Dear Jack,

Five years ago this week, Paulo Paulino Guajajara, known also as Kwahu Tenetehar, was ambushed while hunting with his friend Tainaky Tenetehar. Tainaky was shot in the back and arm, but managed to escape. Paulo was shot in the head and died instantly.

Like Tainaky, Paulo was a member of the Guajajara Guardians. They’re a group of Indigenous people who patrol and protect their territory in eastern Brazil both for themselves and for their neighbors, the uncontacted Awá people who also live there.

Paulo and Tainaky were attacked inside their territory, which is known as Arariboia. Seen from space, Arariboia is a green island in the middle of a sea of ​​destruction, surrounded only by cattle ranches and bare hillsides where once was lush forest.

The Guardians’ stand does not come without risks, and Paulo's murder was not a one-off. Several Guardians have been murdered besides Paulo, and others frequently receive death threats. In June 2019, just a few months before he was shot, Paulo told the authorities that his life was in danger.

Numerous reports have been filed, but these crimes almost always remain unpunished. Paulo's murder is no different: five years on, his killers are still at large.

Survival has supported the Guardians’ work for many years. Survival researcher Sarah Shenker accompanied the Guardians on one of their operations and got to know Paulo well. Shortly before he died, he told her, “Let’s work together so that this invasion of our land ends, and our forest is peaceful once more. When all this is over, we will all be happy.”

Since Paulo's death, the Guardians continue their daily battle to protect their territory from loggers, and to safeguard the survival of the Guajajara and Awá peoples. Their fight is our fight too, since the survival of the Amazon is vital for a healthy future for all humanity.

You can help: please send an email urging the authorities to support the Guardians in their work to confront invaders and to bring those who kill them to justice.

If you’d like to learn a little more about Paulo’s life and struggle, watch this moving tribute by his companions and friends.

Best wishes,

Caroline Pearce
Director