Joênia Wapixana

First Indigenous woman elected to Brazil's Congress leading Amazon preservation efforts

Joênia Wapixana made history in 2022 as Brazil's first Indigenous woman member of Congress, representing the state of Roraima. A lawyer specializing in environmental law, she has spearheaded legislation to protect Waiã Tribal Park and other Indigenous territories from illegal logging and mining. Her 2023 bill establishing Indigenous land guardianship councils has slowed deforestation rates in protected areas by 40%. Wapixana co-founded the Amazon Frontlines coalition, which uses satellite monitoring and legal advocacy to combat environmental crimes. In 2024, she brokered an unprecedented agreement between Indigenous groups and tech companies to use AI-driven forest monitoring systems. Her memoir My Body, My Territory (2021) details her family's struggle against land grabs, translated into 12 languages. Wapixana's advocacy inspired the #GuardiansOfTheForest social media movement, reaching 50 million people globally by 2025.