Indigenous women are at the forefront of the struggle to protect ancestral territories and our global climate. Along the Tapajós River in the Brazilian Amazon, Maria Leusa Munduruku has emerged as a powerful defender against dams, mining, illegal logging, and the Ferrogrão mega-railway.

A mother and nurturer of future generations, Leusa is also a law student and a co-founder of the Wakoborũn Women’s Association, which builds solidarity among Munduruku women and young people to fight for environmental justice.

Leusa reminds us that Indigenous women are central to this struggle because their health and the health of their children are disproportionately impacted by centuries of ongoing genocidal violence.

Leusa sees intergenerational leadership as a key to fortifying the movement for Indigenous land rights in Brazil, ensuring that communal health and ancestral territories are protected in perpetuity.

Young Munduruku women are empowering themselves and each other by reclaiming their traditional roles as cultural bearers and weavers in their community.