Joênia Wapixana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joênia Wapixana
OMC
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| Chair of the National Indigenous People Foundation | |
| Assumed office 2 January 2023 |
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| President | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
| Minister | Sônia Guajajara |
| Preceded by | Marcelo Xavier |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 1 February 2019 – 2 January 2023 |
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| Constituency | Roraima |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joênia Batista de Carvalho
20 April 1974 Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil |
| Political party | REDE (2017–present) |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Politician, attorney |
| Known for | First indigenous attorney in Brazil, first indigenous attorney to argue before the Brazilian Supreme Court and first indigenous woman deputy elected to Brazilian National Congress |
Joênia Wapichana (born on April 20, 1974) is a very important person in Brazil. She is the first indigenous (native) lawyer in the country. She belongs to the Wapixana tribe, who live in northern Brazil.
Joênia made history when she took a land dispute case to a special human rights court. This made her the first indigenous lawyer to argue a case in front of Brazil's highest court, the Supreme Court of Brazil. She is currently the leader of the National Commission for the Defense of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In 2018, she was elected as a federal deputy for the state of Roraima. This means she became a representative in the Chamber of Deputies, which is like a part of the Brazilian parliament. She is the first indigenous woman to be elected to this role. She is also only the second indigenous federal deputy ever in Brazil.
After Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva became the President of Brazil, Joênia became the president of FUNAI. FUNAI is a special government group that protects indigenous people. This made her the first indigenous woman to lead FUNAI.
Early Life and Education
Joênia was born in the Brazilian state of Roraima. She grew up in small, faraway villages in the Amazon rainforest. In these villages, people lived in traditional ways. Many elders did not even speak Portuguese, which is Brazil's main language.
When Joênia's parents went to register her birth, a clerk chose the name Joênia Batista de Carvalho for her official papers. But she prefers to be called Joênia Wapichana, using her first name and her tribe's name.
When she was about seven or eight, her father left the family. Her mother moved to the state capital, Boa Vista. She hoped to find better jobs there. Joênia and her siblings went to school. While her older brothers left school to work, Joênia finished high school in the early 1990s.
At first, Joênia thought about becoming a doctor. She didn't want to be a teacher, which was a common job for educated indigenous women. Instead, she decided to study law. She worked at night in an accounting office to pay for her studies. In 1997, Joênia graduated from the Federal University of Roraima. She was the first indigenous lawyer in Brazil!
Protecting Indigenous Rights
After becoming a lawyer, Joênia started working for the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR). This group helps indigenous communities.
In 2004, she took an important case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. She asked them to make the Brazilian government officially mark the borders of the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Territory. This land is the traditional home of several indigenous groups, including the Wapichana.
In 2005, Brazil's Supreme Court of Brazil (STF) agreed to protect the land. They said it was an environmental area where native rights were protected by law. However, people who cut down trees and mined for minerals still caused problems for the native communities.
In 2008, Joênia made history again. She became the first indigenous lawyer to argue a case in front of the STF. The case was about whether the government could divide the Raposa Serra do Sol lands into smaller pieces. Some people, like rice farmers, wanted parts of the land. Joênia argued that the Brazilian constitution said these lands could not be divided. She said it would go against the rights of indigenous people.
On March 19, 2009, the STF agreed with Joênia. They voted that indigenous people had the only right to live on and use the Raposa Serra do Sol reserve lands. This was a huge victory for indigenous rights in Brazil.
In 2013, Joênia became the first president of a new group. It was called the National Commission for the Defense of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This group was created to watch new laws that might affect native rights. Their job is to help and step in if needed in legal cases that impact indigenous rights.
Awards and Recognition
Joênia Wapixana has received many important awards for her work:
- In 2004, she received the Reebok Human Rights Award.
- In 2010, the Brazilian government honored her with the Ordem do Mérito Cultural.
- In 2018, she was given the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights.
These awards show how important her work is in protecting the rights of indigenous people in Brazil and around the world.
See also
In Spanish: Joênia Wapichana para niños
