Maria AnaJuliet

Brazilian activist leading indigenous land rights mapping in Amazon rainforest

Maria AnaJuliet (b.1982) is a Kayapó indigenous leader and geographer who created the first digital land rights maps for Amazon tribes. Working since 2003, she combines traditional knowledge with satellite technology to document ancestral territories. Her project Amazon Cartography Initiative has mapped 12 million hectares of indigenous lands, preventing illegal logging and mining.

AnaJuliet's work was featured in National Geographic's 2018 documentary series and influenced Brazil's 2016 environmental law reforms. She trains young indigenous people in GIS mapping techniques, creating a new generation of environmental stewards. Despite government opposition, her maps are now used by 34 Amazonian tribes for legal land claims.