ACT Inaugurates New Indigenous Cultural Center in the Brazilian Amazon

We live in an age of unprecedented global chaos—political turmoil, a seemingly endless cycle of conflict in the Middle East, and wildfires ravaging the Amazon, which continue to rage despite efforts to curb them after the 2019 crisis. Amid this global uncertainty, good news is rare, yet desperately needed. Fortunately, there is a beacon of hope in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon: the Kapai and Aretina Guardians of Knowledge Center. This center is a community space to facilitate the preservation of indigenous plant medicine and cultural heritage.

On October 1, 2024, ACT, our indigenous partners, and partner entities inaugurated the Center in the Urunai village in Brazil’s northern Tumucumaque region. The Center is an important milestone in empowering and promoting indigenous medicine. Developed by the Tiriyó, Kaxuyana, and Txikyana peoples, it aims to strengthen indigenous healing practices and safeguard traditional knowledge. The center pays homage to two indigenous leaders, Kapai and Aretina, whose efforts to preserve their peoples’ medical and cultural practices continue to inspire this initiative. 

The inception of the Center stems from a relationship that ACT has built with the indigenous leaders of the region for over 25 years. It was the leaders familiar with ACT’s work across the border in Suriname who contacted the organization and asked for support in strengthening their traditional healing practices through the construction of a health center, demonstrating the power of the longstanding relationships that make ACT’s work both possible and successful. 

Designed with sustainability in mind, the center includes spaces for training, natural remedy production, and accommodation for patients and traditional healers. Beyond the physical structure, this initiative represents a critical step toward indigenous healthcare sovereignty, ensuring that these peoples control and protect their traditional practices.  

A Legacy of Healing 

Indigenous peoples, like those of the Tumucumaque region, have practiced medicine for thousands of years, developing comprehensive healing systems rooted in ecological and cultural knowledge. This understanding of health is not limited to physical ailments but also incorporates spiritual, communal, and environmental well-being. As Demétrio Amisipa Tiriyó, an indigenous healer, explained, the Ankarani tree, after which the associated comprehensive health program is named, symbolizes the holistic healing power that indigenous medicine offers:  

“Ankarani is a sacred tree for animals and humans. When animals get sick, they seek out the Ankarani tree. It is a tree that has energy, that holds medicine for everyone.” 

It is important to recognize that indigenous healers undergo extensive training and possess a rigorous understanding of their environment and its resources. Their knowledge, passed down through generations, represents a deeply intertwined understanding and relationship with the ecosystems in which they live. 

The Ankarani program seeks to empower community members to foster and pass along cultural practices and medicine for the benefit of their communities for generations to come. This holistic approach can enhance the quality of care available to indigenous communities and set them on the path to improved healthcare sovereignty.

The Fight for Healthcare Sovereignty 

The Kapai and Aretina Guardians of Knowledge Center symbolizes the broader movement for indigenous healthcare sovereignty. For too long, external forces have dominated healthcare in indigenous territories. This center gives communities the power to assert more control over their health practices, ensuring that traditional knowledge is passed on to future generations. 

This issue extends beyond Brazil. Representatives from Suriname, including organizations such as the Medische Zending and OTIMISI, attended the center’s inauguration, seeking to learn from the Ankarani program and explore potential partnerships. These cross-border collaborations highlight the shared struggle of indigenous peoples across the Americas to protect their healthcare sovereignty and cultural heritage. 

Healthcare sovereignty is not only about access to care: it is about empowering cultural traditions, transmitting knowledge, and protecting wisdom cultivated over millennia. By empowering youth to train in indigenous medicine, the Ankarani program ensures that these practices will continue to thrive. 

A New Era for Indigenous Health 

The Kapai and Aretina Guardians of Knowledge Center offers a hopeful vision for the future. It asserts that indigenous medicine deserves respect and institutional support alongside Western practices. The involvement of organizations like ACT-Brasil and Brazil’s Secretariat of Indigenous Health underscores a commitment to integrating indigenous knowledge into public health systems in Brazil. 

However, continued efforts are needed to support traditional knowledge. By supporting indigenous cultural traditions and healthcare practices, we not only honor the cultural heritage of these communities but promote health and well-being in a rapidly changing world.