Indigenous Rights & Histories in Brazil

Grace Bridger

Lucy Knott

Aaron Barnsdall

Ariana Andrews

Ashley Hemara

Edie Balme

Inverness-Moana Cowles

Joape Nagera

Kurt Macalister

Margret Mage

Maringi Kete

Ruby Macomber

Sherrick Martin

Wynona Moore

Aishlin Murphy

Latest posts from the group

• Viva la Mexico!
  by Georgie
  Week One//Mexico City After a long 36+ hours of traveling, five hours delay, a missed flight, overweight bags, confusion in airports and a lot of customs, ten Kiwis finally left an airport and took an hour’s drive to their hotels with two lovely hosts from the University. Despite some tired grumbles we all very quickly realised the time delays and long travel was a blessing in disguise that saved us…Continue Reading Viva la Mexico!
• Fasten seat belts
  by ahem765
  It’s Thursday the 19th fly-out day.  Feeling complete after a farewell dinner with my whānau…… Waking up knowing everything is in order. Then, the universe sends a reminder of the importance of this haerenga. The reality of our region’s current social issues comes knocking “literally” on my door. I am quickly reminded of the heightened crime rates and poverty issues our communities are facing. I now have the decision to either…Continue Reading Fasten seat belts
• First impressions of Brazil
  by Kurt Macalister
  Ola from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Embarking on the Prime Minister’s Scholarship to Latin America for Indigenous culture and history in Brazil has been an exciting experience. Arriving in Sao Paulo after two long haul flights, which included a stopover in Houston, Texas, USA we were greeted by our coordinator Talita and made our way into the city. Our welcome lunch at Jiquitaia was a delicia (delicious) selection of traditional Brazilian…Continue Reading First impressions of Brazil
• First Week in Brazil!
  by amur587
  Since touching down in Sao Paulo on January 20th (Jan 21st NZ time), I have been challenged, inspired, and thankful.  As someone with little travel experience, I was expecting to be challenged by Brazil and this programme. I knew I would be challenged in the sense that I was far from home and my support system; but also challenged by the new culture and language. So far Brazil has done…Continue Reading First Week in Brazil!
• We Are In Brazil !!!
  by Inverness-Moana Cathryn Ina Cowles
  When leaving the Guarulhos International Airport just out of São Paulo, I truly felt grateful for such an opportunity; A young Māori girl in a completely different indigenous country. Once we stepped foot onto indigenous whenua, I could feel the wairua of the indigenous communities now and in the past. Brazil is everything that I believed to be true; it is such a vibrant country to be in, to be…Continue Reading We Are In Brazil !!!
• Olá from Brazil
  by Aaron Barnsdall
  Authorization Required: this content may only be viewed by registered users. Please login….Continue Reading Olá from Brazil
• Não falo português…mas eu falo arte
  by rmac971
  São Paulo is the farthest I have ever been from the moana, whenua and community that raised me. Every aspect of the haerenga to this city was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. From the 24 hours of flying to seeing Jacinda Ardern on a TV in Texas to touching down to a concrete jungle that stretched beyond the horizon.  I love how art is a form of resistance here; vibrancy…Continue Reading Não falo português…mas eu falo arte
• Olá, São Paulo!
  by Ariana Andrews
  Our first week in Brazil has been a complete whirlwind. We’ve had the opportunity to try delicious Brazilian and international foods. We’ve heard from passionate and inspiring lecturers working in different fields related to history and Indigenous Rights. We’ve been to a few museums to get a glimpse of elements of Brazil’s immigration and Afro-Brazilian past. We saw beautiful street art and wandered through markets in different neighbourhoods. We even…Continue Reading Olá, São Paulo!
• Sensations of Brazil – First Impressions
  by ebal605
  The air is thick here. Thick with heat recoiling off of the looming buildings of the city. As I gaze out of the balcony on the eleventh floor, my eyes are met with buildings forever. They slowly fade into a muddled grey and meet a faux horizon somewhere in the distance – and I feel incredibly small. You could drop the entire population of my home country into this city…Continue Reading Sensations of Brazil – First Impressions
• Halfway and it is Waitangi Day! Yay!
  by Aaron Barnsdall
  We are at the halfway point of our time here in Brazil. I have taken in quite a bit of the scenery and the culture in its unique way. My roommate Kurt and I get along like brothers, and we keep an eye out for each other and others who might need support. But hey, we are both dads, and that’s what good dads, mates, fathers, and genuinely good kiwi…Continue Reading Halfway and it is Waitangi Day! Yay!
• A Brief Trip to Ubatuba
  by amur587
  On Saturday the 28th, we checked out of our hotel in Sao Paulo and boarded the crowded bus to head to Ubatuba. The drive was incredibly long, but it was worth it once we began to descend down the mountains and see the beautiful coastline. We then checked into our hostel and were able to explore the area. We were staying in a quaint part of the Ubatuba, which we…Continue Reading A Brief Trip to Ubatuba
• Whenua Whakaora
  by ahem765
