionals, highlighting their dedication to the rights of indigenous peoples and environmental preservation."
Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips were shot dead on June 5, 2022. They had met in Atalaia do Norte, in the state of Amazonas, at the beginning of June. Phillips was planning to interview indigenous and riverine leaders for a book he intended to title "How to Save the Amazon."
An experienced indigenist, Pereira had resigned from the national indigenous authority Funai in February 2020 due to disagreements with the then new guidelines for implementing the national indigenist policy. Since then, he had been working as a technical consultant for the Union of Indigenous Peoples of Vale do Javari (Univaja). In addition to guiding Dom, Bruno was traveling to meet with leaders of communities around Vale do Javari Indigenous Land—the second-largest area in the country designated for exclusive indigenous use and home to the largest concentration of isolated peoples in the world.
They were last seen on the morning of June 5. Their bodies were discovered on June 15, by which time police had arrested at least five people suspected of involvement in the crime.
