At the age of six, she was with her mother washing clothes on the Jaci River and saw naked men painted in red, they were the Uru-eu-wau-wau Indians. Frightened, both rushed home.
Far from the city, Neidinha was taught to read by her mother, with books about the American Wild West. The books gave rise to revolt and indignation: why did the Indians always die in the stories? But it also sowed sensitivity, which made her write poetry and connect with nature even more.
Once an adult, after a time working at FUNAI, Ivaneide decided to follow her own trail and in 1992 created Kanindé, an organization to defend the Amazon Rainforest and indigenous peoples. Whether by fate or by the gods of the forest, the first work took place with the Uru-eu-wau-wau, the same ethnic group she had seen as a child.
Like an indigenous warrior, Kanindé grew strong and spread through the forest. In addition to Rondônia, the organisation also started to work with groups from other regions, such as the Juma from Amazonas, the Zoró from Mato Grosso, the Wai Wai from Pará, etc. Since its inception, the organisation has carried out projects with more than 60 ethnic groups.
Meeting the Akuntsu people (1995) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
Neidinha at the beginning of the contact of the Akuntsu and Kanoê people with the white man.
Song of the Gavião people (2017) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
The chief Catarino Gavião teaching a song in Tupi-Mondé to Ivaneide.
Flying over Rondônia (2016) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
Ivaneide flying over the Amazon Rainforest to monitor deforestation, forest fires and invasions.
Suruí kids (2017) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
Neidinha with the Paiter Suruí children in the Lapetanha tribe.
A mother for the indigenous people (1998) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
With a firm hand and a good heart, Neidinha is a sensitive and caring warrior. For the Indians she is a friend, partner, counsellor and even a mother.
But for all those who destroy the forest, she is an enemy. Ivaneide has already suffered countless death threats by gold miners, illegal loggers and invaders. For a time, the situation was so critical that her whole family had to be escorted by the Federal Police. However, the fight never stopped. Today, almost 60 years old, Neidinha still enters the woods and walks for hours with the Indians to expel invaders from their lands.
She is also responsible for various projects and for seeking out new partners and funders for sustainable activities in the villages. Ivaneide fights to keep the forest standing, to defend the rights of indigenous peoples, to seek income-generating opportunities for indigenous people and ensure that they receive quality education.
Ivaneide Bandeira (2016) by Gabriel UchidaKanindé - Association of Ethno-Environmental Protection
That's why the ‘Guardian of the Forest’ is now trying to build an Indigenous University in Rondônia. Even though the battle is difficult and even though the forest is shrinking, Neidinha never stops fighting and her dreams only grow.
www.KANINDE.org.br
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.