  HEALING LANDS Oi famìlia!Como vai você? Today we were blessed to enter a sacred space historically reserved for the quilombo who would play capoeira in training to escape the chains of their masters. Displaced from their homelands and chained with the weights of their captors, the cord to their homelands severed by the hands of the white.  The beating heart of the drum and energy-harvesting bidem bow feeds the players.Master…Continue Reading Whenua Whakaora
• Eu sou estrangeira
  by Margret Mage
  A blog post that my friends and family back home have all been anticipating. I have been excited to share about the amazing kaupapa I’ve been immersed in during my first week here in Brazil. Forever captivated by Brazil’s street art and graffiti, architecture, vibrant people, and rich culture. Creativity is a means of survival and a form of resistance which is apparent through Brazil’s art, food, and movement. As…Continue Reading Eu sou estrangeira
• To be in Brazil is to begin to understand Brazil.
  by Kurt Macalister
  As I discover more of Brazil, I have been learning of the complex challenges the country has faced and continues to. Through visits to Indigenous communities, a Quilombo community, the Landless Workers Movement and the Center for Indigenous Work, as well as the NGO GAIALATO, we have been welcomed by lovely people with open hearts willing to share their stories with us. As well as visiting the Afro-Brazilian, Immigration, and…Continue Reading To be in Brazil is to begin to understand Brazil.
• Kei ōu ringaringa te ao – Brazil
  by ketemaringi
  Kei ōu ringaringa te ao can be loosely translated as ‘the world is yours’. I agree with the whakataukī that this world is ours, but it is ours to care for, not take advantage of. My time here in Brazil has exposed me to the realities of greed and corruption for land and resources. Corporations and others are not looking after the environment, so like how it is back home, the…Continue Reading Kei ōu ringaringa te ao – Brazil
• Iso in São Paulo
  by Grace
  Kia ora koutou, As many of my family and friends now know (and as the title of this blog suggests!), my first week in Brazil was thwarted by Covid-19. I was confined to a hotel room in São Paulo between Monday, Jan 23 and Sunday, Jan 29. But it wasn’t all bad. I had three awesome days of pre-isolation. I was also overwhelmed with kindness and support from the other…Continue Reading Iso in São Paulo
• A Waitangi Day ‘Celebration’
  by ebal605
  When I told people I was going to Brazil for an exchange, I heard a lot of the following: “Please be careful” “Try don’t get shot!” “Make sure you hold on to all of your valuables as close as you can!” “Are you sure you want to go? It’s very dangerous there.” Despite all the warnings, I couldn’t have imagined that my most confronting experience in Brazil would be from…Continue Reading A Waitangi Day ‘Celebration’
• G….. I’M IN BRAZIL!
  by Edsherrick
  NAU MAI HOKI MAI KO TAKU CHAOS BLOG AHAU! Welcome to my Chaos blog. Enjoy! My pre-arrival plane thoughts: “Currently on the flight over and am feeling a mix of emotions. IDK what it is, but I’m happy, excited, nervous, and unsure, but feeling completely blissful. Partly because I’ve had two full glasses of red, and I’m just super, like, in this surreal bubble of living right now. I’m really…Continue Reading G….. I’M IN BRAZIL!
• Ubatuba & Indigenous Communities
  by Inverness-Moana Cathryn Ina Cowles
  When we arrived to Ubatuba from São Paulo on our three hour bus ride, our first instinct was to go for a swim at the beach. Our Hostel was located quite close to the local beach in Ubatuba. There were two beaches nearby, a calm family-friendly beach, and a surfer’s beach with 3 meter waves; Of course we choose to go to the rough beach. When we entered the water,…Continue Reading Ubatuba & Indigenous Communities
• LANDBACK
  by rmac971
  Hoki mai whenua, hoki mai moana This trip has so far transformed my understanding of what it means to reclaim land and story. Beyond the legal reclamation of land through demarcation in Brazil, the reclamation of knowledge and knowledge expression practices are something I have leaned into over the past two weeks. In Ubatuba, we visited Gaiato, a programme facilitating creative expression opportunities for marginalised young people. This kaupapa really touched…Continue Reading LANDBACK
• My First Impression of Brazil
  by jnag217
  The idea of being tightly compressed in an aircraft for almost 24 hours isn’t appealing, but long-haul flights seem to be my thing, seeing as I developed the gift of successfully sleeping through most of the flight journey. We approach the lush greenery and specs of copper that coloured several buildings and homes below us. Bom Dia! We finally made it to Brazil! Being in a new country was exciting,…Continue Reading My First Impression of Brazil
• The City From The Outside 
  by l.knott1812
  Arrival in Sao Paulo I have currently been in Brazil for a total of 5 and a bit days, and WOW, there is much to talk about. There have been many cultural differences I could easily say I was, or wasn’t expecting, and both in equally negative and positive ways. I’d like to specifically cover my first impressions in this blog post as they are my primary experiences so far….Continue Reading The City From The Outside 
• Olá, Ubatuba!
  by Ariana Andrews
