đ Share this article Loggers Encroach Further as the Pardo River Kawahiva People Await Safeguarding. In the past year, specialists from the government institution for native communities journeyed over 60 miles through untouched wilderness on the southern periphery of the Amazon basin. Their task was to survey and help protect an tribe with little to no interaction with the outside world. An Indigenous leader on the southern edge of a protected territory during a field mission in Brazilâs Mato Grosso state. Their observations included a small basket made from leaves, a small footprints by a stream, and tree trunks freshly cut to extract honey. They also found abandoned shelters being reclaimed by nature and shells from gathered nuts near old fire pits. These were all clear signs that the Pardo River Kawahiva were present. Administrative Stalling Block Constitutional Protection Despite a high court order mandating a set of protective measures for the vulnerable tribe, the national authorities has not followed through. The court-ordered plan included speeding up the boundary setting of their land and detailing anti-logging strategies. Bureaucratic delays, budgetary constraints, and hostile clashesâinvolving aggressions by leaders associated with the timber tradeâhave effectively blocked the entire process. Without established perimeters, timber companies and cattle farmers persist in advancing, leaving the Kawahiva in imminent danger of physical elimination. Indigenous supporters label the stalling a willful and deadly violation of the national charter. âThe delay in land protection is not only unlawful, it is also incredibly risky.â Shrinking Wilderness The intended 400,000-hectare Indigenous land remains without full protection, as required by law. It is considered the biggest undefended woodland in Brazil that is inhabited by uncontacted Indigenous people. On the edges of the territorial limits, the view changes dramatically. The land is scorched for cattle grazing. Barbed wire and barriers are being erected, and new roads are pushing further into the remaining woodland. Agency personnel during a trek through the territory. Following the expedition, a agency head for Indigenous affairs vowed to finalize the demarcation. âWe are making every available means to guarantee that the Kawahiva land receives protection,â the official stated. Money Problems and Growing Threats The boundary marking of the 320-kilometer border involves installing boundary posts. This is seen as a key measure to demonstrate to encroachers that the state will enforce about protection. However, the process remains stalled. Funding has been a major stumbling block. Initial plans to use compensation funds from a infrastructure development did not materialize. The agency has since sought other sources. It has now initiated a partnership with a research center. âItâs a technical partnership that weâve previously implemented,â explained an official. âThe on-ground work is projected to begin in the coming years.â The institute stated that negotiations were advanced but did not specify when work would begin. Complicating everything is what officials term a âconflictual situation in the region,â which is expected to require an security detail during any boundary marking. A broken twig during the expedition, south of the Kawahiva territory. Threats and Intimidation The risk of attack is real. In 2018, an group of invaders stormed a government base in the territory, resulting in a gun battle where one attacker was killed. More recently, heavily armed police were present in the area. Earlier this year, an threatening communication surfaced in which a man, calling himself a local leader, made threats against the lead field agent. The individual, linked to local loggers, claimed to have entered the territory âlooking for those isolated Indians.â He is under indictment for several illegal activities, including charges related to the violent assault on the agent. âWe canât work because of this guy,â the man said in the recording. A Closing Window Anthropologists and rights advocates point out that it has been over 25 years since the location of the isolated group was verified. âSince then, illegal settlers have consistently challenged the protective measures in court,â noted one expert. They raise a disturbing possibility: that the present holdup is a politically motivated barrier rather than a bureaucratic one. This leads to fear that protection may not happen even in the next administration. The political context adds urgency. Many believe that the next two years represents the final opportunity for this land protection initiative to be achieved, before a potential change in government could stop similar processes, as has happened before. A forest insect on a hat during the trek. The supreme court directive was the result of a legal action filed by a coalition of native peoples. The court recognized the âdanger of eradication, food insecurity, and acculturationâ facing the community. A lawyer involved described the process as ânot moving,â with the court waiting for action. The consequences of delay are stark. âMoreover, it is extremely dangerous and threatens the survival of the vulnerable tribe,â warned a representative from an campaigning body.