Protecting the Javari Valley through Indigenous-led conservation Impact Makers: Bushe Matis

NAME

Bushe Matis

TITLE

General Coordinator, União dos Povos Indígenas do Vale do Javari (UNIVAJA)

LOCATION

Atalaia do Norte, Amazonas, Brazil

ABOUT

Bushe Matis is from the Matis people and was born in the village of Bueiro, along the Ituí River. He is the General Coordinator of UNIVAJA, a non-profit organisation representing the Indigenous Peoples of the Vale do Javari, a vast territory in the western Amazon covering 8.5 million hectares. The region is home to seven Indigenous groups, as well as 11 confirmed records of peoples living in voluntary isolation.

UNIVAJA was created in 2007 and formally established in 2010. Its work centres on defending Indigenous rights, protecting biodiversity, and keeping traditional knowledge alive. One of its main programmes, the Vale do Javari Ethno-Environmental Protection Project (PPEVJ), blends ancestral knowledge with modern tools like drones and georeferenced mapping to monitor and safeguard the territory. Indigenous-led teams patrol the area and respond to threats such as illegal logging, mining, and poaching. Their work is supported through partnerships with NGOs, government agencies and legal experts.

MOTIVATIONS

Bushe began participating in Indigenous movement meetings in 2005, initially as a Matis language interpreter, encouraged by his grandfather. He was one of the founding members of the Matis Indigenous Association (AIMA) and has been active for over two decades in efforts to defend the health, education, land and culture of the peoples of the Javari Valley.

He says his purpose is to protect the existence and way of life of the peoples of the Javari, and to help ensure the survival of life on Earth.

IMPACT

• Helped establish a team of 120 Indigenous monitors who regularly patrol and protect the 8.5 million-hectare territory.

• Supported the re-establishment of the region’s 400-kilometre southern boundary.

• Contributed to near-total vaccination against COVID-19 in the territory, with fewer than five deaths among the 6,000 Indigenous residents.

• Played a key role in two successful legal cases before Brazil’s Supreme Court, reinforcing legal protections for the Javari Valley.

• Advanced the use of drones, georeferencing and other tools to support Indigenous-led environmental protection.

• Helped secure partnerships with NGOs and international organizations to fund and train the surveillance team.

• Promoted regular dialogue and inclusive decision-making across the region’s Indigenous groups.

• Supported efforts to strengthen legal and political protections in the face of external pressures.

GOALS

• Expand the surveillance team and bring more Indigenous communities into conservation efforts.

• Strengthen partnerships that can offer sustainable financial and technical support.

• Raise awareness of Indigenous rights at national and international levels.

• Encourage similar Indigenous-led initiatives across Latin America.

• Help secure greater autonomy for Indigenous Peoples defending their lands and cultures.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS

Bushe believes that Indigenous Peoples are always in search of knowledge. He encourages young people to keep seeking it — even if that means going far from home — but to return and use what they’ve learned to support their communities. He also calls on non-Indigenous people to understand how vital it is to protect nature and Indigenous territories, so that future generations can count on clean water, healthy forests, food and life.

HOW TO SUPPORT

You can support UNIVAJA’s mission by:

• Partnering with the organization to help strengthen Indigenous-led conservation efforts.

• Donating to support legal defence, training, and access to tools and technology.

• Sharing UNIVAJA’s work to inspire similar efforts elsewhere.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: http://univaja.org
Facebook: Univaja
X (formerly Twitter): @UnivajaOficial
Instagram: @univajaoficial