  After eight days in São Paulo, we travelled to Ubatuba, a coastal town about four hours away, by bus. While in Ubatuba, we had free time to relax and enjoy the beaches. We were also privileged to visit two local communities during this time. Our first visit was to the Boa Vista Indigenous community. This community is home to 40 families of the Guarani tribe. We reached the community after…Continue Reading Olá, Ubatuba!
• Privilege Check
  by ahem765
  Visiting the indigenous communities and bearing witness to the resistance against continued colonisation has been oxygen to the fire in my puku (belly) and also extremely heavy. It has been unsettling and also a time of celebration of how the indigenous hold space and will not be moved by the pressure from modern-day colonisation. I am practising silence through this program to allow the voices of the indigenous to take…Continue Reading Privilege Check
• Team Pickles
  by Aaron Barnsdall
  I am sitting at Houston Airport, and it’s hitting me now that the trip is mostly over. And this will be my third and final blog of the journey. Lagged much, but still ticking, I get to return home to whaanau and some Hockey before getting back into the swing of all things, work, whaanau, University, and life! It’s been a pleasure to be surrounded by some of our bright…Continue Reading Team Pickles
• Leaving Brazil!
  by amur587
  Our time in Brazil is officially coming to a close. After three and a half weeks, I feel like I have finally settled into the Brazilian way of life and now have to prepare myself to go home. This trip has been incredibly educational, and I am excited to compile this information for our final project. Despite this, the trip has also been incredibly heavy. We have met with communities…Continue Reading Leaving Brazil!
• Our Journey through Brazil
  by Inverness-Moana Cathryn Ina Cowles
  Our journey in Brazil has come to an end, but to reflect, here are a few things I missed in my recent blog posts.  We visited the Indigenous Peoples Memorial. In this space, we were shown culture from many parts of Brazil.  We visited the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA), which is a non-profit Brazilian civil society organisation. What they do is find solutions to social and environmental issues while still recognising…Continue Reading Our Journey through Brazil
• Bilum Lady in Brasil
  by Margret Mage
  My eyes are peeled. I was aware of it but I had to see it for myself. Cultural awareness and competency make no sense to me. A skill you can add to your resume. To make up for your lack of empathy. Always got something to prove in writing. Calm down you’ve only spent a day in the village. You’re on our territory, act accordingly. White spaces make me feel…Continue Reading Bilum Lady in Brasil
• The City from the Inside 
  by l.knott1812
  Initial Expectations  My ultimate expectations of the Programme were simple, to keep an open mind and to soak up everything I could in terms of what was said and exchanged, lessons, learnings and stories. I knew that this programme was venturing onto new grounds for me, not so much the travelling but more so being educated about indigenous rights not just in Brazil but also in Aotearoa New Zealand.  I…Continue Reading The City from the Inside 
• Olá Brasil!!!
  by wmoo384
  Olá from Brasil! Tudo bem? I won’t lie, I’m re-writing this blog after my first version somehow mysteriously disappeared off the face of my mac and completely refuses to be found :’). I suppose it’s the universe’s way of telling me that it was simply too good to share with the world (at least that’s what I’ll tell myself). So really, I should be saying olá from Auckland – sorry…Continue Reading Olá Brasil!!!
• Beautiful Places, Beautiful People <3
  by wmoo384
  Oh, hey again! Tudo bem? This blog is sort of a mash-up of some of my most memorable moments throughout weeks 2 and 3 in Brazil. Namely, our incredible trip to Ubatuba and visits with different indigenous communities. Like I said in my first blog, stick with me – I’m a novice blogger :)). We kick started our second week in Brazil with a stunninggg bus ride from São Paulo…Continue Reading Beautiful Places, Beautiful People <3
• Tchau, Brasil…
  by Ariana Andrews
  This time in Brazil has been an unforgettable experience. From exploring vibrant cities and engaging museums, to walking through the Atlantic rainforest to visit Guarani and other communities to share mātauranga, waiata and aspirations. Visiting NGOs working in different ways to support those on the ground to have greater control over their futures and to fully assert their rights. Spending time in sacred spaces and experiencing connection in a way…Continue Reading Tchau, Brasil…
• Falou, ate mais Sao Paulo!
  by Margret Mage
  What are you afraid of? Shivers with intention. A teardrop becomes one with the rain. I hear and see your pain. Activists can get tired too. and lose hope. Bleached minds say we are. too ambitious. When we want to be treated equally. When we want better for our people. A loyal servant. When years of your efforts are no longer useful to the colonial administration. With no place to…Continue Reading Falou, ate mais Sao Paulo!
• Brazil – We did that!
  by Kurt Macalister
  Having returned from the most amazing time in Brazil I have been reflecting on all the valuable experiences. In doing this I have been reflecting through a hauora lens and utilizing Sir Mason Durie’s Te Whare Tapa Whā model as a framework. It has reiterated that I felt a good balance of synergy between each taha throughout my time in Brazil. I have learnt a lot that I can take…Continue Reading Brazil – We did that!