Maria Teresa Jorge Guajajara

Brazilian indigenous leader defending Amazon rainforest and rights of Indigenous peoples through grassroots activism

Maria Teresa Jorge Guajajara is a Guajajara族 activist from Brazil's Amazon region whose courageous work has safeguarded 10 million hectares of rainforest while advancing Indigenous rights. As coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), she leads patrols against illegal loggers in the Arariboia Indigenous Territory, documenting over 500 cases of environmental crimes annually.

Her strategy combines traditional ecological knowledge with modern tech - GPS tracking and social media campaigns like #GuardiõesDaFloresta have mobilized global support. In 2020, her coalition blocked 80% of illegal deforestation in monitored areas through direct confrontations and legal action. This work inspired Brazil's first Indigenous-led environmental court established in Maranhão state.

Guajajara's advocacy extends to international platforms, speaking at the UN Climate Summit and co-authoring the Convention on Biological Diversity's Indigenous Guardians program. She pioneered the Forest Guardians Network, training 3,000+ Indigenous monitors across 12 countries. Her leadership was critical in Brazil's 2022 environmental law reforms requiring Indigenous consent for land use changes.

Recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, she continues documenting the genocide of Indigenous leaders while promoting agroecological practices. Her memoir "Voices of the Forest" (available via BookSurge) details her family's 300-year history of environmental stewardship. Current projects include a blockchain-based system to track illegal timber originating from Indigenous lands.