Private Story
We Were Always Here - Alexia
Summary
While the coronavirus hit Indigenous Brazilian communities in the Amazon particularly hard it also exposed deep structural inequalities faced by Indigenous peoples living in an urban context. This divide points to a longstanding lack of inclusive public policies and issues connected to racism, urban migration, cultural assimilation and the legacy of colonialism and development in the Amazon. While very little public attention is given to indigenous communities in city of Manaus, there exists a vibrant Indigenous-led urban movement fighting for visibility, recognition and justice.
Upon moving to the city, migrants face discrimination, a lack of housing, poor access to services and the pressure to abandon their culture and language in a place where, in the eyes of many, they simply don't exist.
"It wasn't the village that came to the city, it was the city that came to the village," says Marcivana Sateré-Mawé, head of COPIME, an entirely Indigenous association of urban communities in the capital of Amazonas state, "Just because I wear jeans and have a cellphone doesn't make me any less Indigenous."
The city of Manaus – a commercial and industrial hub of some two million people – was built on the site of an ancient Indigenous community, though there is very little public preservation or promotion of its history or culture here, much of it was erased with the arrival or Europeans. Like elsewhere, those with power and influence are all too happy to use Indigenous people and culture as props while ignoring their concerns.
We Were Always Here is a visual investigation into the consequences of decades of public policy failure and a community’s resilience and struggle for visibility. For the city’s Indigenous communities, the pandemic and its consequences are the latest in a long line of injustices that have threatened their very lives and way of life.
Since 2020, I’ve been working closely in collaboration with local activists and community leaders to bring personal experiences to light. Their stories are often painful, but by placing them in historical context and not shying away from their complexity they can deepen our understanding of these important global issues.
The consequences of colonialism and its contemporary manifestations are realities we all need to confront. The immediate benefits for Indigenous people are to feel represented and for their non-Indigenous counterparts to better contemplate the contemporary impacts of colonialism and urbanization. Beyond borders, these stories of trauma and resilience have implications for nearly every colonized community in the world.
To complete this project, I will document communities and record interviews in the run up to the October federal election which is essentially a referendum on the far-right government of Jair Bolsonaro, who believes “indians just want to be civilized like us and have cars”. I will also work with communities and activists to gather and document archival evidence of their relatives and ancestors who migrated to the city. Support from the grant will allow me to fully engage and defer freelance assignments.
This work will culminate in a book and exhibition, rooting the story of this community and their struggles while challenging our perception of a people and culture so heavily influenced by parachute journalism and exoticism.
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