Indigenous Peoples from the Brazilian Cerrado: PAR, Territorial, Environmental and Sociocultural Sustainable Development

Abstract

This paper stems from an ongoing research project that investigates the territorial, environmental and sociocultural conditions of the Indigenous Peoples inhabiting the Brazilian Cerrado. The Cerrado is the second largest biome in Brazil and one of the most degraded in recent decades, primarily due to the expansion of intensive grain monocultures, low-technology extensive cattle ranching and large-scale infrastructure and mining projects. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Cerrado encompasses approximately 216 Indigenous Lands and is home to more than 80 distinct Indigenous groups. The study seeks to analyze and highlight the sociocultural, territorial and environmental vulnerabilities faced daily by Indigenous communities in the Cerrado, whose territories and ways of life are continuously threatened by various forms of violence resulting from economic ventures. The methodological approach is both quantitative and qualitative, grounded in the Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework, which involves Indigenous participants as both subjects and researchers, thereby ensuring their autonomy in representing and interpreting the realities under study. The proposed outcomes include the development of a digital platform, the creation of thematic maps and the publication of a book, all aimed at enhancing visibility, strengthening territorial defense and fostering the sociocultural autonomy of the Indigenous Peoples from the Brazilian Cerrado. 

Keywords: Indigenous Peoples. Brazilian Cerrado. Territory. Sociobiodiversity. Participatory Action Research (PAR).